Small business owners facing a tight labor market and the complexities of post-COVID hiring can find actionable advice in Episode 82 of the Rock Solid: Round Rock Business Leaders Podcast. Hosted by Bryan Eisenberg, the episode features Shannon Black, Chair of SCORE Austin, who shares a systematic approach to recruiting and retaining talent. The episode, titled "Shannon Black | The Hiring Secrets Every Small Business Owner Needs to Know," was published July 14, 2026, and addresses issues such as AI-inflated resumes and protecting company culture during rapid growth.
Black, a former math teacher and founder of Sunrise Montessori, emphasizes the importance of timing in job advertisements. She recommends posting ads on Sunday mornings rather than Thursday, 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." Additionally, she advises using 30 or more hashtags at the bottom of listings to improve search engine visibility without rewriting copy. Black also cautions against using "masculine" language that may deter female applicants and suggests screening candidates with a 10-minute Zoom pre-interview, including unexpected questions like "What is your favorite color?"
The episode also highlights SCORE's free mentorship model, a national nonprofit offering over 1,000 workshops per month. Black encourages listeners to explore 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 shares success stories, including helping a client launch a successful Austin clay studio and pointing to entrepreneur Desiree Fox of V Wear Love as an example of idea-stage founders SCORE serves. Eisenberg also shares his own hiring wins after applying Black's strategies and a lease near-miss resolved by Round Rock realtor Bacha Porter.
Listeners will find practical, data-driven tactics to improve their hiring processes and leverage community resources like SCORE. The episode is available on all major podcast platforms.
