What should I be paying people to attract top talent?

You find the perfect senior hire. They have the résumé. The experience. The track record.  But the salary makes your stomach drop. Do you stretch and hope it pays off? Or walk away and risk staying stuck? In this episode, we unpack the real tension leaders face when hiring senior talent in a small business and how to think about compensation without blowing up your risk tolerance. We talk about: Why overextending on a big hire can create pressure that sabotages onboarding How to think beyond base salary and use ownership, scope, equity, and incentives strategicallyWhat to consider when deciding your true risk tolerance as a leader Why no hiring process can guarantee success and how to de-risk smartly insteadIf you are wrestling with whether you can afford that senior hire or afraid you cannot grow without them, this episode will help you make the decision from clarity instead of fear. 💻 Grab the Snippets template: liagarvin.com/snippets Download my FREE guide to making hard conversations with your team easier at liagarvin.com/convo Looking for support for yourself of your team? I've got you covered. Explore manager training, leaders keynotes & offsites, and 1:1 advisory, or my 90-Day-COO program for business owners who want simple systems that actually work. I transform teams from cost centers to profit centers with practical tools and research-backed strategies that make managing EASIER. Get all the details at: www.liagarvin.com Contact: liagarvin.com/contact Email: hello@liagarvin.com Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Lia.Garvin -- © 2026 Lia Garvin / Managing Made Simple