Hire your first senior executive

Who this is for

Founder led lower-middle market companies with 5 to 50 million in annual revenue that are making the first senior hire in a function.

The quick answer

Write a simple scorecard with three outcomes, key skills, and cultural must haves. Define success at ninety days and at one year. Favour builders with proof at similar scale. Consider fractional as a bridge. Reference for stage wins, not brand names. Tie pay to clear outcomes.

The method in seven steps

Write the scorecard
Three outcomes with numbers, the few skills that matter, and the cultural rules you live by.
Describe day ninety and day three sixty
State what will be built and what will be running. Use plain words and numbers.
Target builder profiles
Look for people who have built at your size. Evidence beats logos.
Design a practical process
Work sample, panel on values, and a case review on your real problems.
Use stage fit references
Ask prior CEOs how the person built at similar revenue, with similar constraints.
Choose full time or fractional
If scope is still forming, use fractional for six months with options to convert.
Tie pay to outcomes
Publish on target earnings and a small variable that triggers on the scorecard outcomes.

Example

A firm hired its first marketing leader with a scorecard centred on sourced pipeline and a twelve week content engine. The leader hit day ninety goals and converted a fractional designer to full time later.

Pitfalls and fixes

Vague scorecards. Use numbers and dates.
Brand chasing. Ask for stage proof.
Overbuilding. Start with outcomes and add headcount later.

Checklist

Scorecard written
Ninety day and one year plan
Interview loop and work sample
Stage fit references
Offer with outcome based variable