“We have the money, now we need the people.” This familiar refrain from a client highlighted a challenge many founders face after successful fundraising. Their Series B capital was ready to fuel expansion, but they lacked a Mindful Growth MethodologyTM to ensure their sales team and recruiting processes could scale sustainably.

The Diagnosis

Working with our fractional HR team, we quickly identified critical gaps:

• No Success Blueprint: Despite having top performers, the company couldn’t articulate what made them successful—making it impossible to replicate in new hires.
• Redundant Interviews: Candidates faced the same questions repeatedly while crucial competencies went unexplored.
  Ineffective Evaluation Method: Their lengthy mock sales exercise created unnecessary anxiety for candidates instead of showcasing their true capabilities and potential.
• Inconsistent Standards: Without calibration among hiring managers, accountability for new hire success was diffused.
• Confusing Compensation: Their commission structure was overly complex and unclear, causing high-caliber candidates to decline offers.
• Minimal Onboarding: New hires were thrown into the deep end without proper training, creating costly turnover.

The Transformation

AVL’s HR partnership helped implement targeted solutions:

• Developed [data-backed] ideal candidate profiles based on successful performers
• Restructured interviews to assess complementary skills without redundancy
• Redesigned the mock sales exercise to better evaluate real capabilities in a shorter period of time
• Created hiring manager alignment through calibration sessions
• Updated compensation to reflect company and market realities
• Built a structured onboarding program that set new hires up for success

Save The result? By convincing this client to take a Mindful Growth approach in which we slowed down to establish a foundation for successful hiring, we dramatically reduced sales hire turnover and improved rep performance. We helped the client retire ‘reactive hiring’ for a ‘strategic talent acquisition’ mindset, resulting in quality growth.

Transitions can be both a massive opportunity and a significant challenge. Our mission is to be Pivotal To Your Growth, especially in times of massive change, opportunity, and disruption. Let’s talk!

AVL Growth Partners is a fractional human resources, finance, and accounting services company serving clients across the US.  We specialize in partnering with early & growth stage companies passionate about reaching the next stage of growth and success. For details, visit avlgrowth.com or connect with us at hello@avlgrowth.com.