Scaling a small family business is not easy. First, you need to have the resources to bring on a new hire, and until this happens, most founders must wear a great many hats, taking on all kinds of tasks as the business grows. Then, when the time finally comes to bring on that first outside team member, you have to be sure to hire the right person to help continue driving that growth.

Global Beauty Care is a beauty supplier focused on bringing high-quality, prestige-inspired formulas to a broad range of consumers at an accessible price. It was founded in 2011 with just two full-time employees. Now, with a staff of more than 20 and several brands under the Global Beauty Care umbrella, the company has had plenty of experience in bringing on new team members. 

During ECRM’s Everyday Cosmetics, Fragrance, Skin & Bath Session earlier this year, I spoke with Global Beauty Care SVP of Sales Jack Savdie and Sammy Mosseri, VP of Sales at sister brand G2 Beauty about their experience building their teams over the years (see the full video interview below).

The first hire

Deciding on the first hire requires a bit of self-awareness on the part of the founders. You have to take an honest look at your strengths and weaknesses and hire to fill in any gaps you may have. “Most CPG companies have three prongs to them,” says Mosseri. “There is production, sales, and fulfillment/logistics. You have to know where your strengths are. If you are super-organized and meticulous about details, then congratulations – you are either in logistics or production and can hire for sales. If you find yourself like Jack, who is extremely personable, can connect with people, understand the market and can identify the white spaces on the shelf, then you would be in sales and hire for support in production or logistics."

In the case of Global Beauty Care, while Savdie was a partner from Day 1, the company didn't have the resources to hire him full time until several years in. But when they reached that point, they knew they were poised for growth and needed a dedicated sales executive. Tapping Savdie for the role was a no-brainer.

“The beauty of our family is that I’m the brother who walks the walk and talks the talk, so naturally I’m the salesperson,” he says. “My older brother is very creative and thinks outside of the box, so he’s in product development. My younger brother works in the warehouse and loves it; he ships on time, ships in full. I could never work in the warehouse, and I’m not as creative as my older brother, so we each have our roles.”

Soft skills matter

Technical skills aside, there are other qualities to look for when hiring for new roles at a CPG startup, the “soft skills,” so to speak. For Savdie and Mosseri, there are a couple of key traits that stand out.

First, they look for people who will take ownership of their roles. “One great example of this is the team member who is responsible for sending our samples out to customers,” says Mosseri. “The job was pretty simple. There were 10 styles she needed to send out and then just get us the tracking numbers. But she took the initiative to go one step further. Whenever one of the packages was delivered, she would send us an email to jog our memory, letting us know when it arrived and was signed for. It’s those little things that show that you care.”

The second trait they find very important is accountability. We all make mistakes, but when they happen, just acknowledge them and then figure out how to address them. “The first thing we tell new employees is that we want you to bother us and ask questions,” says Savdie. “Just ask. And if you make a mistake, it’s okay. Everything is fixable, and we just correct it, try not to do it again and move on.”

No degree, no problem

One thing Savdie and Mosseri don’t particularly look for, is a degree. For them, it’s more of a nice-to-have versus a need-to-have. What’s more important is that they have the ability to get the job done correctly. “Some people never attended college,” says Savdie. “Does that mean they shouldn’t be hired to work for a successful company and have a high-paying job? You climb the ladder and you get there.” 

To ensure their success, Global Beauty Care spends a lot of time training its team members, and is a big fan of having them shadowing veteran employees until they nail down the required skills.

This was the case for Savdie; the day he was hired, he shadowed his brother for a few hours during meetings at an ECRM Session back in 2015. With many retail wins and several Buyer’s Choice Awards under his belt 10 years later, you can say that the shadowing technique works extremely well!