A mentor changed Squarebird’s perspective on risk and recruitment

Recruiting new staff during a recession can be nerve-wracking. At digital agency Squarebird, managing partner Nick Bird realised he needed to take those risks to get the business where he wanted it to be.

During the crisis, the business lost 60 per cent of its retained work, but enquiries on the project side of the business increased substantially.

Nick described it as a “really mixed time” from a workforce perspective. Some staff members didn’t have much work, while others were swamped. Squarebird needed to recruit to support the increase in project work, but Nick is the first to admit he is hesitant to take risks.

“We’re relatively risk averse. We like to grow organically and sustainably, and we’re always quite cautious about hiring. But we knew we were going to have to take on a bit of risk to grow the business,” he said.

Work with a mentor to understand when to hire

In the last few months, Squarebird has taken the leap and recruited for the project side of the business and hired a business development manager to join the 13-strong team.

Nick recently found a mentor that’s supporting him in pushing the business forward, and credits working with them as the impetus needed to bite the bullet and recruit. 

“We’ve tended to work ourselves silly: get the work in, work all hours under the sun and then get someone in to do it. The mentor really helped us invest ahead of the curve. 

“It’s been brilliant how this kind of support can help. They break the business down and see things you missed.”

Put structures in place to manage a growing workforce

Squarebird’s business development manager will sit in the middle of the company’s management structure – a relatively new introduction to the business. 

Before working with a mentor, Nick and his brother directed the business and everyone else worked below them. Promoting staff and moving away from a flat management structure has unlocked the potential to expand.

“Internal promotion has been great – promoting three of the guys into management positions was a bit of a no-brainer for us,” he explained. “These people have been with us since the start, so they know the way we work and what ‘good’ looks like.”

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