Mark Howland’s Post

"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. 💯

I spoke to 14 startup founders last week—and 90% told me the same thing: hiring is broken. Hiring at a startup is chaos. Here’s what founders shared with me: - They waste weeks chasing unqualified candidates. - They have no idea how to test for “startup mindset.” - They’re drowning in resumes, but none of them are “the one.” This is the reality of hiring in a resource-strapped, fast-moving environment. But here’s what I’ve seen actually work: - Focus on one must-have skill. Everything else can be learned on the job. - Skip the resume pile. Spend 10 minutes reviewing their side projects instead—it’ll tell you more about their passion and initiative than a CV ever could. - Think long-term. The best hires don’t just fill a role—they grow into it. At this stage, hiring isn’t about perfection—it’s about potential. It’s about finding people who will bet on your vision, roll up their sleeves, and build with you. If you’re struggling with hiring, you’re not alone. The chaos is part of the process—but the right approach can make it a little less painful.

Q2 is around the corner. Early & Growth stage startup Founders, CTOs, Directors, and VPs - grab your free "Startup Founder Hiring Guide"! This 8-Step resource can be your north star for hiring. It includes a sample job ad and other valuable info. Here's how it can benefit you 👇🏼 1. Get clear on who and what you need 2. Know how to best attract the right folks 3. Know how to put together an effective hiring plan to save time and yield the best results This extends far beyond Q2. Use it and reap the rewards. The guide is linked in the comments. Click "make a copy" and save your own version! I'll be coming out for many more free hiring manager resources soon, if you have anything specifically you'd like, drop a comment or message me. If you want more hands on help and need a partner to do all of these for you, I know it's a lot, then DM me or email [email protected]!

Help! I need 32 startup founders whose eyes didn't burn out. What's it for? I need some feedback on a free hiring assessment and cost analysis I will give you. It will cost you $0, and involves just a 20-30 minute Zoom call with me. Think about it this way - if you get just 1 thing out of our call, it will either make you money or it will save you money. 🚦 Why should you listen to me? This is the exact question I have when I see offers like this on LinkedIn. The truth is that I'm no titan of industry. I'm no "hiring guru", nor would I ever claim to be. I've helped 10+ founders develop strategic hiring plans, and find the people they need over the last 5 years. I've recruited across every department in an organization, and have seen the impact each one has on the overall business. If that's good enough for you, then great! If not, totally fine as well. 🚦 Here's the catch (kind of). I need founders who don't think they can afford to hire anyone. This is super important. You should be a founder that is stressed and burned out because you're doing so much yourself. You have a team of people who all report to you. You have no time for yourself, and no time to make strategic business decisions. You need to hire 10 people, but only have the budget for 1. If this is you - PLEASE send me a DM. What you'll receive: 1) A free 30-minute assessment of your hiring needs. During the assessment, I'll provide feedback on: 🔔 what roles you need to hire 🔔 in what order to hire them 🔔 the expected cost to hire them 2 ) A promise from me that I will not ask you for anything other than anonymous feedback on if the assessment helped you. 3) A new friend 🙂 The purpose of this is to help you determine your most impactful hires, and help you find a way to hire them. If you're interested in being one of the 32 free consultations, please DM me and we'll set it up. If you know a founder who would benefit from this, share it with them!

My hiring rules Your ability as a founder, to hire and retain talent will determine the success of your startup. Here are my lessons from hundreds of hires: - Never hire under pressure. - Bad gut feeling, no hire. - Always 4-6 eyes. - Give people with broken CVs a chance. - Make the candidate experience great. - Lean and fast process. No marathon. - You don't need 5 rounds for an intern. - Build a candidate pipeline early. - Your HR team is not overhead - Sell your business to the candidate. - People want purpose, not only money. - Promise what you can deliver. - Invest in great onboarding. - Set realistic quotas. - Define clear expectations. - Almost real-time feedback both ways - Give responsibility early. - If it doesn't work, maybe it's you! - Accept hiring mistakes. - Part quickly if it's not working. - Don’t procrastinate. Trust your gut. - You can't comfort everyone. - Your people before your customers. - Always be fair and human. Good luck building your rockstar team! Happy Monday 🚀 ____________________________ Sharing my experiences as an entrepreneur and angel investor. Investing in early stage B2B SaaS startups. Happy to connect 👋

7 critical skills to look for when hiring for a high-growth start-up!!! In a recent project, we built a senior leadership team for a Deep Tech start-up, emphasising soft skills in the first-round interviews. Here’s what we prioritised: 1. Goes beyond the job description: Wears multiple hats, always innovating and adding value. 2. Thrives in “Organised Chaos”: Embraces change and stays agile to build for the future. 3. Decisive, with speed and urgency: Moves fast, learns quickly, and adapts on the fly. 4. Committed beyond 9-5: Understands the dedication needed to build something special. 5. Prioritises growth over titles: Sees each role as a chance for personal and company growth. 6. Brings a positive ‘can-do’ attitude: Radiates positivity, fostering a collaborative culture. 7. Believes in the vision: Willing to sacrifice short-term gains for long-term success. Remember, it’s not your product that slows you down.... it’s your people! #Startup #HighGrowth #ScaleUp #TeamBuilding #Entrepreneurship #Recruitment

💸 What does it cost your startup when you don't attract and can't hire the right developers? – Missed product deadlines: If you can’t get the right people in, your product launch gets pushed, and you’re losing ground to the competition. For how long is your customer going to have to wait? – Loss of innovation: Without skilled developers, you’re stuck. New features? The big updates? Probably not happening. – Time is money: Either you make a rushed hire that doesn’t work out, or you drag the process out forever. Both cost a fortune in time. – A damaged brand: You don't want to get known for being the place that can’t attract top talent. Then it becomes even harder to hire. – Inability to scale: Growth plans fall apart. You can’t keep up with market demands, and investors start doubting your potential to level up. Recruiting is never free. But investing in good recruitment will save you a lot of money and time. 🕺

Startup Hiring 101: Nobody cares about impressive resumes alone. They care about alignment with your mission and values. When building your startup team, don't just focus on skills and past results. Look for individuals who share your vision and can authentically contribute to your company's story. A team with shared values will navigate challenges more cohesively, adapt to pivots more readily, and present a unified front to customers and investors. Remember, in a startup, culture fit is just as crucial as competence. You're not just filling roles; you're building a tribe of problem-solvers passionate about your mission. How are you ensuring your hiring process screens for value alignment, not just skills?

3 hiring tactics that most people shy away from: 1) Hiring from high growth companies I hire people who came from high-growth startups, even if they weren’t directly responsible for that growth. They know what greatness looks like and feels like and it always positively impacts the culture. 2) Hiring people who will eventually leave The people that want to eventually start their own businesses are the ones that are going to drive the most value in your business. I know how to give them the experiences they need to be immensely successful in the future. 3) Only hiring people who teach you something I hire the people who teach me something new about their field during the interview. If I don’t learn something new, it’s not a good fit. Any of these standout to you? What other tactics come to mind?

Let's talk about something that keeps startup founders up at night - bad hires. We all know hiring is tough, especially for startups. But here's the kicker: a bad hire can cost you way more than you think. Sure, there's the obvious stuff - wasted recruitment costs, and time spent onboarding someone who doesn't work out. But, think about your team morale tanking. Your carefully crafted culture taking a hit. And let's not forget the long-term fallout. Delayed product launches. Missed opportunities. Here's the real talk: a bad hire isn't just a setback, It can be game over. So what's the move? Take your time. Don't just hire for skills - hire for fit. Get creative with your vetting process. Maybe try a trial period or a project-based assessment. Consider hiring global contract-based engineers, it will help you scale and iterate fast with much less cost. Remember, it's not just about filling a seat. It's about finding someone who'll help you build your vision. What's your secret sauce for making great hires? Please share your thoughts in the comments.