In the latest episode of the Rock Solid: Round Rock Business Leaders Podcast, host Bryan Eisenberg sits down with Shannon Black, Chair of SCORE Austin, to discuss practical hiring strategies for small business owners. Titled "Shannon Black | The Hiring Secrets Every Small Business Owner Needs to Know," the episode offers actionable advice drawn from Black's experience as a former math teacher and founder of Sunrise Montessori. Released on July 14, 2026, the conversation addresses the challenges of hiring in a tight labor market, including post-COVID shifts, AI-inflated resumes, and maintaining company culture during growth.
Black's systematic approach is rooted in experimentation and data. She advises posting job ads on Sunday mornings rather than later in the week, explaining that "it takes Google and other search engines about 24 hours to go through and pick up the SEO in your ad. The number one time of the week that people look for jobs are Mondays during lunchtime." This timing ensures ads are indexed and visible when candidates are most active. Additionally, she recommends adding 30 or more hashtags at the bottom of listings to improve search visibility without rewriting the ad, and avoiding "masculine" language that can deter female applicants.
Black's screening process includes a 10-minute Zoom pre-interview and unexpected questions like "What is your favorite color?" to gauge personality and fit. These techniques, honed during COVID, have helped her and other business owners refine their hiring. Eisenberg shares his own success applying Black's methods to his home care agency, as well as a lease negotiation saved by Round Rock realtor Bacha Porter.
Beyond hiring, Black discusses SCORE's free mentorship model, offering over 1,000 workshops per month and virtual mentor matching at score.org. She previews an upcoming women's conference, a trades conference on June 13, and a four-day workshop series on valuing and selling a business. Black highlights success stories like a client who launched an Austin clay studio and entrepreneur Desiree Fox of V Wear Love, demonstrating SCORE's impact on idea-stage founders.
The episode opens with an unexpected twist: Black was recovering from a baby rattlesnake bite sustained while gardening in Georgetown, crediting St. David's in Round Rock for the antivenom that allowed her to record. This resilience mirrors the practical, no-nonsense advice she delivers throughout the conversation.
