Taking a brand overseas and opening headquarters in a growing array of locations is a goal for many entrepreneurs. However, international expansion plans have naturally been disrupted since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020.
As businesses settle into new working arrangements, economies reopen and restrictions loosen, I would hazard a guess that startup founders across the UK are putting these plans firmly back on the agenda.
Studio Graphene was fortunate enough to have tripled our headcount during these trying times. It was an ambitious goal, but our four international studios, located in the UK, India, Portugal and Switzerland, are now staffed by a 100-strong team of talented individuals.
Here are some of the important lessons we learned along the way…
Considering the practical elements
We have leant on the side of caution throughout our recruitment efforts, allowing time for prospective candidates and the team members they might eventually be working with to connect a more personal level. Whereas before the pandemic we might have only needed one or two interviews to assess cultural fit, we have conducted more rounds of interviews and facilitated greater interactions between applicants and our current employees. ...