Hiring your first employee? A free talk on getting the timing right, the pitfalls to avoid, and what actually works in the early stages

Should you hire at all? Who first, and when? For founders in the earliest stages - sole founders or tiny teams - these questions can feel impossible to answer with confidence.

Join us for an informal, interactive lunch & learn with Alan Furley from ISL Talent, who'll share the common mistakes early stage founders make when hiring, and what he'd tell a founder on day one if he could. Expect honest stories from the very beginning: small budgets, high trust, and getting it right when there's no room for error.

Plenty of time for Q&A, plus the chance to bring your own hiring questions.

The session is fully-funded. What's included:

Guest expert: Alan Furley from ISL Talent, sharing what actually works when you're hiring for the first time

Free 1:1s after the talk: stick around and get Alan's take on your specific hiring plans

Free hot desks all day: work from the venue before or after the session (limited spaces, so grab one early)

📅 Wednesday 23rd September 2026

🕐 12.15pm - 2.00pm

📍 Firepool Centre for Digital Innovation, Taunton TA1 1FH

The Somerset Innovation Hub + ISL Talent

The Somerset Innovation Hub is run by The University of Exeter, part of the world-renowned SETsquared partnership, in collaboration with Somerset Council. The Hub supports people who are building something new, developing a fresh idea, or rethinking how their business works - through workshops, events, and one-to-one advice.

ISL Talent is a Bristol-based tech recruitment agency helping startups and scaleups build great teams. Co-founded by Alan Furley and Henry Keeys, they take a people-first approach - acting as talent partners rather than traditional recruiters, with deep experience in the scaling challenges early stage and growth companies face.

This project is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Description supplied by the event organiser.