Alexander Kliotzkin’s Post

Is your scaleup's growth stalling because you can't find the right talent? 🚀 You're not alone. Over the years I learned this crucial lesson: Hiring a top recruiter EARLY is a game-changer. Here's why: 1️⃣ Time is money  → A great recruiter saves you HOURS of sifting through resumes. 2️⃣ Quality over quantity →  They don't just fill seats, they find ROCKSTARS. 3️⃣ Employer branding →  Your recruiter is often a candidate's first impression of your company. 4️⃣ Culture fit focus →  They understand your company's DNA and find people who'll thrive in it. 5️⃣ Scaling made simple →  As you grow, they grow your team seamlessly. But here's the kicker: not all recruiters are created equal. The right recruiter doesn't just understand your industry. They GET your vision. They're part psychologist, part salesperson, and ALL about your company's success. So, scaleup founders, are you still thinking you can handle recruiting yourself? (Spoiler: You can't. At least not for long.) Agree? Disagree?

‘Building Talent Density’ with Zoe Jervier Hewitt, VP of Talent at Sequoia Capital keynote at Slush 💡 P.S. bonus interview with Zoe’s top advice and a top mistake for early stage founders Keynote speech take-aways The magnificent 7 account for a whopping 30% of the S&P 500 🤯 So what’s the recipe behind their absolute domination? Their ability to build and retain extremely high Talent Density! Top 🦄 companies of the 2010s are building strategy around gathering this type of talent density (OpenAI, Palantir Technologies, Stripe, Anthropic to mention some) — this is where top talent want to go! So what are 3 common traps Zoe sees when trying to build this talent density? 🤔 1. Recruiting Without Purpose 🗺️ Too many founders fail to plan ahead, and end up needing someone right now, and end up making hiring mistakes. Instead, focus on building long-term relationships early on. Invest in interviewer training. Reference _rigorously_ via backchannels (especially for sales roles)! 2. Rewarding Average 📊 Performance does not follow a bell curve, it follows Power Law distribution — 80% of output from the top 20%. So, “Invest In Your Best”: (a) Competitive Compensation, (b) Continuous Development so they can grow (e.g. mentorship) and (c) Strategic Role Allocation because top talent seek and thrive in challenges. It’s going to cost but see it as an investment. 3. Ineffectively Graduating Talent 🚪Be thoughtful about team evolution and handle transitions with grace. Often, the people who takes a team from zero to one will not be able to evolve at the same pace as required by the company. Make sure you have honest conversations about this and that you depart on good terms (the next person will definitely ask what happened!) 💬 What is your number one advice when it comes to attracting, interviewing and retaining top talent? Let me know in the comments! If you like this type of content, be sure to follow me here on LinkedIn for more, or on all other platforms with handle @ImpactFounderJourney #StartupGrowth #TalentStrategy #Sequoia

I had a really interesting Zoom call with the Head of Talent Aquisision for a PE owned global business recently. I was recommended to the PE firm to conduct their CTO search. However, after speaking with the Head of Talent from the portfolio company, they seem to be getting on just fine. My only concern is they’ve only scratched the service of the CTO marketplace from their specialist sector, by their own admission they’ve focused on LinkedIn to search for candidates. My thoughts on this. If you're certain you have access to the absolute best CTOs or Senior Tech Leaders in your field, kudos to you! If, however, there’s a nagging doubt that you didn’t map out your entire marketplace and approach every CTO IN your market, instead focusing on those decent CTOs who happen to be ON the market, maybe we should chat. Grab 15 minutes with me here and I’ll show you (FOR FREE) how to implement insider industry tips and strategies that’ll revolutionise all your hiring, not only your CTO search. ☎️ 𝗵𝘁𝘁𝗽𝘀://𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆.𝗰𝗼𝗺/𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵/𝟭𝟱-𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲-𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼-𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 Until next time people. I’m Warren Beazley, #thectorecruiter. 🚀𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗖𝗧𝗢𝘀 & 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 🏅𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 & 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 📝𝗜 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗖𝗧𝗢𝘀, 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀, 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽𝘀 & 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 🔔𝗥𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 💡𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗧𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 #CTOsearch #TechLeadership #MarketInsights #ctos #privateequity #TalentAcquisition

I talked to a big-time VC owner last week who said he will never use a recruiter again, because he’s been burned so badly in the past. I got angry. Not angry at the guy who took his time to share those thoughts with me. Angry at all the recruiters who do such a miserable, selfish, dishonest, pushy job. The ones who give all recruiters a bad name. But… I suppose I should put my big boy pants on, and be an adult about this. To my fellow recruiters: We are unpopular with many people (clients and candidates alike) because of the crappy job done by others in our industry. 1. Accept the challenge. View this as an opportunity to stand out. 2. Actually stand out. 👉 be a top 1% communicator 👉 bring zero pushiness … you are dealing with other people’s lives and careers 👉 tell the truth Every job/career has its good and bad. Don’t panic and don’t bail out. Don’t blame other people for the challenges. Star in the role you have. Happy Tuesday. Let’s make it a great day.

🦄 Whether a company goes on to become a unicorn, whether it thrives and fulfils its potential, is partly determined by whether the right "game changer" hires are made in the business. Does the business have the right leaders in place to really drive the business forward and make the right strategic calls? With that in mind, I was delighted to speak with Anu Parthasarathy - whose specialism is making game-changing hires for tech businesses and other high-growth companies. We discussed: ✔️ The state of the market for senior executive hires today ✔️ What companies can do to help ensure they make game-changing senior hires ✔️ What timescales are realistic for making a senior executive hire ... and, most interestingly, Anu stressed that one of the key success factors for making a hire that goes on to succeed is ensuring the business is ready to welcome that person into the business. Are the right structures and culture in place to give that hire the best chance of success? If not, consider rectifying those issues before bringing that hire on board. Hope this proves helpful - and would be interested to know how you're finding the hiring market right now?

"We just got $60M in funding!" That's what a founder told me last week, beaming with excitement. Then came the harder question: "How do we hire 50 people without slowing everything down?" Here's what most don't realize: Each stage of startup growth is like running a completely different company: ➤ 1-20 people: Everyone's a builder ➤ 20-50: Systems become crucial ➤ 50-250+: Scale is everything The difference between success and stagnation? ↳ Your talent partner. The best ones: ➤ Cut hiring time in half ➤ Need 50% fewer interviews per hire ➤ Know the VC/PE world inside out Because rapid growth doesn't mean rushing. ↳ It means being strategic. Now ask yourself... Would you rather review 8 candidates per hire (industry standard) or 4 (our benchmark)? Time saved = Growth accelerated P.S. Do you want to scale your talent with efficiency? ↳ Let's chat Steve Bartel Ian Roughley Samuel K Would love to get your thoughts since this is your world. 💯

A few weeks ago, I had an enlightening conversation with Konstanty Sliwowski. He shared insights about the School of Hiring, and I was immediately drawn to the fundamental quality of reasoning behind it. Konstanty, with nearly 20 years of talent acquisition experience, offers transformative courses and coaching that demystify the hiring process. His Hiring Mastery Course and Interview Mastery sessions provide strategic, actionable advice tailored for business leaders and startup founders. Intrigued? Discover more at https://lnkd.in/ehnNJx-g

Celebrating five years of connecting top talent to great companies today! 🎉 Shout out to the Founders, VCs, Hiring Managers, TA Teams, and candidates who have been a part of this journey. From the initial idea to where we are today, your belief in our mission has driven our success. Here's to many more years of collaboration, growth, and impactful connections. #DeepBlueRecruitment

Jack Altman, recently tweeted: "Aside from getting PMF, the most important thing a founder can do in the early days is make their first 10 hires be outstanding. Almost every founder of a successful company can tell you detailed stories of the heroics committed by their earliest employees." This resonates deeply with my experience. As a recruiter for UHNW entrepreneurs, I've discovered a fascinating paradox: I'm essentially a recruiter for the world's most discerning recruiters - founders themselves. The best founders aren't just visionaries or strategists. They're master talent magnets, constantly attracting and retaining the brightest minds to elevate their organizations. It's a skill that separates the good from the truly great. What I've learned: 🔎 Top founders treat hiring as their most critical function, not a delegated afterthought. 🔎 They're always recruiting, whether in formal interviews or casual conversations at industry events. 🔎 Their ability to articulate a compelling vision isn't just for investors - it's their secret weapon in attracting top-tier talent. 🔎 They understand that each hire should raise the bar, not just maintain it. 🔎 The best are humble enough to hire people smarter than themselves. In essence, the founder's journey is a continuous process of organizational upskilling through strategic recruitment. It's not just about building a product or service; it's about building a team that can outperform, outthink, and outmaneuver the competition. As I navigate this world of elite talent acquisition, I'm constantly inspired by these founders who recognize that their ultimate product isn't what they sell - it's the team they build. Altman's words ring true - those first hires are indeed the cornerstones of future success. They're not just employees; they're the co-architects of the company's culture, the trailblazers who set standards, and often the future leaders who scale the organization. In my role, I'm privileged to witness the "heroics" Altman mentions firsthand. These aren't just anecdotes; they're the building blocks of billion-dollar enterprises. So, to echo Altman's sentiment: How much emphasis do you place on those crucial early hires? And for the founders out there, what stories of "heroics" from your early team members have shaped your company's journey? #Entrepreneurship #TalentAcquisition #Leadership #FounderInsights

I'm joining the StartupGrind event as a speaker to share my learnings on how early-stage startups should approach their hiring. You can join the free event from here: https://buff.ly/3U3lb5x Here's the short version of how it's done: ✅ Start with business strategy and what needs to happen in your product & GTM side of things ✅ Build a talent acquisition strategy including what kind of talent you need, when you need it, and why those people should join your company ✅ Start building your employer brand - in the first years it's a lot about the founder's brand and the founders sharing what kind of workplace you are ✅ Adapt the always-be recruiting mindset and build talent pipelines all the time - my recommendation is that you always know who your next hire will be even before you can actually hire them ✅ Balance your MRR growth with your headcount growth ✅ Measure everything and act accordingly. Join the event to get a deep dive to these topics 😎