Idea
Hiring
Choosing people for what they do brilliantly, and getting the right people in before setting the plan.
1 story, 3 summaries, 2 lessons
What it means
Hiring is choosing people for what they do brilliantly, and getting the right people in before you set the plan. Many owners write the plan first and then hunt for someone to fit it. A better way is to find strong people first and shape the plan around their strengths.
This does not mean hiring without purpose. It means you look for a real, visible strength in the person, not a list of average skills across many areas.
Why it matters
Every hire is a bet on a few years of your money, time and energy. A weak hire costs salary, but also the time you spend fixing, explaining and worrying. A strong hire in the right seat gives you hours back every week.
- Your best work gets done by people who are actually good at it.
- You spend less time managing and more time growing.
- The team's standard rises, because strong people expect it from others.
How to use it
- Write down the one or two things this person must do brilliantly. Not ten things. Just the ones that decide success.
- Before you interview, plan a small real task related to that strength. Pay for it if it takes more than an hour.
- Ask about past work in detail: what did you do, what went wrong, what did you change. Listen for specifics, not slogans.
- Check references by asking what the person did best and where
Common mistakes
- Hiring in a rush because the work is piling up.
- Choosing the person who interviews well instead of the one who works well.
- Writing a job description that asks for everything, so no one fits.
- Skipping a trial task because it feels awkward.