By Julia Frenette, Operating Partner, Talent

Building a great company requires getting multiple things right at once. Hiring the right people. Retaining them. Trusting them on business decisions. Building a culture that endures as the company grows.

We think about these topics often. But we know the people who think about them most are founders and HR leaders inside our portfolio companies, the ones navigating these topics every day. We know it can be helpful to have peers to share with and to learn from.

That is why we brought a group together last month. Heads of HR and talent leaders joined us from around the world for a day of presentations, small group discussions, and honest conversation. This was one of several gatherings Silversmith hosts throughout the year, a chance to bring the right people together and let them be candid with each other in a way that is hard to replicate otherwise.

Companies in the room ranged from growth-stage to larger organizations with multi-layered people functions. While there is no single playbook, three common themes emerged.

Hiring for scale

Hiring for scale is multi-dimensional, requiring assessment for capability, competency, and judgement. Capability: does this candidate have the right skills, experience, and record? Competency: can this individual do this job, here, now, with this team, at this pace? Judgement: can this individual exercise good judgment as complexity increases to balance speed, quality, and long-term impact?

Structured interviews and work-based exercises tend to surface this more reliably than resumes alone. As AI reshapes workflows, it is important to assess candidates for a growth mindset as well as the willingness to learn new ways of working.

AI adoption starts at the top

The companies achieving meaningful AI adoption are not just rolling out new tools, they are setting the tone from the top. When leadership models experimentation and enables practical training, teams are more likely to integrate AI into their daily workflows. It is also important for leaders to encourage clear and open dialogue about when to use AI and when not to.

High performance as driver of culture  

High performance does not speak for itself - it must be defined early. How decisions are made, how talent is developed, and what earns recognition all signal the values of the company. Hiring, onboarding, feedback, and talent development are mechanisms through which expectations are set across the organization. A shared definition of high performance can help to define and strengthen culture.

These topics do not belong to the HR function alone. They are questions for every scaling company. Bringing together a community of operators and encouraging them to build relationships is a way Silversmith supports our portfolio.

Julia Frenette is an Operating Partner at Silversmith Capital Partners, where she works closely with founders and leadership teams across the portfolio on executive recruiting and broader talent strategy.