Maximizing VC Hiring Referrals with Rob Whalen of PTO Exchange

Referrals are most often your most potent source of talent for your organization. So investor referrals must be the holy grail of all referrals. After all, there is a vested interest in your company's success so why shouldn't the referrals be outstanding? 

Here’s the thing to consider. Yes, these referrals are gold but it is dangerous to assume that this person will automatically thrive in your unique company.  We cannot forgo a formal interview process based on a strong voucher from a trusted source. 

The only way we discover if they will in fact thrive, is to be diligent in the interview process to really understand if the person desires the value your organization brings to the table. . 

The decision needs to be made through evidence and buy-in rather than confirmation bias and assumptions. 

Guest Bio:

Robert Whalen is the Co-founder and CEO of PTO Exchange, the first benefits platform that allows employees to self-direct the value of their unused paid time off for other needs and causes. 

He is a serial entrepreneur that has over 25 years selling and developing software and hardware products for the world.

Under his leadership, Rob and his co-founder, Todd Lucas led PTO Exchange to  “Cool Vendor of the year” by Gartner in 2017 and awarded “Awesome New Technologies" at the Health and Benefits Leadership Conference in 2018.

TODAY WE DISCUSS:

Investor referrals: The value & challenges 

The importance of proper diligence in your interview process for referrals

HIRING STORY:

When we first started the business with 4 founders, 2 of us were working on the project constantly and the other 2 were not putting in the time so prior to vesting we bought the other two out. 

We had to do this to keep a clean up the cap table so that we could raise capital.  

Going through this process we realized having that right person at the right time joining the company is really important.   So we put a simple process in place

What the company needs or needs to know in our case.

3 things we are looking to have them accomplish - alignment

3 interviews at minimum

Gut check - (culture, willingness to learn)

Reference checks

PROBLEM:

Challenge?

When you raise capital you hope those investors will bring value and relationships.  But investors aren’t there day in and day out managing the business and they sometimes associate a person's success at another of their other companies to the value that individual could bring to yours

Most of the time the investors' relationships are with the other executives and most of the time you aren’t looking for a high paid person. 

An example is when we were hiring a VP of Sales as a small company.

VC wanted them to hire a particular person 

Expensive

No skin in the game

Not a known entity to you - getting dirty

Not the highest paying company

Get to do things they wouldn't be able to do at a large company

Mission-driven people - passionate about the mission

Do they care about what we do

Why is this important to the company?

People have to fit in with the culture

They are a large % of the population 

They need to be able to learn, be curious,  and take on responsibility

Rick’s Nuggets:

Value in referrals 

Cannot rush or fast track the process. Work within your timeline 

No skipping steps

How do we solve the problem? 

Knowing when to say no to the investor

This is sometimes tough to do when they are looking to help your business and they don’t see their input being considered

When people try and help you,  you need to understand that those suggestions or introductions come with emotions attached.

Having a process that to hiring helps facilitate your decisions and reasoning. Which helps take the emotions out of the decision

In an early-stage company where you might not have the money or benefits to attract the top-top tier individuals. we look for those candidates who are trying to grow into the role. 

Candidates that have the experience but do not have the title and maybe they are looking to have more resp