Hiring your startup’s first operations manager (or head of operations / operations director) isn’t easy but it’s critical to achieving your vision. I’ve learned from experience by hiring dozens of talented people into startup operations roles.
Like any hiring process, if not well executed it can be a frustrating experience for candidates and founders alike. The difference between hiring the best ops person or not usually comes down to thorough planning and managing expectations. Let’s get planning.
Good hiring starts with the job description
Set the scene
- What does the company do? Who founded it? When? Why?
- Has the company raised funds? How many? From whom?
- What’s the vision? What are the milestones for achieving it?
- How big is the operations function? How hands on is the work?
- Who does this role report to? Who will report to this role?
If someone can’t answer most of these questions after reading the job description you’re likely to get lots of unsuitable applications, which you’ll waste time filtering out. Worse still, more discerning candidates might think you’re lazy or unprofessional and not bother to apply.
Describe what the operations manager will do in your startup
Good descriptions contain useful insights and are unambiguous:
“You’ll take charge of our team of 3 operations associates and expand it conservatively to support order growth while controlling fixed costs.”
“This role reports directly to the COO but you’ll occasionally brief the CEO and investors on operational results.”
Bad descriptions are vague or filled with meaningless jargon:
“Running the company’s day to day operations” can describe anything from the manager of a pop-up coffee shop, to an ops director with responsibility for a nationwide freight logistics network.
“You’ll need to move the needle by surpassing operational KPIs and rationalising deliverables to align with the product roadmap.” Huh..?
Keep requirements relevant to operations management
Good requirements are skills a candidate can’t do the job without:
“At least 2 years of direct people management experience”, for a head of ops leading a team of 6 ops associates and growing.
“Advanced proficiency in Excel or Sheets”, for an ops manager creating scheduling models.
Bad requirements are credentials that aren’t directly relevant to the role:
“MBA”, for an ops manager optimising e-commerce fulfilment processes. I’m sure some candidates with MBAs would be great at this role. I’m equally sure others would be diabolical!
“5+ years working in investment banking”, for a head of ops supporting the launch of an eco-friendly toothpaste. If what you actually want is analytical skills or a track record of making decisions under time pressure, just say so.
Imposing arbitrary requirements filters out good candidates before they even apply. You also risk building a team of clones by discriminating against candidates who are qualified for the role but don’t fit your biases.
Don’t bullshit about benefits, a good operations manager will see through it
Good benefits are clear and tangible:
“£30-40k salary, subject to the amount of share options you choose and a quarterly performance review”.
“£50 monthly public transport subsidy.”
Bad benefits sound desperate or odd:
“All you can eat kiwis.” Have you ever met someone who’d rather have a fruit bowl in the office than a bigger salary or a pension..? Me either.
“A friendly office.” That’s not a perk! It’s the bare minimum any rational human being expects of their workplace.
Being transparent and avoiding embellishment helps to manage candidate expectations. It also demonstrates an honest and grounded organisational culture, which operations managers tend to care about more than most.
Check your tone
A good tone sound reasonable and reflects your company’s values:
“Given the emotive nature of the funeral services we provide, the role requires a firm but empathetic leadership style.”
“Experience supporting digital B2B product sales is highly desirable but not a dealbreaker – every day’s a learning day!”
A bad tone sounds cringeworthy or plain terrifying:
“You should be an A-list rockstar with a passion for transformational growth hacking.” After some head scratching I can only envision Sir Mick Jagger when he kicked the drugs for yoga and keto, which I’m guessing is not your ideal candidate.
“Our ideal head of operations must aggressively pursue targets and eliminate blockers with clinical precision.“ Are you hiring a head of operations or a hitman?
Hitting the wrong tone by using excessive jargon or hyperbole will repel good candidates like the plague and over time limit the diversity of your team. If your granny can read your job description without falling asleep or raising her eyebrows, you’re probably on the right track.