Have you made an Ops hire in the past 12 months that did not work out?
This is what could've gone wrong in your hiring/vetting process:
● They weren’t tech-savvy —> As a small business owner, you don’t have time to coach someone on using different tools, and there’s not enough time to have them learn how to use your tech stack
Consider: Ops hires for digital businesses should have the technical skills to jump right in and learn your systems, not the tool.
● They couldn’t move and pivot quickly —> If your Ops hire has never worked in a small, fast-moving organization, they’ll have difficulty adjusting to your pace.
If their background is in corporate or large organizations, they’re not used to constant changes and will need more lead time
Consider: Your Ops hire should have experience working in a startup or small business, AND they should enjoy working in a small team with an all-hands-on-deck mentality.
● They didn’t understand your business model or services —> While ops skills are transferable and not industry-specific, some folks have spent their career in one industry or have no understanding of your industry or space.
Consider: When vetting them, ask them about their interest in your space (what books they have read, podcasts they listen to, creators they follow, etc.) and what they know about the space.
● They always waited for detailed instructions before executing —> If you haven’t established any repeatable systems or processes for your business and were hoping they would take your vision and make it happen, you may have hired someone too junior to execute without guidance.
Consider: Create a detailed role description first. Then, based on the responsibilities and tasks, consider if this is a junior, mid-level, or senior hire. If you need someone with lots of experience who can come in as a strategic partner, you should NOT be looking for a junior hire just because they're 'cheaper.'
● They are great at strategy but need more resources (team + budget) to make an impact —> Your Ops hire might be used to working with a bigger team or more financial resources to make progress on their ideas.
They may not enjoy implementing and would prefer to stay within the strategic space.
Consider: Again, search for the right candidate based on your current business stage, team size, and budget. A great strategist is amazing, but all the strategy will only have an impact if you have someone to help you implement and execute it.
If you've previously made a wrong Ops hire or you're ready to make your first Ops hire but need guidance in figuring out the title, role description, budget, and process to select the best candidate, send me an email at simone@undashed.com or schedule a call with me here.
Comments