Onboarding the first 30 days: the playbook that protects the hire
The first 30 days decide whether a hire becomes a contributor or a regret. Here's the cadence that works.
The first 30 days decide whether a hire becomes a contributor or a regret. Here's the cadence that works.
Day one is not the start
The week before they join is your first opportunity. Send the laptop, send the doc list, send the first week's calendar. Silence between offer and start is the most expensive silence in hiring.
Owner, buddy, sponsor
Three named people in the first week. Owner sets the work. Buddy answers the small stuff. Sponsor is a senior leader who checks in once a fortnight for the first quarter.
First win in 14 days
A small, real, shippable contribution within 14 days. Not a presentation. Not a doc. A shipped thing. It is the strongest signal you can give a new hire that they belong.
More from the Spinwell blog
How funded startups should structure their first 10 hires
Your first ten hires set the culture, the velocity, and the ceiling. Here's the order that actually compounds.
The flat fee model: why we stopped charging a percentage
Percentage fees punish founders for hiring well. The flat fee aligns the recruiter with the outcome, not the salary.
Equity for early hires: a non-lawyer's guide for founders
How much equity to give your first ten hires, how vesting actually works, and the conversations founders mishandle.
