5 WEEKS
Brief to accepted offer
FIRST
EA hire at the company
3
Candidates shortlisted
18 MONTHS
Headcount doubled post-hire
THE SITUATION
A Series B technology company in New York had just closed a $28m round. The founder and CEO had been operating without an EA since the company was founded. At 60 people and growing, that was no longer sustainable. The CEO was spending four hours a day on logistics that should not have required his attention.
The challenge with a first EA hire at a high-growth company is that the role does not yet exist in any defined form. There is no predecessor to benchmark against. The EA has to build the function from scratch while simultaneously keeping pace with a principal who moves fast and expects the same from everyone around them.
The CEO had spoken to two generalist recruiters. Both had sent profiles that were technically competent but wrong for the environment. He was referred to TalentSmiths by his Series B lead investor, who had used TalentSmiths for a portfolio placement in London.
WHAT WE DID
TalentSmiths spent the briefing understanding the CEO's working style rather than the job description. The role needed someone who had operated in high-growth environments before, who was comfortable with ambiguity, and who could build systems without being asked to.
Three candidates were presented at week three. All three had prior startup EA experience. The CEO interviewed all three in a single day. One candidate stood out immediately. They had been EA to a founder through a Series A and B at a company that had since been acquired.
The offer was made at week four. Accepted within 24 hours. Within six months of their joining, the CEO had reclaimed his mornings. Within eighteen months, the company had grown from 60 to 130 people. They had scaled with it. They are still there.
“I was sceptical of the timeline. Two weeks felt optimistic. The shortlist arrived in eleven days. All three candidates were credible. We hired the second one.”
CEO, SERIES B, NEW YORK