Your first 10 hires will shape everything
In the early stages of building an ABA company, it’s easy to focus on service delivery, billing systems, or marketing—but few things will shape your company more than your first 10 hires.
Those first team members don’t just fill roles.
They set the tone.
They model the culture.
They influence every hire that comes after them.
So how do you get those first hires right?
1. Hire for alignment, not just experience
You can train skills. You can teach systems.
What you can’t teach is genuine alignment with your mission. Especially in a field as heart-driven as ABA, hiring people who believe in your work will create a ripple effect of trust and energy.
2. Define roles clearly—even if they’re flexible
Startups require flexibility, but that doesn’t mean your job descriptions should be vague. When people know what success looks like in their role, they’re more likely to stay, perform, and grow with you.
3. Think about culture early—not later
Those first 10 people will set the norms.
Is feedback safe? Is collaboration encouraged? Are wins celebrated or just expected?
Being intentional now saves you from trying to "fix" culture after it's been set unintentionally.
4. Build repeatable systems, even if you’re small
Document your hiring steps, onboarding processes, and values. That way, when it’s time to scale from 10 to 50, you’re not starting from scratch—or worse, inheriting chaos.
At Shaping HR, we help founders design thoughtful people systems from day one—so growth doesn’t mean losing what made your team great to begin with.