Rethink Hiring :
Unconventional Strategies to Build Your Money Team
Just like Billy Beane challenged baseball ’ s traditional drafting and recruiting playbook , MSPs can rethink hiring by focusing on culture , core values , and untapped talent pools to build a high-performing team .
ENTREPRENEURIAL TOOLBOX
Legendary Oakland Athletics GM Billy Beane , the inspiration for the Moneyball movie and book by Michael Lewis , put together winning baseball teams while spending less for players than his rivals . He did so by using data and thinking differently about players . For example , rather than a high batting average ( think : star hitter with star salary ), Beane favored on-base percentage — the ability to get on base via hits , walks , and hit-by-pitches — because , statistically , that created more scoring opportunities for the team .
MSPs ’ hiring challenges are not dissimilar to Beane ’ s . There is an ongoing skills shortage , rising salaries , and competition from MSPs with deeper pockets . As a result , thinking outside the box to find and keep players who help your business win is critical .
“ Unconventional methods equal unparalleled results ” is one of the tenets Seana Fippin and her husband , Brett , co-owners of Red Box Business Solutions , an MSP in Brentwood , California , use to guide their business .
No matter their credentials or education , any candidate Red Box considers has to align with their core values , “ which are extreme ownership , gratitude , and wow — always going above and beyond to exceed clients ’ expectations ,” explains Seana Fippin , founder and CEO . “ We have five-star reviews throughout for that reason .”
Referrals and in-person networking events are their top source for finding candidates , along with LinkedIn , but they also network with local colleges and have had interns from adult education programs .
“ We ’ re very inclusive , period ,” Fippin says . “ We don ’ t have to declare it or narrow in on any specific strategy there . We ’ ve always had a very open policy , and therefore we get a lot of great candidates . Some are younger , some are more seasoned vets coming from all different walks of life and experiences .”
They ’ re also not afraid to take a chance on someone who may not pass every assessment with flying colors . “ We had a team member who looked great on paper and had a lot of credentials and then struggled big time with the technical assessments , but we took a gamble and they ’ re thriving ,” Fippin says .
Cost-Effective Ways to Find All-Stars
For Brandis Kelly , president of the Midwest region for DigeTekS , tapping into state-sponsored training programs has been a way for her MSP to “ try before you buy .”
The candidates still have to go through DigeTekS ’ interview and training process . While there is some paperwork and reporting involved , the state reimburses the interns ’ salaries , so it ’ s a cost-effective way to grow the team . Kelly says they ’ ve hired all but one of their interns .
For marketing staff , particularly appointment setters and admins , Kelly takes an unconventional approach , specifically targeting mothers who would want to work part-time because childcare is cost prohibitive . She ’ s had success recruiting in Facebook groups , yoga classes , and church bulletins .
Keeping Your Roster
Red Box hires for the long term . “ This is not a turn-andburn operation ,” says Fippin . “ We ’ re looking for people that want to spend a good portion of their career here .” Providing engagement , growth opportunities , and good incentives are key to retention , she says . “ Our company is bringing value to the candidates as much as the other way around .”
She recommends MSP business owners shift their thinking on hiring . “ It ’ s not so much the degree , the credential , [ and ] the certification as it is who the person is and if they are the right fit for [ the ] leadership team and the goal and direction of the company .”
— Colleen Frye
MSPSUCCESS . COM | 19