How Miro grew from 300 employees to 1500+ in 18 months | Relancer Podcast #7

In today's episode, we peek into the hypergrowth of Miro with Marcus Pask, Head of Global Tech Recruiting at Miro.

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About the guest

Marcus joined Miro as a Senior Recruiter, driving growth and leading projects in Employer Branding, Compensation, and Talent Acquisition. In the hypergrowth stage, he led a team of 15+ across EMEA as a Manager and played a key role in expanding Miro's workforce from 300 to 1500+ employees in 18 months.

Currently, Marcus leads the Global Tech Recruitment team, overseeing 18 experts across hubs in Amsterdam, Berlin, London & Yerevan, focusing on hiring top talent within Product, Design & Engineering. His responsibilities include strategy development, stakeholder management, and ensuring data integrity for the team and the business.

About the episode

In today's episode, Marcus Pask shares his experiences during Miro's rapid expansion phase. Marcus discusses the importance of selecting the right tools for the company, managing cultural shifts, and aligning hiring practices with the evolving company culture. Key strategies include leveraging external resources like freelance recruiters, RPO, and placement agencies, ensuring the talent acquisition team's alignment with business objectives, and focusing on team well-being to prevent burnout. We also address the stigma against career breaks, advocating for diverse perspectives, and outline considerations for expanding into new markets, emphasizing the balance between speed and hiring fundamentals, and the critical role of stakeholder management.

Highlights

• Marcus highlights the importance of adaptability in processes and tools as a company scales. What works at one stage may not fit another, emphasizing the need for constant evaluation and iteration.
• He stresses the necessity of assessing tools for return on investment, ensuring they meet the evolving needs of the company. Tools that no longer serve their purpose should be reconsidered to allocate resources more efficiently.
• Beyond leveraging external resources like freelancer recruiters, RPO and placement agencies, it's vital to align the talent acquisition team's goals with business objectives, ensuring a strategic approach to hiring that supports overall business growth.
• Marcus shares personal experiences to highlight the importance of addressing burnout and ensuring team well-being. He advocates for transparency and vulnerability in leadership to foster a supportive environment.
• When considering expansion into new markets, factors like customer proximity, legal and HR implications, and the strategic setup of local teams are critical. Marcus underscores the importance of incremental growth and continuous reassessment to ensure sustainable expansion.

Topics discussed

00:00 Introduction
01:01 Influence of Previous Experience on Talent Acquisition Approach
08:21 Assessing Tools for the Company's Needs
13:07 Milestones and Challenges Faced during Rapid Expansion
20:39 Aligning Hiring with Evolving Culture
24:12 Stakeholder Management and Aligning Expectations
26:15 Balancing Speed and Fundamentals in Hiring
28:12 Preventing Over Hiring and Cost Analysis
29:32 Hiring Strategies for Hypergrowth
34:15 Setting the Talent Acquisition Team for Success
38:39 Taking Care of the Team in Hypergrowth
42:32 Addressing Bias and Career Breaks
52:43 Expanding to New Markets

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