Robert Statsky

Leaders need to know what good looks like. Your ability to staff a team quickly should not be taken for granted. I’ve known many leaders in my almost 2 decades of working who could not hire quickly. They were indecisive, took too long to make decisions, asked the wrong questions or could not make up their mind when interviewing candidates.

In my experience working in B2B startups I have worked with/hired/trained well over 100 people. I can honestly say most hiring is going to be about 70% good, and 30% not so good, bad or terrible.

So for every 10 people you hire, 3 won’t work out, fit in with the culture, adopt or adapt to your model, and they’ll either leave on their own in 3 months or less or be exited in 6 because they can’t “get with the program and succeed.”

I’ve had some success over the years and hired 3-4 people in a hiring class that were all fantastic, but then a few months later during hyper growth you get 2-3 people that interviewed in amazing ways and were just terrible and either got fired or left on their own.

In addition I’ve hired some candidates that did not interview well, were not that impressive during the interview and were some of the greatest, most diligent, most organized and impressively hard workers I have ever met.

Interviewing is an art and I don’t think anyone is really good at it, and sometimes you can meet someone who is fantastic in that interview and says all the right things and then once they start you realize those candidates are one-dimensional, or were very well coached, practiced or rehearsed, and that they just didn’t want to do the work you were asking them to do.

I’ve experienced all sorts of scenarios when it comes to candidates and new hires.

There is a way to tease out the best candidates and I’ll talk about it here but I want to stress that hiring will never be 100%. In my experience after going through the hiring process with well over 100 candidates, and after having to exit at least 20 people in my career for performance issues, you will never have a perfect experience.

Interview Questions

Have a set of interview questions that are not just generic but can get the candidate to answer something that provides evidence of what they’ve worked on in the past. At this point in time, especially with the internet, AI, and all the resources available any candidate could take a job description, plug it into a tool and essentially script exactly what to say in an interview. If you are new in your career I would actually suggest you do this so you are not going in blind.

I would have greatly benefitted from the tools available now when I first started my career. There is so much information available about every single job, you have social networks and easy ways to connect with people. You should never be in a situation where you have to go into a job interview blind on what to say, what to ask, what to be prepared for. It’s amazing how much information is available.

Develop your list of questions and make sure you are consistent with them. If you are interviewing a CSM for a commercial focused role, ask the CSM:

1. How do you organize your day?
2. How do you track your progress?
3. Give me an example of how you increased the price of a customer at renewal?
4. What do you do with an angry customer?
5. What do you do if someone says they want to churn?
6. How do you identify an upsell/expansion opportunity? What do you do next?

Those are all very high level questions but their answers will tell you all you need to know what they have done previously at other positions.

Working with Recruiting

You must developed a very very very close relationship with whomever is recruiting for you. Get to know them on a personal level and understand them. Understand their strengths and weaknesses and be honest with them as to who you want to hire and what your expectations are.

The more information you give a recruiter the better your results will be. Do not just assume they should “know” what it is you’re looking for. Give them as much info as possible so when they do the very difficult, very time consuming work of trying to find the best candidates they can only bring you the very best they can find.

There are of course parameters that you have to stick to regarding experience and compensation expectations but do not just assume the recruiter knows what is best.

Here is my process

Based upon the goals and needs of the team consider what skills sets you are going to look for. Then develop a list of interview questions that you can use consistently with candidates. I have my standard list for revenue-focused CSMs that I use currently and will continue to use. That said, ensure that your questions are broad and geared towards the goals of the team.

If the candidate cannot answer basic questions that are directly correlated to what they are going to do in the role they are not the right fit.

Make sure you work with your recruiter and understand what questions they ask during their initial phone screen. There are basics like: What is your experience? What have you done? What is your comp expectation?

But have them go a layer deeper to read between the lines and get the answers you need. For example, in the SaaS space, I’ve found that Account Managers or Customer Success Managers that work in software have much different skillsets than those that work in advertising. So if you’re interviewing a CSM that has only worked in ad-tech and they say they have consistently hit their targets, that is a much different scenario than if they worked for a software product that required them to persusade and actually renew accounts as opposed to (sometimes, not always but very often) just worked with a customer who had a lot of money to spend and they had a good relationship. I realize this is an over-simplification of what goes into client relationships in ad-tech but it is much different than software.

It is important for you as a leader to know what your product is and what is going to be required to get the customers renewed, and to staff for that experience.

Non-traditional backgrounds

Some candidates just have the juice. They have what they need and have the skills to get the job done regardless of what their roles were previously or what they are currently doing. As you develop as a leader you’ll begin to identify the traits you know stand out and make a difference in different customer scenarios, and at times it might not even matter what the person did previously because you’ll just know they can handle whatever is thrown at them.

That is few and far between, and these people are incredibly difficult to find. When you find this person work with them, and never let them go. If they do leave, make sure you maintain contact with them over time. Adaptable, swiss army knife-like people are few and far between and are worth keeping as a reference, a resource, or just as a friend. They’ll be amazing to know for any scenarios you encounter in work or in life.

As always here is what chat GPT had to say about recruiting CS for B2B SaaS:

When recruiting and hiring for B2B SaaS Customer Success roles, it’s crucial to consider several factors to ensure you find the right candidates who can drive customer satisfaction, retention, and growth. Here are some important things to consider:

1. Understanding of SaaS Industry: Look for candidates who have a solid understanding of the B2B SaaS industry, including knowledge of key concepts, trends, and best practices. They should be familiar with subscription-based business models, customer lifecycle management, and the importance of customer success in driving company growth.
2. Customer-Centric Mindset: Seek candidates who are genuinely passionate about helping customers succeed. They should have a customer-centric mindset, empathy, and a strong desire to build long-term relationships with clients.
3. Communication Skills: Communication skills are critical for Customer Success roles. Look for candidates who can effectively communicate complex ideas, listen actively to customer feedback, and articulate solutions clearly and persuasively.
4. Problem-Solving Abilities: Customer Success professionals often encounter complex challenges and issues. Look for candidates who demonstrate strong problem-solving abilities, creativity, and resourcefulness in addressing customer needs and resolving issues.
5. Technical Aptitude: While not always necessary, candidates with a technical background or aptitude can excel in B2B SaaS Customer Success roles. They should be comfortable learning and navigating SaaS platforms, understanding product features, and troubleshooting technical issues.
6. Analytical Skills: Customer Success involves analyzing data, tracking metrics, and measuring customer satisfaction and engagement. Look for candidates who have strong analytical skills and are comfortable using data to drive decision-making and identify areas for improvement.
7. Team Collaboration: Customer Success often requires collaboration with cross-functional teams, including Sales, Product, and Support. Look for candidates who can work effectively in a team environment, communicate across departments, and collaborate to achieve common goals.
8. Adaptability and Resilience: B2B SaaS companies operate in a dynamic and fast-paced environment. Look for candidates who are adaptable, resilient, and able to thrive in a rapidly changing landscape.
9. Experience and Track Record: Consider candidates’ previous experience and track record in Customer Success or related roles. Look for candidates who have a proven track record of driving customer satisfaction, retention, and growth in previous positions.
10. Cultural Fit: Finally, consider candidates’ cultural fit with your organization. Look for individuals who align with your company values, mission, and culture. They should be passionate about your product and committed to contributing to the company’s success.

By considering these factors during the recruiting and hiring process, you can identify and hire top talent for your B2B SaaS Customer Success team, driving customer satisfaction, retention, and long-term growth.