When we launched HardHats, we weren’t thinking about offices, payroll, or team culture. We weren’t dreaming about staff socials or writing employee handbooks.
We had one simple mission:
Help contractors use subcontractors long-term without HMRC breathing down their necks.
Back then, it was just the two of us.
Laptop, phone, a bit of blind optimism – that was the entire setup.
It felt good.
More freedom. More money. Less responsibility.
But sooner or later, we hit a wall.
We had to make a decision:
- Shut the doors to new clients and act like the “guru” w*nkers on LinkedIn with fake scarcity and waiting lists…
- Or bite the bullet, grow the team, and build something bigger than just us.
We chose growth.
The Brutal Reality of Hiring
Here’s the truth no one tells you: growing a team is messy.
Our first big hire was in customer service. We knew if clients didn’t feel looked after, the whole business could crumble.
So we hired. And learned the hard way.
Because just putting someone in a seat and hoping they’d “figure it out” doesn’t cut it. The role wasn’t just about answering calls – it was about protecting trust, solving problems, and being the voice of HardHats when we weren’t in the room.
It took a couple of missteps before Sally came in. And when she did, everything changed.
Sally didn’t just “do” customer service – she reshaped it. She turned it into the CX function we have today. She created a process. A system. A tone. And it worked.
With Sally taking care of clients, I could finally crack on with selling while Ash got stuck into the back office and compliance side.
That freed up the next leap: bringing in Alex on sales. Suddenly, it wasn’t just about me closing deals. It was about mentoring, teaching the right way to sell, and making sure we weren’t just saying yes to everyone, but saying yes to the right people.
From 4 to 10 (and Counting)
By December 2024, we’d grown to a team of 4.
Fast forward to September 2025, and we’re 10 strong.
That might not sound like much if you’re running a corporation with layers of management and departments for everything. But for two guys who thought they were building a tech business and not a people business… it’s been a transformation.
Every new hire wasn’t just about filling a gap. Each person has shaped the role they stepped into. They’ve brought their own experience, ideas, and quirks, and they’ve left their mark on HardHats.
And that’s been one of the best parts of the journey – watching people grow alongside the business.
Building Culture on Purpose
Here’s something we’ve learned: getting compliance right isn’t just about contracts. It’s about systems, clarity, and making sure the whole thing actually stacks up in the real world.
Turns out, building a business works the same way.
Hiring people isn’t enough. You can’t just add “bodies” and expect results.
You need to build a culture.
A place where people feel comfortable enough to be themselves, but also accountable enough to deliver.
That balance is everything.
When people feel like they belong, they don’t just “do their job.” They improve it. They question it. They find better ways. And that means a stronger, more reliable service for you – our clients.
Behind the Scenes: Why We Made a Video
We wanted to show what that culture looks like in real life.
So we made a video.
Not about “corporate values” or some cliché mission statement. But about the people. The personalities. The moments that make HardHats what it is today.
It’s not really about The Cube or who won the challenges in the office – it’s about seeing the humans behind the business.
Lessons Learned Along the Way
If we could go back and give our past selves some advice, it’d probably be this:
- Don’t wait too long to hire. Growth stalls when you’re too scared to bring in help.
- Hire for attitude, train for skill. You can teach process, but you can’t teach personality.
- Your culture is your brand. If your team doesn’t buy into what you’re doing, your clients won’t either.
- Growth is uncomfortable. If it feels easy, you’re not stretching far enough.
- Look after your people. They’ll look after your clients better than you ever could on your own.
From Start-Up to Scale-Up
We didn’t plan on building a people business. We thought we were building tech.
But every bit of growth we’ve had – every step from 2 blokes to a team of 10 – has been possible because of people.
Our team. Our clients. Our partners.
So if you’ve been with us from the early days, thank you. You’ve shaped HardHats just as much as we have.
And if you’re just discovering us now – well, welcome to the journey.