Podcast: Embed

 

The Agency Hiring Roadmap: How to Build a Team That Scales to Seven Figures

When we first started our agency, we made every hiring mistake imaginable. Random hires, the wrong roles at the wrong times, and no clear structure. But fast forward to today,our agency generates over $7M per year with 47 full-time employees, and we’ve helped more than 170 other agencies cross the $1M mark.

Looking back, I truly believe hiring is what makes or breaks an agency. Especially as you approach the seven-figure threshold, having the right people in the right order is everything. That’s why I’ve built a complete hiring roadmap, a step-by-step framework that takes you from your first contractor to a full leadership team.

The Four Core Functions of Every Agency

Before diving into the roadmap, it’s important to understand the structure of any agency. Every business, big or small, runs on four main functions:

  1. Operations & Delivery: Building websites, running campaigns, fulfilling client work.

  2. Account Management: Keeping clients happy, handling communication, providing support.

  3. Administrative Support: Scheduling, emails, internal coordination.

  4. Sales & Marketing: Bringing in new business and driving growth.

Hiring becomes much easier when you know these functions. The biggest mistake agencies make is hiring “randomly”, a Facebook Ads person here, an SEO person there, without first creating structure.

Stage 1: Startup ($0–$10K/month)

At this stage, it’s usually just you and a couple of freelancers. You don’t yet have the resources for full-time hires. Instead, lean on contractors:

  • Freelance web developers

  • Content writers

  • Virtual assistants for administrative tasks

The key here is documentation. Create SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for everything you do. This will save you countless hours later when you start building a permanent team.

Stage 2: Stability ($10K–$30K/month)

This is where your first true hires begin. The most important one? Operations.

Hire someone who can manage projects, coordinate freelancers, and ensure quality delivery. This frees you up to focus on high-value growth activities.

One of the most powerful tools at this stage is the Kolbe Assessment. Many agency owners (myself included) are high “quick start” and low “follow-through.” We thrive on ideas but struggle with consistency. For operations roles, you want the opposite, high follow-through candidates who stick with the work day after day.

Your second hire around this stage is Account Management. Once you’re at ~17 clients, account management becomes a full-time job. Without the right person here, client retention suffers.

Stage 3: Scale ($30K–$70K/month)

By this point, you’ve got 5–10 employees and need to expand infrastructure.

Key hires at this stage include:

  • Administrative Support: Freeing your time from emails, scheduling, and logistics.

  • Specialists: Dedicated SEO, paid ads, or web dev roles.

  • Redundancy: Don’t rely on one “superstar”, build depth across your team.

For client-facing hires, use video applications to quickly evaluate communication skills. For technical roles, assign paid test projects to assess their ability to deliver independently.

Also, this is the time to refine onboarding for new hires. Treat your employees like clients—welcome kits, clear expectations, and training programs set the tone for long-term success.

Stage 4: Significance ($70K+/month)

Now you’re at seven figures or very close. The focus shifts to leadership and systems.

  • Build a sales team once you consistently have 15–20 qualified appointments per month.

  • Develop a leadership layer, operations, account management, and sales managers who report to you.

  • Implement an operating system like EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) to create accountability, goals, and weekly rhythms.

At this stage, you’re no longer managing individuals, you’re managing leaders. Systems become the key to growth.

Key Takeaways

  • Don’t hire randomly. Structure your team around the four core functions.

  • In the early stages, lean on contractors and SOPs before hiring full-time.

  • Prioritize operations and account management as your first hires.

  • Use assessments, video screenings, and test projects to find the right people.

  • As you scale, build redundancy, onboarding systems, and leadership infrastructure.

Hiring doesn’t just fill roles, it builds the foundation for scale. With the right roadmap, you can grow from a one-person shop to a fully autonomous, thriving agency.

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