On the Weight of Hiring

“I HATE hiring,” I recently declared to a friend while going through the throes of interviewing for Forge. He started laughing, and replied: “You do realize the irony of what you just said, considering what you do for a living.”

And yes, I do. 

In retrospect, the word “hate” might be a little strong, but I hope I never get to the point of taking hiring lightly. 

Recruiting and selecting and offering a new employee comprises an incredibly weighty decision, one in which you as the leader take on responsibility for a significant part of someone’s life.

Undoubtedly, part of the intensity comes from the fact that we are truly in the people business here at Forge: our “product” is people, and I realize that as a company, we are only as good as our recruiters are. 

But I think the weight I really feel comes from this: I believe deeply in the value that the right people bring to the table. One of our core mottos is that “the right person in the right role can change everything.” And I genuinely believe that.

People solve business problems. The right people create, streamline, fix, build, strategize, energize, empathize, and ultimately – move the business forward.

The better we can get at identifying fit, talent, and opportunity, the more we will build enterprise value within our companies. 

Last year, we experienced some turnover that stung. The reasons made sense: new babies, falling in love and moving away, that sort of thing, but still a huge blow to the business. As I was processing the loss of so much time and investment with a mentor, he wisely said: “But what are your other options? To NOT invest in your people?”  Touche. 

It is the same with hiring, I think. As exhausting and weighty as it is, hiring well is the doorway to growth. Your growth, your people’s growth, and the company’s growth. What a privilege!