Hiring Great People Starts Before the Interview

Most managers think hiring starts when the interview begins.

It doesn’t.

It starts long before the candidate ever walks through the door.

Great hiring begins with clarity. What exactly does success look like in this role? What behaviors separate average performers from exceptional ones? What kind of person makes your culture stronger instead of more complicated?

Too many managers hire around tasks.

Great leaders hire around outcomes.

That changes everything.

A resume can tell you where someone has worked. It can tell you titles, tenure, certifications, and responsibilities. But it cannot tell you how someone responds when pressure rises. It cannot tell you if they own mistakes. It cannot tell you if they elevate a team or quietly drain it.

That’s why great leaders build interviews around behaviors, not biographies.

Who by Geoff Smart and Randy Street introduced many leaders to the concept of A Players. But spotting them requires asking better questions.

Not “Tell me about yourself.”

Instead:

“Tell me about a time you made a hard decision with incomplete information.”

“Tell me about a time you failed.”

“What feedback have you received that changed how you lead?”

That’s where character starts leaking through.

And character is what usually determines whether your hire becomes a force multiplier… or a management headache.

The best managers don’t just fill seats.

They build benches.

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