Why job titles should serve employees, not hierarchies

Executive overview

Most businesses assign job titles based on seniority or internal org structure. Blake Mycoskie argues this is backwards. In a small company, your title is a sales tool — it determines whether your calls get returned.

Give employees the biggest, most credible title that fits their role. It costs nothing and makes them more effective from day one.

The title you give someone is part of the empowerment you extend to them.

Rethinking titles in small businesses

• Internal hierarchy is irrelevant if no one outside the company respects the title
• A salesperson calling Nordstrom as "SVP of Sales" gets the call returned; "Sales Associate" does not
• Most external communication happens on email and phone, where title is the first signal of credibility
• Mycoskie has held the title "Chief Shoe Giver" for 12+ years — chosen because it reflects his actual priority
• Rules about titles matching seniority or experience make sense in large orgs, not small ones