“Relentlessly pursue hiring top talent” — a mantra echoed in every VC and investment group boardroom. Forward-thinking companies often internalize this advice, dedicating countless hours to slogging through resumes, conducting endless interviews, and enduring lengthy hiring committee meetings. The goal? To unearth that elusive “unicorn” candidate who perfectly embodies the hiring manager’s ideal, often shaped by a ChatGPT-generated job description.
But here’s a thought: equating hours of slogging with a “relentless pursuit” of top talent is, quite frankly, foolish. Those venerated VCs would be equally impressed if companies invested a smart, small amount of effort upfront to save countless hours of menial resume review on the backend. I’m talking about working smarter, not just harder or longer. I posit that an incredibly smart and effective pursuit of talent begins with analyzing and deliberately choosing your ideal hiring philosophy.
As a Decision Scientist, my current journey through the job market — searching, applying, interviewing, and negotiating for my next role in Customer Decision Sciences and Analytics — has provided a fascinating firsthand look at various candidate decision philosophies. Are you hiring? If so, which philosophy guides your process? Understanding your own approach can save you immense headaches as you navigate a sea of applicants.
Let’s explore some common, and some often-overlooked, hiring decision philosophies:
1. First Candidate to Meet Baseline Requirements
This philosophy focuses on efficiency. You’re looking for a candidate who clearly fits the job description and can demonstrably accomplish all predefined tasks. This approach works exceptionally well for entry-level positions or roles with highly defined scopes where immediate capability is paramount. While companies often desire employees that will grow and excel, this philosophy prioritizes fulfilling an immediate, specific need.
2. Best Candidate After a Time-Constrained Search
This approach balances speed with quality. You set a strict timeframe for applications — say, 7, 14, or 30 days. Applications are held until the deadline, then reviewed comprehensively. By setting aside dedicated time to review resumes (perhaps even randomizing the order for an unbiased first pass) and then scheduling interviews, you ensure a quality hire within a defined period. Need quality fast? This is often the way to go.
3. The “Feel It Out” Approach (Most Dangerous)
Unfortunately, this is the most common but also the most problematic hiring philosophy. A hiring manager posts a role, occasionally perusing applicants and assessing them based on “gut instinct.” This often means the hiring criteria are poorly defined, relying heavily on vague “intangibles.” It’s an incredibly time-consuming and frustrating process, often leading to analysis paralysis with the constant thought that “there will always be another, better candidate right around the corner” if only you keep the role open for a few more days.
4. Culture Add (or Culture Fit) First
Beyond skills and experience, this philosophy prioritizes how a candidate will integrate into and enrich the existing team and company culture. It’s not about finding someone exactly like everyone else (culture fit), but someone who brings unique perspectives and values that add to the culture. Interviews might focus heavily on behavioral questions, values alignment, and collaborative style. However, a potential pitfall of over-emphasizing “culture fit” is the risk of hiring for homogeneity, inadvertently excluding diverse perspectives and backgrounds in favor of those who are perceived as “just like us.” This can stifle innovation and lead to a less inclusive environment. This approach aims to build cohesive, high-performing teams.
5. Assessing for Future Promotion Potential
This philosophy involves evaluating candidates not just for the immediate role, but also for their perceived readiness and potential to be promoted into a higher-level position down the line. While it can be tempting to hire for future growth, it’s a dangerous path. Assuming specific career paths for candidates can set unrealistic expectations, leading to disappointment for both the employee and the company if those promotions don’t materialize as quickly or in the manner anticipated. It can also divert focus from truly assessing their fit for the current role’s demands.
6. Diversity of Ideas
This philosophy champions building a team rich in varied perspectives, thought processes, and problem-solving approaches. It moves beyond demographic diversity to actively seek individuals who think differently, challenge norms, and bring unique insights to the table. While highly valuable, consciously pursuing “diversity of ideas” can be challenging to measure and assess within a structured interview process. It requires careful crafting of questions that reveal cognitive styles, fostering an environment where candidates feel safe to express unconventional thoughts, and mitigating unconscious biases towards familiar ways of thinking.
Want to genuinely improve your hiring success and relentlessly pursue top talent as your VCs desire? Then analyze and deliberately decide on a hiring philosophy that truly works for each specific job. A little strategic work on the front end will save you an immense amount of time and frustration slogging through the process on the back end.
This isn’t an exhaustive list of hiring philosophies — there are certainly more! I’d love to hear your philosophy in the comments below.