Article #1: Lessons in HR Leadership: 4 Skills to Support a Scaling Business

Scaling a company isn’t just about finding product-market fit or securing funding. It’s about building the right team, developing a culture that attracts and retains talent and putting the right policies and procedures in place to ensure compliance. This kind of work requires rock-star HR support.

Over the last 19 years working with HR teams across 19 countries, I’ve seen and learned a lot. Regardless of industry, team size or collective years of experience, certain skills seem to rise to the top among top-performing teams. These four skills – adaptability, vulnerability, precision, and execution – aren’t just buzzwords. They’re critical capabilities for HR leaders and their teams in order to drive sustainable growth in a scaling business.

Adaptability: Building an Agile HR Strategy for Growth

Early in my human resources career, the work felt stodgy. I was working for a global company where things tended to be slow-moving and had to be done by the book. Year after year it was the same predictable dance – performance reviews in the springtime, kick-off for our internship program in the fall. This predictability was useful as an entry-level employee; someone building a foundational knowledge of HR and honing their skillset. Not someone who had a real voice at the table.

Here’s what I know now: startups move fast, and so do their HR needs. That’s why adaptability always wins. Adaptability means understanding that a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t exist. Adhering to a strict schedule limits HR’s ability to adapt to the evolving needs of the business as it scales. An adaptable HR leader knows how to assess what’s working and what isn’t, anticipate future challenges and pivot HR strategies accordingly.

Vulnerability: Fostering a Culture of Trust and Openness

A few years ago, I had to let my guard down. I looked an executive in the eye and said unapologetically those few words we’re taught to fear: “I don’t know – but I will find out.”

As a leader, showing vulnerability means acknowledging challenges and admitting when you don’t have all the answers. What makes vulnerability an essential skill is that it keeps us from standing in the way of our own progress. It’s okay to say, “That’s a great question; let me get back to you.”

I don’t claim to know it all and I know that I never will. What I do know is that if I can’t solve a big problem on my own, there’s probably someone out there who can. When we leave pressure at the door and speak with integrity, strength and grit on what we DO know, that’s vulnerability at its core.

Precision: Prioritizing Accuracy, with Speed

Precision is EVERYTHING. Yes, we are human and humans make mistakes. But even in the fast-moving world of startups – where speed is often prioritized over accuracy – the devil really is in the details. Those details matter more than ever in today’s business landscape.

Early in my career, I worked in HR for one of the world’s largest private PR firms. I was surrounded by accomplished communications gurus who scrutinized every period, em dash and space. I hadn’t been a stickler for punctuation and grammar before, but I learned quickly the importance of carefully reviewing and editing things line by line.

Precision is paramount in everything from employment contracts and benefits enrollment to tax filings and performance evaluations. This is what mitigates risk and helps prevent a costly mistake down the road. The reputation of HR (and the business) is built on precision, so teams that are able to balance expediency with accuracy are those doing it best.

Execution: Turning Your HR Vision Into Scalable Impact

It’s one thing to have a great vision – it’s another thing entirely to bring it to fruition. In people operations, more than the “what,” it’s the “how” that matters. And here’s the thing: sometimes the simplest plans end up being the most difficult to roll out.

For instance, consider how a business might address persistently tardy employees. It sounds simple – the message that managers need to deliver is clear (that excessive tardiness is a performance issue). But how that message is delivered needs careful consideration. Typically, a manager needs to rehearse this interaction with the guidance and support of their HR team so they can lead with empathy and encouragement and avoid demotivating their colleague. And keep in mind, this is a pretty standard, straight-forward issue that a scaling startup might face.

In a startup, execution is everything – from day-to-day operations issues like employee tardiness, to the big, strategic systems and structures that support the business as it grows. HR’s ability to put vision into action makes a difference. Teams that execute well in this dual capacity—both tactically and strategically—are best positioned for long-term success.

Bringing It All Together: Scaling with HR Leadership

Scaling companies need more than just your average HR resource; they need an all-in partner in people operations. A partner that can marry business goals with people strategy and navigate the common growing pains a startup will face. These four essential skills – adaptability, vulnerability, precision, and execution – are a great starting point.

By bringing in the right HR leadership—whether through an internal hire or a trusted partner—businesses can build the processes and systems that enable sustainable growth and foster a culture that drives success.