Jane Reddin, Partner AlbionVC focused on Talent and Platform will present for the first time a universal hiring playbook build on her 20+ years’ experience of scaling high performing early-stage startup teams. Playbook includes practical guidance and steps how to hire well- from ideation to role description, to hiring process design, interview questions; it includes a diversity lens to allow for a more diverse candidate pool. Jane will share this universal framework that works for every hire and every startup everywhere, and will make the tool available at SaaStr for the first time. Jane can also provide advice for founders managing and developing their teams whilst also trying to navigate the uncertain economic climate.

2. I’ve got the best
job in the world
25 years
as an early
stage Talent
expert
12,500
interviews
300+
founders
Self
confessed
‘framework’
nerd
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3. 3

4. Why ‘hiring well’ matters
4

5. ‘Over the first five years,
B2B Software Unicorns hire
3 to 4 leaders a year, every year’
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6. What can you do about it?
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7. Hiring mindset
Hiring is a
buying and
selling
experience
1
Go slow
before you
set off, to go
fast in flight
2
Hiring is a
team sport
3
Aim for
objectivity,
clarity and
alignment
4
Hire for
trustability,
rather than
likability
5
Know
your own
blindspots
6
7

8. 8

9. Hiring well requires great tools
Since June 2021 the AlbionVC
Platform team has supported
110 game-changer hires,
across sales, finance, product,
engineering, people and talent,
marketing, customer success
and board.
That’s 1 hire every week.
9

10. Founders: ‘hiring leader archetypes’
Charlie
Disorganised and
semi-engaged
founder
Hannah
Highly-engaged
super organised
founder
Ben
Disinterested
Founder
Amaya
Recruiter (benefits
from the solution)
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11. Meet Hannah
Founders must hire the right team;
critical for growth
Hiring is expensive and time is precious
The best talent is scarce and
competition is fierce
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2
3
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12. The hiring playbook framework
Assessment process
Candidate scorecard
Hiring team
Candidate profile
Candidate
engagement plan
Performance in role
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13. Hannah spent time with GI Jane
Promotes clarity, collaboration & trust
Increases objectivity and reduces bias
Increases the chance of making
a good decision first time, fast
1
2
3
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14. AlbionVC hiring playbook unpacked:
for a VP Product
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15. Customer retention is high
ROI to commercial
returns is high
Agile mindset has become
a central muscle
Teams are motivated
to work together
CEO has let go of
product worries
What will they be doing - how will we know
when they are doing a successful job?
Articulate performance in the role
Imagine 100% represents the whole lifecycle of this role
- how will the person spend their time, in % terms?
Ruthless prioritization
of roadmap
Product integration
and scaling
Facilitate alignment
Build and develop
product team
What are the key accountabilities
over the next growth phase?
Customer scaling Leadership
Delivery Strategic ownership
What is the role primarily
there to deliver?
Optimise ROI Embed a product mindset
Facilitate strategic alignment
Team leadership
responsibility
Coherence and scalability
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16. Led multi-geo teams
Global understanding of
different enterprise needs
What are the other
ideal requirements?
Weight the must haves
Commercial product traction
Prioritised the product
roadmap
Track record of expanding
retention
Generated insights
from data
Scaled a break-through
product
What must the candidate
have achieved before?
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17. Build a scorecard
High EQ that builds rapport Revenue focused
Clear confident and
persuasive communicator
Excellent and fast
critical judgement
Focus on quality and
continuous improvement
The scorecard dimensions
– can they do the role?
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18. Impactful bias Analytically decisive
Willing to trust
Willing to challenge
and be challenged
Calculated risk taking
The scorecard dimensions
- can they thrive in our team?
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Build a scorecard

19. Forward thinking
Calculated risk taking
Speed to action
Iterates with data
Highly adaptable
Constructively tough minded
Impact on
company
growth
High EQ
Willing to challenge or be challenged
Pragmatically inclusive
Gives trust first
Emotional maturity
Inspires belief
Impact on
team
dynamics
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Start up edge

20. 20
Align company and individual drivers
Increase diversity
Hire for culture-add
Cultivate start-up edge
Align personal drivers

21. Desire to fix and improve
Belief that this can be achieved
Wants to build a category leader
Ready and primed to be part
of a rocketship
Why do they want this?
Weight the scorecard
We listen more than talk
10% crazy is just about right
We don’t put people in boxes
Transparency and honesty
Leave the world a better place
Can they thrive in our team?
Scaled a break-through product
Commercial product traction
Prioritised the product roadmap
Record of expanding retention
Generated insights from data
Can they do the role?
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22. Takeaways
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23. Hannah’s hero journey
PPPPPPP (Proper Planning and
Preparation Prevents Painfully
Poor Performance)
Playbook enables a collective team
capability to hire well
Founders become better leaders
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2
3
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24. Our MVP AlbionVC Hiring Playbook:
Join our beta
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