Learnerbly Case Study

Learnerbly

Learnerbly

Using ScaleWise to find the right full-time CRO quickly.

How ScaleWise’s slick and thorough hiring process matched Learnerbly with the right full-time CRO in six weeks (from engagement to offer acceptance).

Business type

Marketplace

Solution type

Permanent Hire

Size of commercial team

14

Company stage

Series A

Learnerbly’s SaaS-enabled marketplace enables employees to take charge of their personal development by deciding what they learn based on how they learn best (i.e. books, courses, coaching, conferences and e-learning). Founded in 2016, Learnerbly’s platform brings together 250+ learning providers and has supported 30,000+ employees from over 130+ organisations, such as Ocado, GoCardless and HelloFresh. Learnerbly has raised £15m to date and currently employs 75 people.

Learnerbly Need

After raising their Series A, Learnerbly was keen to hire a Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) to oversee their global revenue function and manage their commercial leaders (Heads of Marketing, Customer Success, Sales and RevOps). They initially hired experienced CRO Margo Hayward on a fractional basis, working 3-4 days per week for five months, before looking for a full-time CRO to oversee their US expansion and fulfil their wide-ranging commercial priorities.

ScaleWise Impact

With Margo’s fractional role coming to an end, Learnerbly approached ScaleWise about finding the right full-time CRO.

ScaleWise spoke to all the key stakeholders at Learnerbly, including Margo, to get a complete understanding of Learnerbly’s people, culture and scaling challenges. ScaleWise then produced a detailed candidate pack, outlining the specific responsibilities and expectations of the role, as well as the ideal candidate profile. Armed with this specific criteria, ScaleWise leveraged its deep network of revenue leaders to create a shortlist of suitable candidates.

ScaleWise had the following impact:

1. Full-time CRO hire in six weeks

Due to the unique demands of the role and the desired calibre of the CRO, Learnerbly had expected a lengthy hiring process. But, thanks to ScaleWise’s streamlined process and deep candidate pool, Learnerbly was able to make an accepted offer just six weeks after engaging ScaleWise support (over the Christmas period).

2. Perfect match

With two distinct revenue streams (SaaS and supplier commissions) and an impending US expansion, Learnerbly needed an experienced CRO with specific expertise. ScaleWise first helped Learnerbly define the problems, challenges and focus areas of the commercial function. ScaleWise then produced a detailed role spec based on the commercial team’s current and future needs, which included a focus on the candidate’s strengths and attributes. Armed with this bespoke criteria, ScaleWise created a shortlist of six candidates (5 CROs and a VP to see the comparison), from which Learnerbly was able to find the perfect match.

3. External advice

Although Learnerbly’s top team had experience of making C-suite hires, they’d never hired a Chief Revenue Officer before. ScaleWise provided guidance throughout the hiring process, advising on role responsibilities and personality attributes, as well as salaries and compensation packages. ScaleWise also acted as an external mediator on expectations and helped align the internal team on the ideal hire.

4. Seamless transition

Learnerbly wanted to make a quick hire so the incoming CRO had time to work with Margo before her fractional role finished. Thanks to ScaleWise’s slick process, the incoming CRO was able to onboard with Margo in the month preceding her departure to ensure a smooth transition.

Jonny Day

Jonny Day

COO, Learnerbly

I was very impressed by how quickly the process moved, especially given the detailed requirements of the role. ScaleWise did an awesome job of getting a complete understanding of our needs, translating that into a comprehensive candidate pack and curating a shortlist of excellent CRO candidates incredibly quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Thanks to our unique network of pre-vetted GTM leaders, we can carry out the full Partner service in weeks, not months. For example, we matched Learnerbly with a full-time Chief Revenue Officer in just six weeks (see case study here).

Yes. If you choose our ‘Target’ solution, we’ll help you produce a detailed candidate pack on the exact type of GTM leader required, and you can then use other channels to find candidates. If you sign up to our ‘Partner’ solution, we’ll assess and manage your direct referrals alongside candidates we source.

Usually 2-3 weeks from initially reaching out to ScaleWise. After reaching out to ScaleWise, we’ll speak to key internal stakeholders to get a complete understanding of your needs and develop a detailed candidate criteria in week one. Armed with this specific criteria, we’ll use our wide network of GTM leaders to create a shortlist of suitable candidates for you to interview within two weeks (depending on candidate availability).

Depending on the role and criteria, ScaleWise will create a shortlist of 4–6 candidates from which you will be able to select your perfect match.

At ScaleWise, our thorough matching process massively reduces the chance of a mishire by ensuring candidates not only fit the detailed role brief, but are also well-suited to working with your leadership team and your company structure. During the matching process, we can also agree on options in case the chosen candidate doesn’t work out, such as a rehire or a credit.

With a combined 35 years’ scaling experience, including founding the London Chapter of Pavilion (which now contains over 10,000 global revenue operators), we’ve built up a unique network of global GTM leaders. Using our first-hand GTM experience, we have an intimate understanding of scaling challenges and have pre-vetted all the leaders in our network (i.e. all our Scale Experts must have 2 years+ experience in Head-of, VP or C-level roles at investment-backed B2B tech businesses at Series A or Series B). We know their availability and can provide you with ‘off-market’ talent.

Unlike regular recruiters, we have first-hand GTM operating experience at fast-growth B2B tech companies. With a combined 35 years’ experience scaling companies, we have an intimate understanding of the opportunities and challenges of scaling at pace. We therefore not only give you access to a unique network of GTM talent, but also give honest advice on your exact needs and produce detailed criteria for the game-changing hire you need for your specific stage of growth.

ScaleWise has supported the portfolio companies of top-tier investors

Octopus ventures
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Accel

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