This is part of Mainsail’s How-to-Hire Series: A SaaS Founder’s Guide to Building Out Your Leadership Team. Read why we put together this resource for growing SaaS businesses and how to navigate it here.

Once your product is live and your sales process is well underway, it becomes imperative to have a dedicated leader to nurture, expand, and retain your customer base. While it is a best practice for Account Managers to handle commercial engagements within the customer portfolio, establishing a robust Customer Experience (CX) function and team is essential for driving value and delivering business outcomes for customers.

Drawing from our experience in scaling SaaS companies, this guide outlines when to hire a Head of CX, the qualifications to seek in a candidate, and how to structure the role for long-term success.

Note: Customer Experience (CX) is often referred to as Customer Success. Both terms are valid; however, for consistency, we use “CX” in this guide.

Determining the right time to hire a Head of CX

It is common in SaaS companies for an industry or subject matter expert to join early in the company’s journey, gain in-depth knowledge of the product and customer base, and oversee implementation. As the company scales and customer lifecycles extend, additional responsibilities arise beyond initial onboarding. Sometimes we see Sales teams taking on more post-sale responsibilities, and other times we see the same team that is responsible for implementation also managing ongoing customer support. Both scenarios are signals that it is time to introduce a dedicated Head of CX.

The CX leader’s primary focus is on the entire post-sale customer journey, encompassing implementation, proactive customer success management, and reactive customer support. The skills required to manage each of these functions differ, and it is important to develop a clear talent profile to build the team with the right people.

Selecting the appropriate leadership level

The ideal Head of CX should balance hands-on execution with strategic oversight. This individual must be capable of developing and driving an effective strategy while being willing to engage in day-to-day operations, when needed.

When hiring externally, seek candidates with prior experience in a similar role at a company of comparable scale and growth trajectory, and with the same sales motion. The demands of a CX function at a $5 million ARR company are vastly different from those at a $150 million ARR enterprise. Therefore, hiring from a large corporation or publicly traded company typically won’t be the right fit.

The Head of CX should be recruited at the Vice President (VP) level. Two ideal candidate profiles include:

1. Experienced VPs who have previously held similar roles in companies at a comparable stage, looking to drive the company through its next phase of growth.
2. Directors or Senior Directors ready to transition into their first VP role, demonstrating strong leadership potential and strategic thinking skills.

Each candidate type has advantages and drawbacks. Directors or Senior Directors are more readily available and typically more hands-on, but they may have primarily executed strategies rather than developed them. For them to succeed in a VP role, they must exhibit vision, critical thinking, and creativity.

Experienced VPs bring valuable lessons from prior roles but may be reluctant to return to a hands-on operational environment. Given the demands of an early-stage company, it is crucial to assess whether they are prepared for this level of involvement and committed to the company’s long-term growth.

Key characteristics to evaluate in a Head of CX

Hiring a Head of CX is challenging because the role requires a combination of operational expertise, data-driven decision-making, and cross-functional collaboration. Strong candidates should possess the ability to communicate effectively across teams, interpret customer feedback analytically, and drive strategic improvements.

Key traits to assess during the interview process include:

1. Leadership: Look for individuals with high emotional intelligence (EQ) and a team-oriented mindset. Gauge their leadership approach by observing whether they attribute past successes to their team or solely to themselves.
2. Collaboration: Since CX is a highly cross-functional role, candidates should demonstrate the ability to build relationships across departments, particularly with Sales, Marketing, and Product teams.
3. Communication: CX teams gather valuable customer insights that must be synthesized and shared effectively to influence business decisions. A strong candidate can relay customer feedback to internal teams while also articulating company operations to customers.
4. Customer Relationships: As the face of the company for many high-value clients, the Head of CX should be adept at building trust and rapport quickly.
5. Data-Driven Approach: A successful CX leader understands key performance metrics, organizes data for accessibility, and applies insights to drive improvements. During interviews, assess their ability to integrate quantifiable results into their success stories.
6. Curiosity: CX leaders must be proactive in recognizing trends and adapting strategies based on customer data. Ask candidates about their experience managing retention and using analytics to influence executive decisions.
7. Strategic Thinking: The role requires foresight and the ability to synthesize information from multiple sources to create effective strategies. Look for candidates who can anticipate challenges and proactively address them.

While prior executive leadership experience is beneficial, it is not a prerequisite depending on the structure of the leadership team at your company. With the right coaching, candidates can develop executive reporting skills over time. However, tactical competencies such as defining the customer journey, utilizing technology stacks, and gathering product feedback should be evident in their responses. If these aspects are not mentioned, follow up with targeted questions.

Essential interview questions for a Head of CX

Consider using the following questions to assess a candidate’s suitability for the role:

1. How do you foster a customer-centric culture within an organization?
2. What’s your experience scaling a CX team as the company grows? How do you ensure the team aligns with the company’s growth objectives?
3. What strategies have you used to improve customer retention? How would you apply them to our company?
4. Can you share an example of how you have used data to influence strategic decisions at the executive level?
5. What tools have you implemented to enhance efficiency and capacity within a CX team?
6. If you could revisit a previous role, what would you do differently?

Roadmap for the first 6 months

The primary objective of CX is to ensure the company delivers meaningful business outcomes to its customers. To achieve this, the new Head of CX should establish a structured, repeatable, and measurable customer journey within the first six months. This involves segmenting customers appropriately and defining key performance indicators (KPIs) that reflect success.

Additionally, they must align Sales, Marketing, and post-sale teams around the product’s value proposition. By collecting and synthesizing customer feedback, the Head of CX can facilitate transparency and drive organizational alignment to enhance customer experience.

Iteration is fundamental to this role. The Head of CX should continuously assess and refine processes to optimize customer engagement. The most critical success metric is retention. By the six-month mark, the CX leader should demonstrate the path to measurable improvements in retention rates, validating the impact of their strategy.

Establishing the right framework for this key hire

Hiring a Head of CX is a significant step, but it should not be daunting. CEOs often find that bringing in a post-sale leader is a decision they wish they had made sooner. Given the CX leader’s role in overseeing all customer-facing functions, cultural alignment is essential. Furthermore, as a strategic partner to the CEO, trust is paramount.

Ultimately, CX is not solely about customer satisfaction; it is about driving better business outcomes for both the customers and the company. When evaluating candidates, prioritize those who can clearly articulate a strategic approach to achieving measurable results.

UP NEXT: How to Hire a Head of Technology⇒