Hiring Rockstars & Culture Carriers
People are your most important asset, tool, and lever. Learn from my mistakes hiring hundreds of employees, contractors, and vendors across my career.
Building Great Teams
Built, Not Bought
Great teams are built, not bought (not to be confused with being paid well based on performance).
Own Your Hiring Process
Skip the recruiters (except for senior execs) and own your hiring process.
Cost of Bad Hires
Bad hires cost more than empty seats, and every hire either raises or lowers your bar.
Step 1: Figure Out What the Role Requires
1
Study Your Best People
Look at your top 3 performers in similar roles. What traits do they share? What behaviors lead to their success? How do they approach problems? What makes them different from average performers?
2
Review Role Focus
Review what the role will focus on, along with what success looks like 1, 3, and 6 months out. Define what would indicate a low score for a particular trait vs. a high score.
3
Map Traits to Interview Questions
Map traits to interview questions. Be sure to drill down several layers to get a sense of how the candidate thinks and how deep their contributions really were.
Example: Mapping Traits to Questions
Additional Traits to Test
Complex stakeholder management
Trait to Test: Diplomatic leadership
How to Test It: "Tell me about a time you had to get buy-in from multiple departments with competing priorities."
Data-driven decision making
Trait to Test: Analytical thinking
How to Test It: Present messy data set and ask for insights and action plan
Team development
Trait to Test: Coaching ability
How to Test It: "Walk me through how you've developed your direct reports."
Crisis management
Trait to Test: Grace under pressure
How to Test It: "Tell me about your biggest professional crisis. Walk me through each decision."
Step 2: How to Interview
1
Initial Screen (30 mins)
Start with: "Tell me about your most significant accomplishment."
Deep Dive Questions:
- What was the real problem?
- How did you influence others?
- What would you do differently?
- Where did you take initiative?
- How did you measure success?
2
Deep Dive (60 mins)
Performance Review (30 mins): Track record of impact
- Proudest achievement?
- Biggest challenge?
- Worst failure?
Problem Solving (30 mins): Real-time thinking
Present current business problem and observe:
- Question quality
- Thinking structure
- Implementation focus
Team Round or Presentation (45 mins)
Present Passion Topic
Purpose: Communication skills
What to Watch For: Teaching ability, engagement
Solve Team Problem
Purpose: Collaboration style
What to Watch For: How they work with others
Q&A with Team
Purpose: Cultural fit
What to Watch For: Energy impact, curiosity
Values Alignment
Here's an example using Yes If's dominant value: Do The Work Others Won't
Interview Question
"Tell me about a time when everyone else took the easy path, but you chose the harder, better way. Walk me through your decision."
What to Look For
- Takes on unglamorous tasks
- Puts in extra effort for better results
- Doesn't wait for others to solve problems
Red Flags
- Complains about "not my job"
- Only does the minimum required
- Looks for shortcuts that compromise quality
Strong vs Weak Answers
Strong Answer Includes
- Specific example of extra effort
- Clear results from extra work
- Pride in doing tough jobs
Weak Answer Includes
- Vague references to "working hard"
- No measurable impact
- Resentment about workload
Remember: Look for patterns across all values. One perfect score doesn't overcome multiple red flags.
Interview Notes Template
Step 3: Making An Offer
Reference Check Questions
1
"Would you hire them again?"
2
"What type of role would they excel in?"
3
"How do they handle pressure?"
4
"What support do they need?"
5
"Where do they need to grow?"
Decision Making Criteria
Clear Yes Signs
- Evidence backs claims
- Team is excited
- Questions show depth
- Already thinking impact
- Strong references
Clear No Signs
- More talk than proof
- Waits for instructions
- Blames others
- Vague examples
- Low curiosity
Remember: Every hire is a culture carrier. Make sure they carry the right culture.