In Episode 82 of the Rock Solid: Round Rock Business Leaders Podcast, host Bryan Eisenberg sits down with Shannon Black, Chair of SCORE Austin, to discuss actionable hiring strategies for small business owners navigating the challenging post-COVID labor market. The episode, published July 14, 2026, arrives as businesses nationwide contend with AI-inflated resumes and the need to preserve company culture during rapid growth.
Black, a former math teacher and founder of Sunrise Montessori, brings a data-driven approach to recruiting. She advises posting job ads on Sunday morning rather than Thursday, explaining that it takes search engines about 24 hours to index the ad. "The number one time of the week that people look for jobs are Mondays during lunchtime," Black tells Eisenberg. This timing ensures the ad appears prominently when candidates are most active.
To improve visibility, Black recommends using 30 or more hashtags at the bottom of job listings to capture SEO without rewriting the copy. She also cautions against using "masculine" language that can deter female applicants and suggests screening candidates with a 10-minute Zoom pre-interview that includes unexpected questions like "What is your favorite color?" to gauge personality fit.
The episode also highlights SCORE's free mentorship services, available at score.org. SCORE, a national nonprofit, offers over 1,000 workshops per month and virtual mentor matching. Black 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 a client named Justin who launched a successful Austin clay studio with SCORE's help, and entrepreneur Desiree Fox of V Wear Love, an example of the idea-stage founders SCORE serves. Eisenberg also recounts his own hiring wins after applying Black's tweaks, as well as a lease near-miss rescued by Round Rock realtor Bacha Porter.
The conversation takes a personal turn as Black reveals she was recovering from a baby rattlesnake bite sustained while gardening, crediting St. David's in Round Rock for the antivenom treatment. Despite the incident, she remained committed to recording the episode, underscoring her dedication to helping small business owners succeed.
