Whether you are hiring your first team member, a freelancer into your business or even the 50th person into your team, the principles are often the same. So typically at this stage in your business growth, you won't be able to compete on salary. When I say that, I mean competing with the larger SMEs or the corporate companies that your potential new hires might also be exploring. But the thing that I think is really exciting about a scaling company is that you're nimble, you're flexible, and you have the ability to really co-create with someone that you hire into your business a package and an offer that really meets their own kind of individual personal growth ambitions, but also what they're trying to achieve in their everyday life.

So what do I mean by this?

I honestly think if you spend the time really thinking about the package that you can offer someone, so the benefits of working with you and the flexibility that you can create for your team, then you are already ahead of so many other organizations out there with the way that the world is going right now, a lot of people have been forced back into the office. They're not necessarily getting the flexibility that they got used to during the pandemic, and so you have an opportunity to really think about what can you offer that's different to people out there because competing on salary might not be an option for you right now. And let's face it, not everyone is looking just purely at salary anymore.

The big things that you can focus on are things like development. So what opportunities are there for people to get training, get learning, and to really grow within their career? And the next big thing is what flexibility you can offer. So for example, you might want to consider a four day working week as standard. So this is where your team members will be paid for full-time hours across a five day working week. But actually as an organisation you choose to work four days as standard. This is getting super popular and if you read some of the research, the impact on productivity and efficiency within an organisation is really, really impressive.

It's actually something that I trialed a few years ago in my business. And although I absolutely am an advocate for four day working weeks, we actually found in our organisation it didn't work for every team member, and the reason why I say that is because our team profile, typically everyone prefers to have flexibility every day. So they didn't just want that one day a week, they actually wanted to be able to, you know, do the school runs, go out to the gym for a few hours in the day, work flexible hours every day of the week, not just working each week towards having that one day off, which is typically a Friday. So that's just something to think about, making sure that whatever you put together is as individualised as you can.

So that's why I use the word co-create. So when you are looking to hire someone, really understand from them their motivations and what flexibility truly means for them. Another couple of things you can think about is offering part-time hours. So this has really worked for us in our organisation where we haven't necessarily had the money and the budget to afford a really expensive hire at different points in time. But one of the ways that we were able to get that high quality talent was by offering them part-time hours. So it meant that it hit our budget and we were able to offer them a competitive salary and for them they were getting the hours that they wanted and therefore were very excited to join us. So that's just something to think about.

The other thing is really think about your team. You know, how do people like to work? Are they early risers? Are they more night owls? Think about maybe if there's different working hour patterns that you can offer people each day. 'Cause again, that could be really appealing for the right person. Co-creating this with your team so that they get the balance that they're looking for in their life while it's still working for your business is really crucial. And I think this is super important for when you're working with freelancers too, because then you can really optimise how you work with them and hopefully they want to work with you long term.

So for example, we have some freelancers in my current business that have worked with me probably for something like 8 to 10 years now, always on a freelance basis. They've done that throughout the whole time. So they've followed me across three different businesses now, and honestly, I think one of the reasons for that is because we've created a true partnership and a really, really good strong relationship. It works for them. We've really understood what their motivations are and in return they're delivering on the objectives that we set them.

So that's just a way that you might want to think about building your team. It's not always about hiring new employees. And I think when you look at the data around scaling companies, so much of that data is vanity metrics. You know, you can have an incredibly profitable, successful business that gives you the freedom that you are looking for and you don't need a big team to do it. So really think about what is it that you want from your organisation? What will that look like? How can you create the life that you really want? And for you, that might be you need a team to do it because you've got certain goals, certain growth that you want to create and certain freedom that you can only do by having a team. But the size of that team will vary.

Okay, so, to find your next brilliant hire, really think about your employee value proposition. And yes, honestly this is important even if right now you are the only person in your team. The reason why I think it's super important is it helps you get really clear on your values, what you stand for, and what you can offer in terms of growth and development to your future hires. And when you have really nailed down what this value proposition looks like, build it into any of your job adverts. So yes, absolutely use job boards, use job ads to try and attract new talent in. But I'd really recommend not just relying on these entirely.

So one thing for example, that you can do on a number of the job boards is pay a little extra and use their CV searching function so that you can use that to actually pinpoint and look for some key talent that you are looking and needing in your team. One idea that I really like for hiring new people into a team is to think about internships. So it's one of the best ways that I've actually hired people into our team over the years. I absolutely do not advocate for unpaid work or internships. So please do make sure you pay the going rate plus any expenses if appropriate.

But I think internships are a really great way for both you and the person joining your team to really test the water and see if you can work together. So for example, you could start with a three month internship and then it, if all is going well, objectives have been met and they're really adding to your culture within the team, then you can offer them a permanent role, um, you know, with an increase in salary and the benefits that they would get as a full-time employee. And one of the great ways I found to find interns is by building a relationship with your local universities and more specifically the lecturers on any kind of key relevant programmes that you would hire from.

So one of the things that's worked really well for, for me here is that if they know that you are a great employer and that you are actively recruiting, those lecturers are much more likely to welcome you into their organisation, to speak directly to the students about your business and any job opportunities that you might be hiring for. I have also found that once you start building the relationships with the lecturers, they often then can recommend to you any students who you know, meet the profile of what you are looking for or have some of the experience that you might find valuable within your team.

And honestly, at every stage of my business, so the three different businesses I've had, we've always hired in early talent. So whether that's an intern or an apprentice, we've had great success with it. It does take more commitment absolutely, because they are going to need more guidance, some development. But I honestly think it's a really valuable way to hire people into your team. And in fact, someone who works in our team right now originally was an intern that joined us and they're exceptional.

So having really good quality talent, you've got to start thinking a little bit more broadly than just bringing in experienced hires. So really think about, you know, what are you looking for from the people coming into your business? You know, remember that when you are wanting to attract people to your organisation, you've got to be really super clear on the culture that you have or what you're creating. So why would someone want to join you? What can you offer that another employer can't? Be super clear in the interview process about what a typical day or week would look like?

The more you can be open and honest right now, the better the hire will be for both of you. So what I mean by this is be quite bold in how you talk about your business and the role you know, if you are in the kind of messy stage of growth and scaling the business, explain that to the people that you are interviewing and potentially hiring. And then it's really clear what they're signing for. There's no surprises and it gives them the opportunity to opt out if actually they would be more comfortable in a more structured corporate environment.

So for example, in your job adverts or role descriptions, you might actually add a line that says that you know, the business is currently in a growth stage, which is super exciting. Um, but it also means that you're building new ways of working as you go. And so for someone who absolutely loves structure systems, processes, you actually might not be the right place for them unless they're open to helping you build them. And then you're just being really clear and transparent.

One of the things that we really focus on when hiring is attitude and behaviours. So really think about the culture that you are creating and how your next hire will add to this culture. So we never talk about culture fit, we talk about people adding to our culture. For me, that feels much more inclusive and diverse because in our business we need diversity of thought, we need different ideas. I don't just want to be hiring a mirror image of me or other members of our team.

So for example, in our team we look for people who are naturally curious. They like to problem solve, they like to figure things out. Um, and people who love to learn, because we're a learning company, we can't have people who aren't interested in learning and developing themselves 'cause it's a really core value of what we all stand for.

Top tip number three is all about delegation.

So the best thing you can do for your business is hire exceptional people, people that are better than you, especially at the stuff that you don't like doing or enjoy as much. And I think the second best thing that you can then do is empower them, empower those people to make decisions, to take action, to recover from mistakes, and to be communicating with you and the rest of your team effectively.

Sounds brilliant, doesn't it?

But I guess the thing that you're probably thinking is, where do I start? How do I even start delegating effectively? What does that even mean? What does that look like? So first of all, my recommendation would be to evaluate what your zone of genius is.

So as a leader, as an entrepreneur, whatever industry sector that you are in, where do you add the most value in your business? What is the high value revenue generating actions, projects, tasks that you need to focus on? What are they, what do they look like? And the next thing is, like, what do you love doing? What comes really easily to you? What do you often find yourself doing that is super quick or feels very natural, feels very easy, but perhaps isn't as easy to other people? 'Cause I think once you get really clear on your zone of genius and where you should be spending your time, it then makes it really obvious where in your business you might need extra support.

So whether that is bringing in part-time, full-time employees or outsourcing to freelancers. So remember, get really clear on what your zone of genius is, and then honestly, delegate everything else. Hire a team who can do all the stuff that you are not good at doing. And what that means is that they'll be doing the work that they love and so will you. So find out what their zone of genius is. You know, that's a really important question in the hiring process.

What does that person believe is their zone of genius? What does that look like for them? Because if you are not great at executing, for example, you wanna’ surround yourself in your team with people who are brilliant executing, and then they can be doing something that they love and comes really easily to them. But then so can you, you'll have the freedom to really focus on your strengths, the stuff that lights you up, and honestly the stuff that's gonna’ move your business forward.

You'll no longer be feeling like you're in the weeds, drowning with loads of different tasks, wearing all the different hats, because you'll be elevated from the stuff that you don't enjoy doing. You'll be elevated from the things that are not in your zone of genius.

So the other thing to think about about delegation is when you do delegate, are you sometimes guilty of taking it back off the other person? I know that I've done that before. The thought process has gone through my head that, you know, sometimes it's easier, sometimes it'll be quicker just to do it myself. But the problem is that's not sustainable long term. You can't be doing everything. You can't physically be wearing all of the hats. Of course, you might decide that for you, having a business where it's just you is absolutely perfect for you and that's great. Like if that's what you want, go for it.

But if you are looking to grow and scale your business, you honestly can't do it alone. And actually do you want to do it alone? So when you do delegate, please, please don't take it straight back off the person. I'd really like you to think about what you do instead. Because I don't believe you doing it all yourself. I don't think that sets up you for success, and I don't think it sets up your team up either.

So do this instead. First of all, be really clear with the person that you're delegating to, exactly what the action is. Again, that might sound obvious, but I used to work with someone in our team who used to delegate and often it wasn't clear to the person exactly what was being delegated because their communication wasn't particularly clear. Or they'd send information in an email they'd talk about some of it, but they wouldn't really be super direct and open with exactly what was required. So often people that that person delegated to, they would then contact me to understand what the hell was going on, and that then doesn't help you do the work that you want to do or grow your team.

So that communication bit around delegation is really critical. So remember, clear is kind. My recommendation when you're first delegating is to always do it either in person or you know, on teams, on the phone so that you can have a conversation with the person rather than just sending an email and hoping that the other person understands what's expected of them.

So while you're having this conversation, um, about the task or the action or the project that needs delegating, agree a deadline together. So this shouldn't just be you imposing a deadline on the other person. Really talk it through so that you select a deadline that is achievable and takes into account any other pressing workloads because the person might need your help to reprioritise. So for example, if this is a really urgent action, be clear on that. Be clear on your expectations, but also help the other person to understand what other things that they might be able to pause so that they reprioritise this urgent requirement.

And then agree how the other person will update you on progress. So one of the biggest frustrations I often have when I delegate things is that you kind of delegate it and then you don't really know until the deadline what progress that person's made. You are super busy, you've moved on to other things, you can't keep it all in your head tracking all of this stuff.

So really think about how you want that person to update you, how often you want to get updates on progress so that you are not then chasing them. There's nothing worse than chasing someone else for an update. So whether this is a freelancer or an employed person, get super clear on your expectations of how you would like them to communicate with you.

Top tip number five is all about working with freelancers when you're at the point of wanting to outsource in your business.

So one effective way to start building your team is by collaborating with freelancers and outsourcing or delegating tasks or projects to them. Why I love this model is that it is very flexible, especially as you are building revenue and cash flow. You're not committed to payroll and you can scale up or down depending on workload. So if you have a client that is being particularly slow, you can scale down the amount of outsourcing and use of freelancers that you might need. But at times when you're getting busier, you can start scaling this up so that you're getting greater traction, better lead time on getting things done, and you are really starting to build and expand your team.

The other thing I love about this model is that you can hire in certain expertise that you need in the business, but it might be expertise that you don't need in the business full-time, or it might be that you are not able to afford a full-time hire right now. We have freelancers in our team that have worked in every single one of my businesses that I've ever ran and thinking about it, one of them I've actually worked with for over 15 years now, I think. Back when I was in corporate, was when I first met them, and we've continued to work with each other throughout that whole period. And I think this really shows the power of the relationships you can build and how you can find a model of working with freelancers that feels really good to both of you.

So the big thing about working with freelancers is to make sure you contract really clearly. It still amazes me how many freelancers I've spoken to who don't have clear terms of business with their clients. So make sure when you are working with a freelancer that you put some terms of business in place to protect both yourself and them.

So once you've got the terms of business in place, then use smart goals from top tip number four, and include this in your schedule of work so that deadlines and how you'll be communicating with each other is super clear upfront, including the schedule of work, the deliverables, so that you are absolutely certain what you are expecting to get from the relationship by what date. And make sure you agree all of this upfront so there's no surprises, and you can both feel really comfortable in your partnership and how you'll work together.

 

The single biggest thing that has either made or broke a situation for me in relationships, in business, has been my willingness to have the difficult conversations and actually to face those conversations that I was maybe a bit anxious about because I was worried about how the other person might react or where I've been worried about like what to say and I've been overthinking what I say and so then I end up just avoiding the situation entirely. And you know, I could share with you guys this big impressive list of things that have added value in my career, but the fact is this one single thing has made the biggest difference. And I think I only realized it in the last 12 months, which is crazy.

So facing those conversations, I honestly believe that's where the magic is. Like the things that we want in life, the things that we desire, the things that we deserve are often on the other side of these difficult conversations. And it sounds super simple, right? Doesn't it? It sounds pretty easy, but it really isn't. Like it's actually super exhausting, you know, worrying about these things. And every leader that I've worked with, we've worked with probably about 5,000 over the last five years. And every single one of them, no matter what sector, what salary level, what job role, they've all found that difficult conversations are one thing they really struggle with. And they're not alone in this.

Like 80% of people in the workplace are avoiding at least one conversation. Like can you imagine the impact that is having on people's stress levels, on their ability to concentrate, like their productivity, just generally how people are showing up in their lives. Like it has such a big impact. And like I say, it's like really exhausting avoiding this stuff because while you are busy overthinking how the conversation's gonna’ go, you are not able to be getting on with your life and be doing and achieving all the things that you really want.

So I've really thought about kind of how this has shaped up for me, and there's been so many times in my life where I haven't listened to that niggle. You know, we've all had it, haven't we? That little niggle, you know, something isn't quite right, but you know, there's been times where I've just been exhausted and tired and I've thought I'll do it another day. Or you know, there's been someone in my team where, you know, I wanna’ give them feedback and it's maybe feedback that they're not gonna’ be happy with, but because they've been super defensive before when I've tried to give them feedback, I actually just avoid doing it or I don't do it well enough. And then you let these little things slide and it becomes much bigger issue.

Having difficult conversations is a skill and sadly it's not a skill that we're taught at school or in the workplace. And I think it's something that fundamentally really helps us have the lives that we've dreamed of, right? And if something in your Life is not helping you to create the opportunities that you want, then it's gotta' go right? And I know for me, avoiding difficult conversations was preventing me from achieving the things that I wanted to or being able to grow and learn and get new opportunities.

So my recommendations to do instead are here for you.

So the first thing is I always remind myself that not everyone's gonna' like me. And as a recovering people pleaser, this was like a major one for me. But what I understand now is that my happiness is absolutely my responsibility. And if something isn't helping me to create the life I want, then it's got to go. And for me, that was this piece about really starting to focus on the fact that people aren't gonna' like me sometimes, but that is okay. And so once I started to take that away, that anxiety about how the other person might respond in a difficult conversation gets way easier to deal with.

Secondly, get really clear on what the outcome is that you want from the conversation. Like how do you want to feel after having it? But also how do you want the other person to feel? Because I think that then really helps you lean into and get really intentional about why you are even having the conversation in the first place. And so when you do have those moments of thinking, oh God, maybe I shouldn't do this, if you can anchor back to that core goal, then I think that really kind of gives a bit of focus of why you need to have the conversation in the first place and it'll give you that little nudge when you're feeling a little bit anxious. It also helps me to think about that, you know, your two people solving a problem together and just that little reframe I think takes some of the kind of potential conflict out of the conversation as well.

The third one is use 'I' statements. So 'I feel', 'I observed' rather than things like, you did this, you did that. It's much less combative and I think it already kind of comes from a place of let's understand each other, rather than a potential place of conflict. So as part of that, you know, write down some bullet points of what you want to say in the conversation as well so that you can easily refer to them.

And the fourth one is listen more than you talk. I think this is really important because listening is probably the most underrated skill. And in fact, like as a human, nothing feels better than feeling like you're being listened to, whether that's in a conversation with a loved one or a family member or with someone in your team or business or work life. And I think the way that you can help do that is by asking more questions than you talk. And so that you're giving that as a person, that opportunity to be heard and to share how they're feeling as well. I mean, can you imagine a workplace where people felt truly listened to? Like that for me, would feel amazing.

And the final one is choose the right time to have the conversation. Sounds pretty basic, but I know that I've definitely had conversations with people, um, particularly in my team where I've maybe been giving them them some feedback and I haven't chosen the right time. So, and then the conversation, you kind of set it up to fail because nobody's in the right head space for it. So instead try and avoid like moments of stress or distraction, like try and find a time where someone is in, you know, the right mindset to be able to truly listen and to have a good quality conversation with you.

Now that isn't always perfect, right? And the only kind of caveat I would make, 'cause again this is one that I know I've done, is I've told myself that the timing isn't right as a way of avoiding having the conversation. So just remember there is no perfect time. So if you are finding that kind of days, weeks, maybe even months, maybe even years are going on and you still haven't had the conversation, you will feel better after having it. So do try and make that happen if you can.

One of the reasons that a lot of people tell me they don't have difficult conversations or they avoid them is because they're trying to keep the peace. So they're keeping the peace, they're letting things slide. And all that ends up doing is creating a bit of a war inside yourself where you feel out of alignment and it doesn't feel good. And the truth is, these conversations are honestly never as bad as we think they're gonna be. And I actually like to think of it as clearing out your kind of work life closets.

So you know those cupboards or closets that you might have at home. It's that one where there's like, you don't dare open the door because things might fall out. Like it's full to the brim with stuff. And when you start kind of decluttering it, you start to feel, God, why have I even started this? But as you keep going, you're creating space.

Like you're creating space for new things, new opportunities. And I honestly feel the same about difficult conversations. I feel like the more that we do them, we get more comfortable doing it for one, but we also clear space, like we declutter our lives and it feels good like to create space for you to grow, to learn, and for new opportunities.

So this is your friendly reminder. You'll never look back in life and say, I wish I hadn't had that conversation. So for you, for others, for the health of your career, your business, your relationships, do the hard thing and have the conversation.

Audio tip number nine. This one might be controversial, but the truth is no one is ever going to care or work as hard as you in your business. That's just a fact.

However, this is what I do think you want your team to do. So first of all, as a leader, your main focus when you're scaling and growing a team is hiring great people, people who are better than you, people who are better than you at the stuff you don't want to do, or the stuff that you're not as skilled at. And then the really important bit is once you've hired them, once you've embedded them into the organisation, get out of their way and let them do what you hired them to do.

Expecting your team to work in the same way that you do or as hard as you do, it's not realistic. You are only going to be disappointed. Absolutely, you want team members that care people that share your values, but you can't and shouldn't expect them to work to the same level as you do. It's not realistic. And actually, I think it would lead to a lot of burnout for both of you. Instead, I want you to think about what you can offer your next hire that will help them to create the life they want. So spend a lot of time when you're bringing someone into your business listening and understanding what they desire in their own life and how through your mission and your business, you can help them to achieve this.

They will be way more likely to join you and also stay long term if the relationship feels beneficial for both of you, and that you're helping them to get closer to their goals. Remember, it is not your job to make your team happy. Again, that might sound quite controversial in that I'm being quite harsh, but genuinely happiness is hugely multifaceted and you are not able to control all of the different elements that go into making someone happy. And so I actually think you're setting yourself up to fail if you try and take on that responsibility, and there's a lot of information out there about happiness and people being happy at work, and leaders should be doing this, and leaders should be doing that. And I actually just think it's the wrong terminology. You can't control everything and you can't control someone else's happiness.

You have to be super clear on what you are accountable for as a leader in your organisation. And I believe this should start with creating a safe space to work. You know, a really safe place where people feel heard. You're communicating clearly. You're giving and willing to receive feedback. You'll have the difficult conversations when you need them to, and you'll have a whole load of fun while you're doing it.

But what you're not going to take on as the leader is the responsibility of making everyone happy. Honestly, you'll end up worn out, burnt out, and taking on way more responsibility for everyone's feelings than you need to. Absolutely as a leader, show empathy. Absolutely as a leader, be caring of your team, be supportive of your team, but you can't take on the responsibility to make them happy, because as I said, that is so multifaceted that there's so many elements that you have no control over.

So hopefully that gives you some reassurance on what the expectation is of you as a leader and the things that you really shouldn't be worrying about.