Higher Good Talent’s Post

Founders are increasingly focused on improving burn rates and building sustainable businesses. As a result, more Seed-Series B companies are hiring fractional executives to help them solve problems without all the costs (and time) associated with hiring a full-time executive. 1. The "try before you buy" model is ubiquitous. Find a stellar fractional executive to solve problems immediately, and hire them full-time if things work out. Or, they can help you derisk your FT hire by calibrating, interviewing, and ramping them up. 2. Give an "up and comer" more responsibility and pair them up with a top-notch Advisor who can accelerate their growth. 3. Moving with urgency is paramount for startups in this environment. You can start solving problems significantly faster when you seek out a fractional executive versus a full-time executive. Interested in learning more? Continuum has the best fractional executive in the business.

when #hiring people for your team (or company), ask yourself this one fundamental question 👇: "Is the person I'm hiring the best possible candidate for this position"? Not the best candidate that you have in the pipeline. Not the best candidate that you know. But THE absolute best 🌟 candidate for the role. It is tempting to take shortcuts to just "fill out headcounts" (in the end, this is what gets you promoted in big tech, right? 😉) especially when faced with a heavy workload and time pressure. But this alone can break your company. "𝘈 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘈 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘉 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘊 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴". Hiring a perfect team (especially crucial in #startups for early hires) should be the #1 KPI for the Founder. People are your biggest asset.

This week I’ve had a few people ask me what Fractional Talent is and why you would opt for that approach to hiring. Fractional Talent is increasing in popularity among scaling startups as an alternative solution to structuring your teams. It allows you to hire senior (often C-suite) level people on a part-time basis. It’s mainly growing popularity across marketing, however, I’ve seen examples of design, finance, tech, operations and most C-suite roles. Generally, the reasons you would opt for fractional talent would be because… 🌟 Generalists hires often lack experience in creating a strategy and scaling beyond a certain level 🌟 Agencies don’t feel part of the vision and need someone in-house to manage that process 🌟 Budgets don’t often allow for big hitting CMO level hires on a full-time basis Often they would be paired with a full-time generalist who can support with executing the strategy. What are your thoughts on Fractional talent? Is it something you could see working in your startup? #fractionalcmo #marketing #startup #hiring

Hiring is a network effect. The first 100 people you hire will define the next 200. When enough great talent has your startup’s name on their resume, you get known as a place where strong performers come from. This is part of brand building and will help with recruiting in the long-term. #startup #hiring #building

When does the cost of not finding the perfect talent outweigh the cost of engaging a third-party to help you find the top talent you need? If you’re after a great salesperson who can drive revenue or a product person that will drive new product development, there's money being lost every day the role is unfilled - the opportunity cost. What would you prefer? Paying a success fee of less than CHF / EUR 19,900 and quickly securing the perfect talent who can make a big difference from day one OR having internal resources struggling to find that needle in a haystack and missing out on their contribution to business growth and revenue? There’s a point at which free isn’t really free. #hiring #getfound #talentacquisition

As a founder, if you can only get one thing right, it should be to hire well. Hiring is an area over which you have significant control and one that greatly influences outcomes. Venturing into uncharted territories, your team is your strongest asset. You can either have a culture of excellence or settle into mediocrity. ✨ Excellence is intentional, swift, efficient, and compounding. ⏳ Mediocrity is expensive, slow, error-ridden and decaying. The founding teams of the best startups are filled with people who are just as capable, motivated and energized as the founders. After hiring, ask yourself: 🔍 Would you rehire this individual with your current knowledge? 💼 If they were to leave for a comparable role, would you fight to retain them? If you're not shouting 'yes' in response, it's time for candid discussions. #hiring #founders #saas

Founders and startup hiring managers. The talent market is strong but this doesn't mean you can be lazy and rushed with your job specs. You still want talent, and the right talent for your startup. These are three things you should always think about when writing job specs, start with Simon Sinek's 'why'. 👩🏽🔧 Why would someone want to work for you? 🏅 Why would someone want to work at your company? 🥇 Why would someone want this job? It's a two way street... those founders and hiring managers that get this, get the best matching talent. (Cute dog picture incase my words are not interesting enough to grab your attention)

🚀 The VP of Sales Dilemma! Is this the hardest position for a startup to hire? 🔍 Over the past decade, my teams and I have embarked on the quest to find the perfect VP of Sales for high-growth SaaS startups. But here's the twist - too often, we've been called in to fix the aftermath of a misguided first hire. Why is this pivotal role so tricky to nail? 💡 The VP of Sales should be your startup's growth engine, but timing is everything! Hiring too early, before solid revenue or market fit, is a recipe for failure. Founders, we get it – it's tough to let go. But success comes when the business is truly ready to grow. 🎯 The hiring conundrum: Don't compromise on the right fit! Many companies sacrifice experience or competence for industry expertise and vertical knowledge. Let's flip the script – prioritise leaders who've successfully built and scaled teams. Domain knowledge is a bonus; the real stars have a track record of success, at a similar stage and scale of growth. 🤔 Is the first VP of Sales hire the ultimate hiring challenge, and what do you believe are the key pitfalls? 💬 #StartupSuccess #SalesLeadership #vpsales

🤔 Why would I leave my established business to join a startup? Are you thinking of leaving an established business to join a small business or start-up? It's natural to experience doubts and fears. But, what if you could fast-track your career, be a decision-maker and build something special? What if you had real autonomy and flexibility, and could help build the perfect culture? Would you trade your free pizzas for a slice of the pie? Asking yourself these questions could mean that you're ready for a change. I'm still on the look-out for key hires to take their careers in recruitment forward. Get in touch to hear more! #hiring #lifesciencerecruitment