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Custom-Fit: A Straight-Talking Guide to Hiring Top Talent for Entrepreneurs & Small Business Owners
For small business owners, hiring the right people can make or break their company. A Straight-Talking Guide to Hiring Top Talent for Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners by Kate Morgan is the essential resource for founders seeking practical, no-nonsense advice on building a team that fuels growth without the complications of big business HR.
Kate Morgan, a seasoned talent acquisition expert and founder of Boston Human Capital Partners, brings over 25 years of experience in guiding small businesses to make smart, strategic hires. Morgan knows that, for companies with fewer than 25 employees, traditional HR models simply don’t apply. Instead, Custom-Fit provides straightforward guidance that emphasizes aligning hires with core values, conducting insightful interviews, and developing a hiring plan that fits a smaller organization’s needs and resources.
Inside, readers will find techniques
Defining core values and using them as a hiring compassStructuring interviews to identify high-potential candidates without resorting to typical corporate jargonBuilding a hiring plan that avoids premature or mismatched hiresBalancing emotional intelligence with data-driven decision-makingMorgan shares stories of both successes and hard lessons learned from the hiring trenches, showing founders how to avoid costly hiring missteps and build teams that truly support their vision. Entrepreneurs will discover how to tackle the challenges of “peopleing” with confidence, creating a cohesive, motivated team that drives business success.
Packed with actionable advice, Custom-Fit is the guide for small business leaders who know that great teams are built, not bought, and that every hire matters. Whether you’re hiring your first employee or preparing to expand, this book equips you to make hiring decisions that propel your company forward.
Kate Morgan, a seasoned talent acquisition expert and founder of Boston Human Capital Partners, brings over 25 years of experience in guiding small businesses to make smart, strategic hires. Morgan knows that, for companies with fewer than 25 employees, traditional HR models simply don’t apply. Instead, Custom-Fit provides straightforward guidance that emphasizes aligning hires with core values, conducting insightful interviews, and developing a hiring plan that fits a smaller organization’s needs and resources.
Inside, readers will find techniques
Defining core values and using them as a hiring compassStructuring interviews to identify high-potential candidates without resorting to typical corporate jargonBuilding a hiring plan that avoids premature or mismatched hiresBalancing emotional intelligence with data-driven decision-makingMorgan shares stories of both successes and hard lessons learned from the hiring trenches, showing founders how to avoid costly hiring missteps and build teams that truly support their vision. Entrepreneurs will discover how to tackle the challenges of “peopleing” with confidence, creating a cohesive, motivated team that drives business success.
Packed with actionable advice, Custom-Fit is the guide for small business leaders who know that great teams are built, not bought, and that every hire matters. Whether you’re hiring your first employee or preparing to expand, this book equips you to make hiring decisions that propel your company forward.
- GenresNonfictionBusiness
217 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 29, 2025
13 people are currently reading
764 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 3, 2025
Custom-Fit: A Straight-Talking Guide to Hiring Top Talent – A Game-Changer for Small Business Leaders
Rating: 4.9/5
Kate Morgan’s Custom-Fit is a breath of fresh air in the oversaturated world of HR literature—a pragmatic, no-fluff manifesto that speaks directly to the heartbeat of small businesses. As someone who’s waded through generic corporate hiring guides, this book felt like discovering a secret playbook tailored for the scrappy, values-driven entrepreneur. Morgan’s expertise as a talent acquisition strategist for startups and founder of Boston Human Capital Partners shines through every chapter, offering not just advice but empathy for the unique challenges of small-scale hiring.
Why This Book Stands Out
Morgan dismantles the one-size-fits-all HR approach with surgical precision, replacing it with frameworks that honor a small business’s limited resources and cultural DNA. Her emphasis on core values as a hiring compass (not just buzzwords) resonated deeply—I found myself pausing to revisit my own organization's mission mid-read. The interview techniques, especially her jargon-free questioning strategies, are gold for founders who dread the performative dance of corporate interviews. Most revolutionary is her thesis that every hire in a small team is a culture-shaping decision; the chapter on avoiding mismatched hires should be required reading for any first-time employer.
Emotional Impact & Revelations
This book evoked equal parts relief and motivation. Morgan’s anecdotes about hiring missteps (including her own) normalized the anxiety many founders feel when bringing on their first employees. Her breakdown of balancing emotional intelligence with data was a lightbulb moment—I’d never considered how over-reliance on gut feeling can mask bias. The section on scaling hiring plans without losing cultural cohesion left me energized, scribbling notes for my next team expansion.
Constructive Criticism
While the focus on sub-25-employee businesses is the book’s strength, a brief appendix addressing slightly larger startups (e.g., 50+ employees) could broaden its utility. The data-driven sections, though valuable, occasionally lean technical—a visual summary of key metrics (like a hiring scorecard template) would enhance accessibility.
Final Verdict
A masterclass in intentional hiring—think Who meets The Hard Thing About Hard Things, but with the warmth of a mentor who’s been in your shoes. Morgan doesn’t just teach hiring; she instills the confidence to build teams that feel like family without sacrificing growth.
Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways and the publisher for the gifted copy. This book arrived when I needed it most—proof that the right hire (or read) can be transformative.
Pair with: The Founder’s Dilemmas for complementary startup wisdom or Radical Candor for post-hiring team dynamics.
For fans of: Patty McCord’s Powerful, Ben Horowitz’s gritty realism, and Atomic Habits’ actionable frameworks.
Note: Keep a highlighter and sticky tabs handy—you’ll want to revisit Morgan’s hiring playbook before every interview.
Rating: 4.9/5
Kate Morgan’s Custom-Fit is a breath of fresh air in the oversaturated world of HR literature—a pragmatic, no-fluff manifesto that speaks directly to the heartbeat of small businesses. As someone who’s waded through generic corporate hiring guides, this book felt like discovering a secret playbook tailored for the scrappy, values-driven entrepreneur. Morgan’s expertise as a talent acquisition strategist for startups and founder of Boston Human Capital Partners shines through every chapter, offering not just advice but empathy for the unique challenges of small-scale hiring.
Why This Book Stands Out
Morgan dismantles the one-size-fits-all HR approach with surgical precision, replacing it with frameworks that honor a small business’s limited resources and cultural DNA. Her emphasis on core values as a hiring compass (not just buzzwords) resonated deeply—I found myself pausing to revisit my own organization's mission mid-read. The interview techniques, especially her jargon-free questioning strategies, are gold for founders who dread the performative dance of corporate interviews. Most revolutionary is her thesis that every hire in a small team is a culture-shaping decision; the chapter on avoiding mismatched hires should be required reading for any first-time employer.
Emotional Impact & Revelations
This book evoked equal parts relief and motivation. Morgan’s anecdotes about hiring missteps (including her own) normalized the anxiety many founders feel when bringing on their first employees. Her breakdown of balancing emotional intelligence with data was a lightbulb moment—I’d never considered how over-reliance on gut feeling can mask bias. The section on scaling hiring plans without losing cultural cohesion left me energized, scribbling notes for my next team expansion.
Constructive Criticism
While the focus on sub-25-employee businesses is the book’s strength, a brief appendix addressing slightly larger startups (e.g., 50+ employees) could broaden its utility. The data-driven sections, though valuable, occasionally lean technical—a visual summary of key metrics (like a hiring scorecard template) would enhance accessibility.
Final Verdict
A masterclass in intentional hiring—think Who meets The Hard Thing About Hard Things, but with the warmth of a mentor who’s been in your shoes. Morgan doesn’t just teach hiring; she instills the confidence to build teams that feel like family without sacrificing growth.
Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways and the publisher for the gifted copy. This book arrived when I needed it most—proof that the right hire (or read) can be transformative.
Pair with: The Founder’s Dilemmas for complementary startup wisdom or Radical Candor for post-hiring team dynamics.
For fans of: Patty McCord’s Powerful, Ben Horowitz’s gritty realism, and Atomic Habits’ actionable frameworks.
Note: Keep a highlighter and sticky tabs handy—you’ll want to revisit Morgan’s hiring playbook before every interview.
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June 19, 2025Custom Fit by Kate Morgan is a refreshingly practical guide for small business owners who want to hire smarter, not harder.
July 17, 2025
💯💯💯💯💯
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews