This document discusses best practices for hiring and developing employees at early stage companies. It introduces the "A Method" for hiring, which involves systematically sourcing candidates, conducting structured interviews using a scorecard, and persuading top candidates to join the company. The scorecard outlines the mission, outcomes, and competencies needed for a specific role. Career development challenges at early stage companies are also addressed, such as the need for generalists and constant learning opportunities. Attendees are encouraged to engage on Twitter with the hashtag #LeanDC and contact the presenter for additional resources.

1. Embracing your
inner “HR Lady”
It’s about who you hire, not what you do.
#LeanDC | @danberger

3. Presenter-Audience Agreement
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Stop me at any point if you have any questions.
Engage me (@danberger) and other via twitter
#LeanDC.
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Take as many notes/photos and share as you please.
Participate during exercises.

4. Learning Objectives
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Use the A Method for hiring at your company.
Learn best practices around career development early
on.
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Identify best practices for building a culture.

5. Quick Poll
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Who here is a founder?
Who here is a Hiring Manager?
Who likes HR?
How about talent management? :)

7. Employee Count (6/12-2/14)

10. Fire
Fast
Hire
Slow
Fast
Slow

11. The A Method
A
A series of structured
interviews that allow you to
gather the relevant facts
about a person so you can
rate your scorecard.
ec t
Sou
rc
e
Sel
Systematic sourcing
beforehand ensures you
have high-quality candidates
waiting when you need them.
Scorecard
Persuading the people you
have identified for your team
to join.
Sell
Source: Who
The scorecard is a document
that describes exactly what
you want a person to
accomplish in a role.

12. The Scorecard
Mission
Outcomes
Competencies

13. Sample Scorecard:
Director of Customer at Social Tables
Mission:
To manage the company’s Customer Success team, ensure customer
happiness, and drive customer retention.

14. Sample Scorecard:
Director of Customer at Social Tables
Outcomes:
● Achieve 100% customer retention rate m/m.
● Achieve 110% revenue renewal m/m.
● Grow the company’s NPS 10% every quarter.
● Build a diverse team of motivated Customer Success professionals.
● Decrease tickets per customer by 50% by the end of the first year.
● Achieve average support response time below 15 minutes for all inquiries.

15. Sample Scorecard:
Director of Customer at Social Tables
Competencies:
● Service-driven. Gets “a high” off of helping others and seeing them succeed.
● Customer first. Embodies the idea of saying “yes if” instead of “no because.” Drive to deliver customer happiness
come hell or high water.
● Strategic. Recognizes retention is the most important piece of a SaaS business and approaches Account
Management strategically.
● Organized. Gets pleasure from having clean data, comprehensive models, and proactively reduces clutter. Keeps
track of multiple projects and initiatives.
● Innovative. Reengineers processes for maximum efficiency and believes in automation as competitive advantage
to both work smarter and stay lean.
● Positive energy. Brings a positive, can-do attitude to even the most stressful situations. Half is glass full kind of
person. Calm even under very intense pressure.
● Effective manager. Understands teams are effective because their sum is greater than their parts. Enjoys
motivating, coaching, and developing others.

16. Interactive Exercise
1. Turn to a neighbor
2. Transform your “job
tasks” into “outcomes”
3. Switch partners
Tip(s):
•Focus on what success
looks like if you do a
good job.

17. Career Development Challenges are Compounded in
Early Stage Co’s
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Not many options to move around in.
You want generalists to stay agile.
“Grow as fast the company does.”
“Provide just enough structure” so they fail & learn.
Constant learning opportunities AKA “Learning Mix”
Have honest conversations

20. Handouts
http://bit.ly/A-Method-Handouts

21. Stay In Touch
twitter: @danberger
coffee: dan@socialtables.com