3 Keys to Building Teams That Scale Successfully đđ„
A recap of last weeks Tech Thursday dives into what scaling in tech really looks like.
As tech companies shift from early wins to rapid growth, building the right team becomes one of the hardest, yet most important challenges. How do you attract top talent when your brand is still under the radar? And how do you keep people engaged and present when the going gets tough?
First, some context from the CBRE Tech Talent Report:
Key Statistics:
Tech employment in Calgary grew by nearly 78% between 2017 and 2023.
Tech degrees in Calgary increased by 40% in the same timeframe.
The 5-year tech wage growth in Calgary increased by 7.7%.
This past weekâs Tech Thursday session, âScaling Teams, Scaling Dreams: What It Really Takes to Build Talent in High-Growth Tech Companiesâ, co-hosted by Creative Destruction Labs and ScaleUP Week, dug into what it takes to build and lead teams in tech across a variety of companies, as well as the real stories of what surprised them, what theyâd do differently, and how theyâre thinking about team-building today.
The panel featured:
Amanda Broos (Chief People Officer at Neo Financial)
Bri Falls (Founder & CEO at Leeg Group)
Tom McDonell (CEO at HazTrack)
Moderated by: Mark Lowen (Stream Manager at CDL-Rockies)
This recap is brought to you by Boast, book a free assessment:
3 Learning Moments on Building Teams That Scale:
1. Your First Team Wonât Be Your Forever Team
While it can be easy to assume that the team you start with will be the team you see things through with, the panel agreed that as businesses scale, the needs and skill sets required evolve, fluidity in people management is key.
Why this is important: Scaling isnât just about hiring more people, but hiring differently as the company grows and the companyâs needs change. Building out a team, especially through multiple growth stages, can and should shift the focus from the individual, to the overall best fit that will most positively benefit the business.
2. Explicitly Outlining Culture Saves Time Down the Road
The consensus around the fast-paced nature of high-growth tech companies was that it can be easy to forget to outline what each business is looking for in terms of talent; and by having a guide to help lead the scaling process, it becomes easier to find the correct talent fit who can provide maximum impact.
Why this is important: Building a culture outline early not only helps create clarity among early-stage members, but saves time once the business is ready to scale. Instead of sitting down and asking âwhatâs important to us?â At a later-stage, busier time, companies can refer to their outline, and more seamlessly recruit and hire talent that is a fit, both skill-wise and culturally.
3. Understanding What Work Means To Different Team Members
The necessity to understand that work may mean different things to different people, especially in early-stage companies, is vital; not every new hire will have a similar approach to those who were there from the beginning.
Why this is important: Scaling a company means adding to the team, and while each new member will have a different perspective, it is very likely that as the business scales, there are less people who will be solely driven by the company mission. Understanding the different perspectives is key to building out an efficient team, underscoring the importance of being intentional with hiring when scaling.
A message from Boast:
Your Innovation Deserves Every Dollar of Support It Can Get
Did you know that many companies fail to maximize their SR&ED claims, leaving significant money unclaimed?
At Boast, we specialize in uncovering hidden opportunities in your R&D activities.
Our proven process ensures you:
Get the maximum refund possible without overpaying your provider.
Save time by letting our experts handle the heavy lifting.
Receive your refund faster with a fully audit-proof report.
Donât let your hard-earned innovation dollars go unclaimed. Let us help you secure the refund your company deserves.
Hot Take:
Disagreement Can Be a Sign of a Companyâs Long-Term Health
The panelâs agreement in the need for a variety of skills and perspectives was echoed in the statement that having disagreements with other team members saved long-term headache.
Why does disagreement help? By ensuring that each new member of any team is considered intentionally and specifically for their fit/skill, businesses avoid âgroupthinkâ, saving time by discussing potential friction points earlier rather than later.
Parting Thoughts:
âAs you scale and you start realizing that you can't rely on things that worked when you were zero to one. It doesn't scale. It actually starts to stall your growth.â - Amanda Broos
TL;DR
Scaling a team is more than just hiring more people: Business needs evolve with each new stage, and with that, maintaining team culture fluidity is an advantage.
Outlining culture early eases processes later on: Knowing company culture early on will provide a more seamless, efficient scaling experience
As businesses scale, motivations will change: Not every new team member will have the same motivations as a founder, and understanding that is vital to morale.
Miss a Tech Thursday? Make sure you catch up on our YouTube.
Donât Miss the Last Two Tech Thursdayâs of the Month!
June 19: âThe Future of Cloud Securityâ, co-hosted by Wiz
Including:
Moderator: Kim Menier, Account Executive at Wiz
Gavin Miller, Director of Application Security at Clio
Joseph Johansson, Sr. Solutions Engineer at Wiz
Stefan Doan, Chief Information Officer at Neo Financial
June 26: âTips and Tricks for Successful SR&ED Claim Applicationsâ, co-hosted by Boast and RBCx
Including:
Aly Khan Musani â CFO & COO at Symend
Dawson Drolet â Director of Business Development at Boast.AI
Rehan Ahmad â Director of Banking at RBCx
Tech Thursday would also love your feedback! If you have any feedback about how we can improve our events, fill out this survey and get a chance to win a $50 Prepaid Visa.