Five Questions With Kyle Rogers
Can you share a bit about yourself and your background?
I began my career in the sports industry, working in sales for Anschutz Entertainment Group and the LA Kings. Like many, I stumbled into recruiting with little prior knowledge of the industry. I was recruited by Michael Page, where I learned the fundamentals of recruiting in a rigorous environment. I quickly realized that recruiting perfectly blended the skills I had spent my life developing: curiosity, research, relationship-building, negotiation, and storytelling. Over the past five years, I have partnered with over 100 startups and scaleups to hire GTM talent and leaders.
What attracted you to join Husk?
Having spent most of my career partnering with companies that are young in age but mature in knowledge, I have found myself increasingly at home in smaller organizations. The journey of building processes, strategies, and businesses is incredibly exciting, and I am thrilled to play an integral role in that story. People are at the center of our business, and the opportunity to work with a group of A-players who approach search as a team sport was too good to pass up. The leadership of Ben and Corey, along with their track record of success, sealed the deal.
What is the most common GTM hiring mistake you see?
Reflecting on the ~5500 hours I've spent in active discussions with sales and marketing leaders in the technology GTM market, the most common mistake I see is hiring talent that is not stage-appropriate. Different stages of a company's growth require distinct skill sets. It is unlikely that the builder who takes you from 0-1 is the operational mastermind who can orchestrate scale. Success at a post-IPO conglomerate with strong brand recognition does not necessarily correlate with success at a pre-product-market-fit startup. It's not just about revenue or funding rounds; it's about mapping the right skill sets to your specific stage of growth.
What differentiates you from other recruiters?
What differentiates me from other recruiters is a genuine love for recruiting. Anyone who has had the opportunity to work with me has witnessed this firsthand. I see this as much more than just a career; I truly enjoy tackling complex searches, challenging myself, and consulting others, whether it be in their career or through the process of attracting talent that will move the needle. Since starting in this business, I have never questioned my commitment to making a career in search. Beyond passion, I understand how to balance translating a business’s story into a message that resonates with the market while setting appropriate expectations around the challenges. We all know that building a business is incredibly tough, and many other recruiters fear transparency, which sets all parties up for disappointment.
How do you spend your time outside of work?
Anyone who knows me well knows I am a man of many hobbies. In my free time, I love playing tennis with my fiance, exploring new recipes on the smoker, vegetable gardening, experimenting in the kitchen, traveling to remote destinations, maintaining a list of the best restaurants in Nashville, DIY projects around the house, and cycling.