The top 10 things to consider when hiring an operations manager – and why it’s the most important hire you’ll make right now
Let me say this straight: if you’re running a professional firm and you don’t have a brilliant, capable, get-things-done Business or Operations Manager on your team, you’re flying blind.
Right now, we all know that recruitment is hard. Good people are rare. And even when you find them, knowing whether they’ll really fit into your business and help it grow – that’s even harder. But one hire you absolutely cannot afford to get wrong is a Business and Operations Manager. This is the heartbeat of your business. The bridge between vision and reality. The calm in the chaos.
So, before you rush to fill the seat with someone “who seems good on paper,” here are the top 10 things I urge you to consider – based on experience, blood, sweat and many business tears.
You want someone who can handle the messy middle, the half-finished projects, the awkward clients, the systems that sort of work but mostly don’t.
- Know why you’re hiring – don’t just fill a gap
Too many businesses hire out of desperation. They’re busy, things are falling through the cracks, and you think, “We need someone now!” But this role isn’t a plaster – it’s the backbone of your business. Take time to ask: What exactly do we need them to own? What pain are we solving? What will success look like in 3 months, 6 months, 12 months?
If you’re not clear on that, neither will they be and chaos will multiply, not shrink.
- An Operations Manager is not just an administrator with a fancy title
This role isn’t about diaries and filing systems. A true leader in Business and Operations Manager is part strategist, part organiser, part therapist, part drill sergeant. They should be driving change, building systems, and making the business work without you. You’re hiring a thinker and a doer.
So, stop looking for someone who’s just “good at admin.” Aim higher. Expect more.
- Use Kolbe A Assessments to understand the real them
We use Kolbe A Assessments with our employees and clients because it tells us what CVs can’t: how someone naturally operates when left to their own devices. Are they a high Follow Thru? Then systems are their thing. High Quick Start? Brilliant for fast-paced environments but they might hate routine.
Here’s the key though: The Kolbe A Index is only powerful if someone on your team knows how to interpret it. Don’t just print out the score and pat yourself on the back. Use it to shape onboarding, delegation, even how you run meetings. It’s gold dust, if you know how to read it.
- They need more than skills – they need grit
Skills can be taught. Attitude cannot.
You want someone who can handle the messy middle, the half-finished projects, the awkward clients, the systems that sort of work but mostly don’t. They need to be resilient, solutions-focused, and a little bit obsessive about improvement.
Ask yourself: when the pressure’s on, will they crumble or will they lean in?
- Don’t confuse tech-savvy with tech-obsessed
Yes, they need to be good with tech. But not just the latest, flashiest software. They need to know how to use it to make your business more efficient. It’s not about knowing every tool on the market – it’s about having the mindset to integrate, automate and streamline what matters.
If they can look at your current clunky process and say, “Let’s look to fix that,” you’ve found a keeper.
- Onboarding: It’s not just a week of shadowing
We all talk about good onboarding. Very few actually do it properly.
This hire needs more than a login and a company handbook. They need to understand the business, your values, your clients, your quirks, your goals. They need structured time with key people. They need a 30-60-90 day plan. They need feedback, constantly.
Good onboarding doesn’t happen by accident. It’s effortful. But done right, it pays off 10 times over.
- They need authority – not just responsibility
Don’t bring someone in and tie their hands behind their back. If they’re meant to own operations, let them own it.
That means giving them a seat at the table. Let them challenge you. Let them change things. Let them take things off your plate and actually keep them.
If you hire well and then micromanage, you’ve wasted everyone’s time.
- Culture fit matters more than you think
This person will touch every part of your business – team, clients, systems, delivery. If they don’t align with your values, if they don’t “get” your way of doing things, friction is inevitable.
Culture fit isn’t about liking the same music. It’s about shared standards, work ethic, and integrity. If they’re not a culture fit, nothing else matters.
- They need to be obsessed with improvement
Great Business and Operations Managers don’t accept “that’s just how we do it.” They question everything, with kindness, but also with courage.
They should be wired to spot inefficiencies, to track data, to turn chaos into clarity. If they’re not suggesting improvements within their first month, they’re probably not the right person.
You want someone who makes your business better every single week.
- You’re not hiring a clone – you’re hiring a counterpart
Here’s the big one. Too many business owners hire people just like them – fast-moving, big-vision, lots of ideas. That’s a mistake.
You don’t need a copy of you. You need your counterweight – someone who grounds the ideas, builds the process, and makes sure the magic actually gets delivered.
This hire should complement you, not copy you.
Hiring a Business and Operations Manager is not just another task on your to-do list. It’s a turning point. It’s the moment you stop doing everything yourself. The moment you get your evenings back. The moment your business starts to function like the business you dreamed of – not a job with 100 hats.
Yes, recruitment is tough right now. But the right person in this role will change your world. Invest the time. Get it right. And when you do – trust them, empower them, and get out of their way.
Because when operations run like clockwork, everything else gets easier.
We can help – it’s what we are really good at! Reach out…:-)
