Team Design and Hiring

Determines what programs can be delivered. Org models, roles, hiring, development.

Why team design matters

Growth team design determines what programs can be delivered. Right roles + right people + right structure = compound capability. Wrong design = years of friction.

Org models

• Functional (specialists by channel).
• Cross-functional pods.
• Embedded specialists.
• Hybrid (central + embedded).
• Agency-augmented.
• Distributed.

Core roles

• Head of Growth.
• Performance marketing specialists.
• Lifecycle marketing.
• Content marketing.
• SEO.
• Marketing analytics.
• Marketing operations.
• Brand / creative.
• PR / comms.
• Customer marketing.

Hiring

• Hiring profile per role.
• Interview rubric.
• Practical exercises.
• Reference checks.
• Diversity discipline.
• Compensation benchmarking.
• Onboarding playbook.
• 30/60/90 plans.

Development

• Career paths documented.
• IC vs manager track.
• Training budgets.
• Conference attendance.
• Mentorship programs.
• External coaching.
• Internal mobility.
• Performance management.

Advanced playbook

• Annual organization design review.
• Hiring profile per role.
• Interview rubric with practical exercises.
• Diversity in candidate pools.
• Compensation benchmarking annually.
• 30/60/90 onboarding plans.
• Career paths documented.
• Training budget per person.
• Mentorship programs.
• Performance management discipline.

Mistakes

• Org design improvised.
• Hiring profile vague.
• Practical exercises skipped.
• Diversity discipline absent.
• Compensation benchmarking ad-hoc.
• Onboarding generic.
• Career paths informal.
• Training budget cut first.
• Mentorship absent.
• Performance management reactive.

Checklist

• Annual org design review
• Hiring profile per role
• Interview rubric with exercises
• Diversity discipline
• Compensation benchmarking
• 30/60/90 onboarding
• Career paths documented
• Training budget per person
• Mentorship programs
• Performance management discipline

Part of the Growth Leadership series.