How do you grow your team in a way that caters to the evolving demands of your business?

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Kathryn Strachan launched her content marketing agency CopyHouse in 2020 when she hired her first employee. Since its launch, Kathryn has gone from being a one-women startup to a fully remote, powerhouse unit of twenty-five, comprising highly experienced writers, strategists and teams specialising in client services and senior leadership.

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In growing a team to meet the demand that comes with scaling to new heights, Kathryn was able to share some valuable lessons she’s learned throughout the process.

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⚡Elevating your team in tandem with your growth..

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There’s a great lesson to take away from Kathryn’s approach: the ability to evolve her team from the ground up. Throughout the process of growing her team, she’s found talent that compliments the growing demands of the business.

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In CopyHouse’s early stages, Kathryn sought out to recruit a junior employee. This was the most resourceful investment choice as a founder without an extensive hiring budget. It worked well because she could afford to dedicate the time to invest in and build the skill set of a new recruit on-the-job.

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Now, with a bigger team to manage, Kathryn has less time for a more hands-on, grassroots training process, as the demands of the company have grown.

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However with a more accommodating budget, Kathryn can afford to hire more senior talent, who require less time and effort to nurture. She has also created a system where existing employees provide training to newer recruits to ensure they adapt to the ways they work as a team.

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Additionally, Kathryn has employed a Head of People within the company, who oversees the recruitment process and spearheads their recruitment plan. They essentially have recruitment needs mapped to the business plan so they know ahead of time when to hire.

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⚡Knowing when you don’t know…

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Another important takeaway from this conversation is that, as founders, we need to identify weak points and hire to supplement the knowledge we don’t have accordingly.

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While Kathryn understands that her strengths lie in the ideation and leadership aspects of the business, she’s also honest in admitting that she isn’t as well versed when it comes to logistics and numbers. As a result, Kathryn has sought out talent that specialises in these areas in order to strengthen the business.

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Also, Kathryn has learned when to take a backseat and let members of her team take the lead in their areas of expertise. For example, when hiring a Content Director, Kathryn had to learn to trust in their abilities over her own when it came to the copy being produced. Since doing this, she’s been able to relinquish day to day control of creative and therefore focus on other areas of the business like her leadership approach.

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This sense of self-awareness is essential in improving the overall standard of work produced, as people feel trusted and motivated to work in their specialised areas.

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⚡Developing a culture that thrives beyond the physical workplace…

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Kathryn has made a point of hiring only permanent employees. By investing in people in the long term, she’s creating an environment where people feel seen and cared for, something you may not get with a team of freelancers.

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CopyHouse also currently consists of a fully remote team, and has been trialling a four day work week for over four months. For a young and expanding company, it’s hard to believe that the quality and quantity of work produced isn’t affected. But it isn’t. How? A strong and encouraging work culture.

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Their workforce culture comes down to relationships, which are built through strong bonds that go beyond the physical workplace. Kathryn hosts online team events in place of in-person interactions. This way, the team is able to form relationships through activities where everyone is accommodated.

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This works out since typical work socials don’t necessarily guarantee team bonding. In some cases, activities like team drinks can often exclude people from different backgrounds and interests. Not everyone enjoys going to the pub, and not everyone drinks alcohol.

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Members of the team also plan in-person meetups where and when they can form personal bonds.

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If we can take away one thing from this conversation, it’s the importance of getting people on board for the long run. From providing grassroots training in the early stages to only hiring full time, Kathryn has invested in a team of people who feel heard and seen as part of a wider community within the business.

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What lessons will you be stealing for Kathryn’s approach? Feel free to share!

Lucy 👋

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PS: To learn more about the work Kathryn and her team are doing, visit their Linkedin and website.

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