In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, the Chief of Staff (CoS) role is gaining significant prominence. Once seen primarily as an executive assistant position with an impressive title, the CoS has transformed into one of the most dynamic and influential roles in any organization. It serves not only as a critical stepping stone to the C-suite but also as a springboard for aspiring entrepreneurs. Many successful founders and top executives have first honed their skills as Chiefs of Staff, acquiring the multifaceted experience needed to lead their own ventures. 

What Does a Chief of Staff Do? 

A Chief of Staff acts as the right hand to a CEO or another top executive, functioning as a trusted advisor, strategic planner, and project manager. According to McKinsey’s research, nearly 70% of Chiefs of Staff report spending significant time on strategic planning and operational execution, underscoring the importance of their role in driving organizational success. 

The average Chief of Staff starts their role early in their careers or midcareer with just over 12 years of work experience, typically transitioning into the role from a mid-level position. This background provides a solid foundation for the diverse responsibilities they take on, which include: 

  1. Strategic Execution: Ensuring that high-level initiatives and decisions are implemented efficiently across the organization. 
  2. Cross-functional Communication: As a bridge between departments, ensuring alignment with overarching goals. Chiefs of Staff often facilitate cross-departmental collaboration, which is vital for achieving business objectives. 
  3. Problem-solving: Anticipating challenges and addressing them proactively. Data shows that over 60% of Chiefs of Staff are tasked with resolving complex organizational issues. 
  4. Managing Special Projects: Overseeing projects that are critical to organizational success but may not fall neatly within a single department. 
  5. Operational Support: Assisting executives in managing their time, priorities, and agendas effectively. 

This broad spectrum of responsibilities exposes Chiefs of Staff to nearly every aspect of the organization, making it an excellent training ground for those aiming to launch their own companies or ascend to the C-suite. 

How Chiefs of Staff Transition to Founders 

Many entrepreneurs credit their time as a Chief of Staff as crucial in building the foundational skills necessary for leading a company. Many successful entrepreneurs have a background in strategic roles, including Chief of Staff. Here’s why the CoS role often leads to entrepreneurship: 

  1. Hands-on Experience with Leadership: Chiefs of Staff work closely with top executives, gaining insights into critical decision-making processes. This close collaboration fosters invaluable leadership skills essential for running a startup. 
  2. Cross-functional Knowledge: The CoS role entails collaboration across various departments, providing a holistic understanding of business operations, which is crucial for entrepreneurs in the early stages of their ventures. 
  3. Strategic Thinking: Chiefs of Staff are often tasked with translating long-term visions into actionable plans. This ability to connect strategy with execution is critical for entrepreneurial success. 
  4. Building a Network: The CoS position provides access to high-level networks, including investors, board members, and industry leaders.  

How Chiefs of Staff Transition to the C-Suite 

For those who opt not to pursue entrepreneurship, the Chief of Staff role frequently leads directly to a C-suite position. Here’s why: 

  1. Deep Organizational Knowledge: Chiefs of Staff possess a comprehensive understanding of a company’s inner workings, making them ideal candidates for C-suite roles. 
  2. Leadership Development: The CoS role sharpens soft skills such as leadership and communication. According to McKinsey, successful C-suite executives often cite their experience in strategic roles as foundational to their leadership capabilities. 
  3. Problem-solving Under Pressure: C-suite leaders must excel at solving complex problems. Chiefs of Staff develop the ability to think critically and maintain composure, essential traits for top executives. 
  4. Operational Prowess: Many Chiefs of Staff transition to Chief Operating Officers (COO), leveraging their hands-on experience with operational execution. 

Success Stories: From CoS to Founder and C-Suite 

Numerous high-profile entrepreneurs and executives began their careers as Chiefs of Staff. David Sacks, for instance, served as Chief of Staff to PayPal’s CEO, Peter Thiel, before becoming a successful founder. Similarly, Charlie Songhurst, a key figure in Microsoft’s strategy, started as Chief of Staff to CEO Steve Ballmer. These examples illustrate the role’s potential as a launchpad for exceptional leadership. 

Conclusion 

The Chief of Staff role is more than a support position; it is a leadership role. For aspiring founders and future C-suite executives, serving as a Chief of Staff offers invaluable experience in managing people, projects, and processes.  Ready to hire your next Chief of Staff? Contact our team today! 

This blog was authored by Pete Petrella.

LinkedIn has become a cornerstone for professional networking and job searching. Whether you’re a recent graduate or an experienced professional looking for new opportunities, optimizing your LinkedIn profile can significantly enhance your visibility to potential employers. According to a survey, 67% of companies review a job candidate’s LinkedIn profile before making an offer, so it’s crucial to have a strong presence on the platform. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to make your LinkedIn profile stand out. 

1. Professional Profile Photo 

Your profile photo is the first thing people see, so make it count. A professional, high-quality headshot is essential. Here are some tips: 

  1. Wear attire that suits your industry. 
  2. A simple, clutter-free background ensures you’re the focal point. 
  3. Smile and appear welcoming to create a positive impression. 

2. Compelling Headline 

Your headline is more than just your job title. It’s a chance to showcase your expertise and what you bring to the table. Instead of just stating your position, consider including your current role, a key skill or area of expertise, or an achievement or unique selling point (e.g., Digital Marketing Specialist | Expert in SEO & Content Strategy | Helping Brands Grow Online). 

3. Detailed and Engaging Summary 

The summary section is your elevator pitch. It should be a concise narrative that highlights your professional journey, skills, and achievements. Make sure to: 

  1. Grab attention with a compelling opening. 
  2. Share your career story, not just a list of accomplishments. 
  3. Use industry-specific keywords to enhance searchability. 
  4. Encourage readers to connect with you or visit your portfolio. 

4. Experience Section 

Detail your work experience with specific achievements and responsibilities. Use numbers to demonstrate impact (e.g., “Increased sales by 30%”), highlight your main tasks and responsibilities., and incorporate relevant keywords to enhance searchability. 

5. Skills and Endorsements 

List skills that are relevant to your industry and career goals. Prioritize the ones that align best with the roles you’re seeking. To bolster your LinkedIn presence and validate your skills, consider requesting endorsements from colleagues and supervisors. Regularly update this section so that it properly reflects your current skillset. 

6. Custom URL 

Create a custom LinkedIn URL to make your profile more professional and easier to share. Go to your profile settings and personalize your LinkedIn web address (e.g., linkedin.com/in/yourname). 

7. Engage with Content 

Being active on LinkedIn shows that you’re engaged in your industry. Ways to engage include: 

  1. Posting articles or updates relevant to your industry. 
  2. Interacting with content from others in your network. 
  3. Writing and publishing your own articles on LinkedIn to showcase your expertise. 

8. Join Groups 

Join LinkedIn groups relevant to your industry. This can help you connect with professionals in your field and keep up with industry news and trends, while giving you a forum to share your insights and engage in conversations. 

9. Showcase Your Work 

LinkedIn allows you to add documents, visuals, and other content to your profile. Use this feature to showcase the great work you’ve done. Include links to projects or portfolios, upload presentations or documents that highlight your expertise, or share video content that demonstrates your skills or projects. 

Conclusion 

Optimizing your LinkedIn profile is a continuous process. Regularly update your profile, engage with your network, and showcase your professional journey. By following these tips, you’ll enhance your LinkedIn presence and increase your chances of attracting potential employers and opportunities. 

Connect with a Viaduct recruiter today to learn more about our opportunities for jobseekers. 

This blog was authored by Senior Talent Consultant and Executive Recruiter Jennifer Seal. 

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) initiatives have become essential for organizations of all sizes to drive innovation, increase employee satisfaction, and attract top talent. According to recent data from a PowerToFly survey, 70 percent of employees expect their employers to double down on DEIB initiatives to create meaningful change in 2024.

In the early stages of startup organizations, however, it can be challenging to dedicate adequate resources to DEIB programs. These efforts require careful planning and execution, and enterprise companies have begun building entire teams whose sole purpose is to bolster DEIB initiatives.

For startups whose resources are spread thin, the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) presents exciting opportunities for effective and thoughtful DEIB initiatives, even with limited resources.

Here, we’ll explore seven ways to harness AI to improve DEI&B, no matter the size of your organization.

1. Overcome biases in recruitment

Without a diverse workforce, your DEIB initiatives will most likely fall flat and stall your innovation. That’s because companies with a diverse workforce perform 35 percent better than those without. With that in mind, your commitment to improving DEIB must begin with your recruiting efforts.

Biases, both conscious and unconscious, can inadvertently influence decision-making processes. AI-powered tools can help mitigate these biases by applying data-driven algorithms to assess candidates’ qualifications objectively. These tools can:

2. Expand the candidate pool

Startups can benefit from widening their candidate pool to attract diverse talent, but without a dedicated and well-trained team, this can be a tall barrier to breaking through.

AI can help identify potential candidates from a broad range of sources, including niche platforms, social media, and professional networks. By utilizing AI algorithms, companies can tap into a wider talent pool, reaching individuals previously overlooked.

AI can also assist in mapping candidates’ skills to job requirements more efficiently, allowing firms to identify hidden talents and transferable skills.

3. Craft inclusive job descriptions

The language used in job descriptions can unintentionally deter certain groups from applying. AI tools can aid in analyzing and optimizing job descriptions to ensure they are inclusive, unbiased, and appealing to diverse candidates.

This can look like this:

By examining linguistic patterns and identifying potential barriers, AI algorithms can suggest modifications that encourage a more inclusive tone, appealing to a broader range of individuals.

Related: 6 Ways to Attract and Hire Best-Fit Startup Talent

4. Uncover unconscious bias in decision-making

Despite your best efforts, unconscious bias can seep into any decision-making processes—hiring, promoting, the list goes on—hindering efforts to achieve DEIB goals.

AI algorithms can monitor and evaluate decision-making patterns, providing insights into potential biases. By identifying such biases, startups can take corrective actions, including:

5. Enhance the candidate experience

Candidate experience is a crucial aspect of building an inclusive recruitment process. AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can engage with candidates, providing them instant responses to inquiries and assisting with scheduling interviews.

These tools can be programmed to recognize and address candidate needs while offering a personalized experience. Additionally, AI can facilitate accessible and inclusive interviews, utilizing features like automated closed captions or language translation to accommodate candidates with disabilities or language barriers.

6. Monitoring employee engagement and satisfaction

Looking past the hiring process and into your day-to-day operations, AI can support ongoing efforts to enhance DEIB within startup organizations by analyzing employee data to measure engagement and satisfaction levels.

By collecting and analyzing feedback, sentiments, and patterns, AI algorithms can identify areas that require attention. Startups can leverage this information to develop targeted interventions, allocate resources, and improve the overall employee experience.

Related: 6 Effective Leadership Strategies to Meet Startup Employee Needs and Expectations

7. Continuous learning and improvement

To maximize the potential of AI in advancing DEIB goals, startups should prioritize continuous learning and improvement.

Regularly assessing the impact and effectiveness of AI-powered initiatives allows companies to refine their approaches and adapt to changing needs.

Some accessible steps that startups can take are:

Startups that seek to foster diverse, inclusive, and equitable work environments should tread thoughtfully and strategically to utilize AI. It can serve as a powerful ally, but vital steps must be taken to ensure a responsible and equitable deployment of any new programs.

This blog was written by Carl Kutsmode.

A Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) is an essential role, overseeing your organization’s marketing, branding, communications, and public relations efforts. An effective CMO will enhance your organization’s visibility and reputation among its key audiences and ensure you’re delivering the right message, to the right people, at the right time.

Here are some of the questions you should be asking during the interview process to ensure the best fit for one of your brand’s most critical functions.

How will you help the organization adapt to new industry trends?

Marketing is an incredibly dynamic field, with new tools, technologies, and trends constantly coming into play. Not all of these have staying power, however, and a savvy CMO will recognize when it’s time to adjust course—and by how much.

How do you ensure that marketing efforts align with the overall goals of the business?

Marketing does not and should not exist in a vacuum. Everything a brand does and communicates—from their website copy and internal communications to advertising campaigns and posts on social media—should all fold up to an organization’s topline goals. Asking this question will give you insights into how the candidate views marketing as part of the larger organization and how they work with other leaders and departments to align their activities to the business’ short- and long-term objectives.

What have you found most challenging in current or previous leadership roles?

Your CMO will likely be responsible for managing a team or department, partnering with outside vendors and partners, and collaborating with other members of the leadership team. A good and thoughtful response to this question will reveal how the candidate operates in high-pressure situations, as well as their ability to problem solve and overcome obstacles in the workplace.

What specific industry experience do you bring to the role?

There are as many types of marketers as there are types of companies, so it’s important to understand their track record and what specific industry experience they bring to the table. That’s not to say you should narrow your search to only professionals who have marketed for competitors or similar companies. But someone who has only held marketing roles with a B2B company offering professional services may not be the perfect fit for a CMO role with a B2C company selling apparel.

Based on what you know about our organization today, what would you say is our greatest strength and weakness when it comes to our current marketing initiatives?

A candidate’s response to this question will help you understand how much they’ve researched your brand already and their familiarity with the products or services you offer. It may also elicit some of their thoughts on where the organization is headed from a marketing standpoint and what they’d want to maintain, change, or continue to improve upon if offered the role.

In current and previous roles, how have you adopted process improvements?

Change management, if done poorly, can negatively impact your employees as well as your customers or individuals you serve. When hiring for your leadership team, it’s valuable to find out how an individual handles change within their department and the broader organization, even when the end result is something positive. This is especially important for someone in a role that oversees communication.

Ready to find your ideal CMO?

Contact us today to learn more about our experience and offerings.

Originally published by TalentRise