Hey there ,

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Welcome back! I hope you had a good weekend.

I wanted to share a fascinating challenge I'm currently working on with a new client. They run a successful Business Development consultancy in the nuclear space and are ready to hire their very first employee.

This is always an exciting, high-stakes moment!

The role requires specific technical knowledge, but more importantly, it requires the right soft skills to grow into a Sales/BD Executive role, where the outcome and long-term relationships matter far more than a fancy title.

This led us into a deep dive on job titles, and here’s the unexpected finding:

Including the word "Manager" in an early-stage company's job title can instantly add thousands to the expected salary and dramatically shift the candidate pool. It attracts people focused on hierarchy, direct reports, and the title itself.

The Executive Advantage

In smaller, growing, entrepreneurial companies, the focus should be on outcome, not status.

We decided to advertise the role using the title "Executive", with the contextual, correct salary range for the work, and here’s why that works:

1. Attracts Curious Doers: Using "Executive" is more likely to bring in interesting, curious people who are keen to roll up their sleeves and own the delivery of the work, rather than just manage the process.
2. Focuses on Value: It steers the conversation toward the actual contribution and impact the person will have, rather than their position on a corporate ladder.
3. Flexibility in the Interview: We explain in the interview that while the internal job title is Executive (to manage salary and expectations), it can be adjusted to "Manager" when speaking with external clients—the ultimate outcome is what matters.

The key is to avoid candidates whose primary motivation is the title itself, solely for the sake of their ego or LinkedIn profile.

You want people who are excited by the nuclear sector challenge, the business growth, and the opportunity to make an impact—not those who care most about what their peers think of their job title.

A Note on My Two New Books

This philosophy—focusing on practical reality over corporate fluff—is exactly what I wrote about in my new books!

Mark your calendars!

I’m publishing two books. One at the end of October and one in November:

'The Founding Team Playbook'

and

'Hiring on a Shoestring'

These aren't just books. They are the complete frameworks for building strong teams—addressing everything from high-level corporate hiring strategy to practical, budget-conscious recruitment (complete with my emergency 'red Bat-phone' support!).

Look out for more details soon!

Happy Hiring!

Helen

P.S. Ready to optimise your job titles to attract the right kind of talent (the doers, not just the managers)? Reply to this email and suggest a few dates and times that work for you next week!