Mastering RevOps hiring: Best strategies for building a team

Imagine you're tasked with building a team responsible for the very lifeblood of your company's revenue engine. Where do you even begin?

Let me tell you, assembling a high-performing revenue operations team is no small feat.

It requires striking that delicate balance of technical expertise, strategic thinking, and an innate ability to collaborate across multiple functions like sales, marketing, customer success, and finance.

As the SVP of Operations here at Cyware, this is a challenge I've grappled with head-on over the years, gaining hard-won wisdom on what it really takes to acquire top RevOps talent and nurture a culture that allows that talent to thrive.

So in this piece, I want to pull back the curtain and offer a candid look at my approach, walking through some of the strategies that have helped me build RevOps powerhouses.

Whether you lead an ops team or are looking to position yourself better for hiring, I hope you'll find some valuable insights to inform your journey.

So let's dive right in!

Talent acquisition and RevOps hiring

A major part of my job is building and leading our revenue operations team, so when it comes to hiring for RevOps roles, I've learned that it requires a very deliberate and strategic approach.

Finding the right talent

The first thing I always try to understand is the specific expectations and needs of the role we're looking to fill. Am I hiring someone to strictly execute tasks, or am I looking for a long-term strategic partner who can help transform our revenue engine?

That distinction is crucial.

If it's about executing tactical tasks, then I'll be looking for a more narrowly focused individual with deep technical expertise.

But if the role is meant to be a strategic one, shaping the future of our RevOps function, then I need to look for someone with stronger interpersonal and collaboration skills.

Beyond just technical skills though, you want to look for RevOps professionals with strong people skills - the ability to collaborate, manage stakeholders, and think strategically about problems.

Since RevOps sits in that critical revenue-facing space, having prior experience in a sales role can also be incredibly valuable. This means they'll also be able to empathize and communicate effectively with the sales team.

You also don't just want to see a list of tools and technologies they're familiar with, dig into the specific challenges they've tackled, the types of projects they've worked on, and how they approached problem-solving.

These are the experiences that can help evaluate if they'll be a good fit.

Skills and specialization

The size and maturity of the RevOps team also play a key role in the type of talent to look for.

In smaller, leaner teams, you should prioritize versatility and the ability to be a "jack of all trades", you want generalists who can wear multiple hats and handle a wide variety of responsibilities.

But as the team scales up, you should start looking to add more specialized expertise. In this case, bring on individuals who are true experts in certain tools or areas of the business.

This allows more senior, generalist RevOps leaders to focus on the higher-level operational strategy and leadership.

Regardless of team size, I always look for RevOps professionals with strong operational leadership skills. They need to be able to work effectively across the organization, interfacing with sales, marketing, customer success, finance, and even IT.

The overarching principle I try to instill is "sharing is caring", I want my team members to proactively cross-train and share knowledge so that we build strength across the organization.

Challenges in talent acquisition

One of the consistent challenges I've faced in hiring for RevOps roles is the lack of clearly defined career paths and job titles. The space is still relatively new and rapidly evolving, so the terminology and expectations can be fuzzy.

I've found it's critical to have a crystal clear understanding of the role and its responsibilities before even launching a search. I'll often record a short video or audio clip explaining the position in detail so that everyone involved is on the same page.

It's also important to be upfront about the "must-have" criteria. If there are certain backgrounds or experiences I'm looking for, I make sure to communicate that clearly to avoid wasting anyone's time.

Another common challenge is the technical nature of many RevOps roles, which can sometimes limit the diversity of applicants.

I try to combat this by focusing solely on a candidate's ability to do the job and collaborate well with the team. Certifications and credentials are fine, but you should dig deeper to understand their real-world problem-solving skills and experience.

Managing and nurturing a positive culture

Nurturing a healthy, positive culture within the RevOps team is essential to keep everything streamlined, playing a huge part in employee retention and overall team performance.

One of the key ways to do this is with complete transparency, I always strive to be fully transparent with my team about any challenges.

Since RevOps professionals have such deep visibility into the revenue engine and that birds-eye-view, they tend to be very aware of the sometimes messy realities and areas for improvement.

So don't try to hide anything from them. Instead, have open, honest dialogues about what's working, what's not, and what you're doing to address it.

This level of transparency helps build trust and foster a collaborative environment, when everyone is aligned on the challenges at hand, we can work together to find the best solutions.

Employee retention

I also work hard to ensure my team feels a strong sense of purpose and fulfillment in their work.

I try to help them understand how their individual contributions tie back to the company's overarching mission and goals. The more they can see the "why" behind what they're doing, the more bought-in and engaged they'll be.

And of course, culture and retention go hand-in-hand. If you want top RevOps talent to stick around, provide them with challenging, meaningful work - not just mindless tasks.

You need to offer clear career paths, growth opportunities, and an environment where people feel heard, valued, and supported.

Diversity and inclusion

Diversity and inclusion is another key priority for me when it comes to building out the RevOps team.

The highly specialized nature of these roles can sometimes lead to a lack of diversity in the candidate pool.

However, I'm committed to looking beyond just certifications to find talented individuals who’ll bring different perspectives and experiences to the table.

Ultimately, building a strong, diverse RevOps function is crucial to the success of the business. So I'm always looking for ways to invest in education and training programs that can help expand our talent pipeline over time.

The future of hiring for RevOps

Looking ahead, I see a few key trends that may impact hiring for revenue operations roles.

Firstly, I anticipate continued consolidation in the tools and technology landscape as the market matures.

This will mean RevOps professionals will have to become even more strategic in their approach to technology management. They'll need to think critically about long-term value, rather than just focusing on features and functionality.

Equally important will be the ability to leverage data and business intelligence to drive decision-making.

As RevOps tools and processes become more standard, the differentiating factor will be in how teams can extract insights and use them to optimize the revenue engine. I anticipate that strong BI and analytical skills will be paramount.

Of course, the continued evolution of AI will have a significant impact.

RevOps leaders will need to stay on top of the latest advancements and be able to make strategic decisions about where and how to deploy these technologies to drive greater efficiency and effectiveness.

My top tip for hiring

My top tip for other ops professionals looking to hire new team members would be to look beyond just skills and experience.

While those are certainly important, I believe the most crucial factor is whether you can work well together on a daily basis.

Personality fit, communication styles, and the ability to navigate challenges collaboratively - those are the things that will ultimately determine if a new hire is going to be successful and happy in the role.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, building a high-performing RevOps function is all about finding the right people and creating an environment where they can thrive. It's a constant evolution, but one that I'm deeply passionate about.

The RevOps space is rapidly evolving, with new tools, processes, and competencies emerging all the time, but the core principles of hiring and managing this team will remain the same.

It's a tall order, I know. But when you get it right, the impact on your business can be transformative. So if you're up for the challenge, the rewards will be well worth the effort!

Mastering RevOps hiring: Strategies for building a powerhouse team

Joe Aurilia Jr.