Hiring for growth from Series A to Series B

Here are my top tips for when you are starting to think about hiring as you grow to Series B:

Hiring for Growth: Series A to B

     •           The most critical hire during Series A to B is the revenue leader, typically in sales, but this hire is often mishandled due to a lack of understanding of what is required by founders/CEOs.

     •           Mis-hires happen when companies prioritise skills and knowledge over attitudes and behaviours, which are more impactful for scaling.

     •           Hiring less experienced leaders with the potential to grow often yields better results than focusing on seniority.

     •           Founders must ensure hiring aligns with culture; overlooking this can result in a toxic environment that destroys value and success.

Building the Revenue Function

     •           Scaling the sales team can feel excessively expensive, but these investments need to be communicated effectively to the team.

     •           Prioritise building demand (pipeline) and orchestrating team hires to avoid bottlenecks in the sales funnel.

     •           Implement RevOps early to streamline processes, support scaling, and enhance the revenue team’s efficiency.

     •           Use interim or fractional leaders to inject immediate expertise and guide the search for full-time leadership.

 The Culture Imperative

     •           Culture is foundational to scaling success and needs to be thoughtfully designed and communicated by the founder/CEO.

     •           Attitudes and behaviors drive company culture, while culture subtly shapes employee attitudes and behaviors over time.

     •           Traits like openness, transparency, humility, versatility, and empathy foster performance, collaboration, and adaptability.

     •           Founders must model the culture they want and can benefit from 360° feedback assessments to identify gaps between their leadership style and desired cultural traits.

Scaling with Purpose

     •           The wrong culture, especially a toxic or corrosive one, makes scaling impossible—69% of founders agree this is a critical risk.

     •           Rapid hiring driven by pressure to scale can compromise culture and lead to long-term inefficiencies.

     •           Strong cultures are built by identifying demonstrable traits in candidates and reinforcing values through daily communication and processes.

Practical Takeaways

     •           Culture and performance must complement, not undermine, each other. Employees should enjoy where they work while being motivated to excel.

     •           Leverage metrics and structured processes to establish a culture of meritocracy and transparency.

     •           Over-communicate—clear and frequent communication avoids misalignment and reinforces cultural values.

     •           Founders unable to embody all cultural traits should surround themselves with complementary leaders who can drive the desired culture.

Key Reflection Points for Founders

     •           What aspects of culture do you want to drive success, and how are they factored into your hiring and leadership strategies?

     •           Are you prioritising attitudes and behaviours over technical skills when hiring for growth-critical roles?

     •           How does your leadership style align with the culture you aspire to build, and are you open to evolving it?

     •           Are your hiring and scaling decisions balancing growth pressure with long-term cultural sustainability?