Learnings from scaling Vainu to +100 employees

Podcast Summary: Episode of #TalentBuzz with Guest Mikko Honkanen from Vainu

Introduction:

• Host: Discusses talent acquisition in SaaS companies.
• Guest: Mikko Honkanen, Founder of Vainu.
• Topic: The episode delves into Vainu's growth from its founding team to 130 employees, highlighting key learnings and strategies in hiring.

Early Recruitment Success:

• Mikko recalls Vainu's first job opening in late 2014, which surprisingly attracted over 100 applications without a well-known brand or extensive promotion.

Recruitment Challenges:

• The most significant challenge is finding individuals with specific skill sets in sales, customer success, marketing, and product development.
• These roles are highly competitive, as candidates often have numerous opportunities.

Hiring Strategy:

• Initially, Vainu focused on hiring individuals early in their careers, particularly in sales, due to the lack of brand recognition and financial resources.
• Successful early hires motivated the strategy to develop junior employees into senior roles.
• Later, Vainu began hiring more experienced professionals, especially in enterprise sales.

Onboarding Process:

• Vainu has a structured onboarding process, utilizing sales playbooks since 2014.
• New hires undergo systematic training, including company history, product knowledge, and department-specific education.

Role of Founder Brand in Hiring:

• Mikko's existing network and professional brand played a crucial role in early hiring, especially when Vainu lacked a corporate brand.
• Personal connections and familiarity with candidates facilitated successful early recruitment.

Data-Driven Recruitment:

• Vainu uses a mix of data and intuition in hiring.
• They emphasize building a strong candidate pipeline and use objective assessments and tests to evaluate candidates.
• The company also considers candidates they didn't hire, analyzing their career progression to assess and improve their hiring decisions.

Evolution of Hiring Roles:

• Initially, Mikko was heavily involved in the hiring process.
• Over time, his role shifted to supporting the recruitment team, providing company insights, and ensuring cultural fit.
• Vainu's hiring process has become more inclusive, with various team members involved in interviews.

Expanding Internationally:

• When establishing offices in new countries, Vainu sends existing employees to ensure the transfer of company culture and methodology.
• The focus is on covering time zones and languages rather than specific countries.

Advice for Scaling Startups:

• Mikko advises startups to stay focused and choose battles wisely.
• It's essential to identify areas where the company can excel and make deliberate decisions to invest resources accordingly.

Closing Remarks:

• Host's Conclusion: Encourages sharing the episode to spread insights on talent acquisition in SaaS companies.
• Sign-off: Reminds listeners about the importance of strategic hiring in the growth of SaaS companies.

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