Welcome to the Great Lakes Hypergrowth Talent Roadmap, where we explore all the aspects of building high-growth teams.
“There is no wrong process, however, the most wrong thing to do when hiring is to treat it casually.”
People are hard to put into a box. We are creative, idiosyncratic, inconsistent, incongruous, frequently incompatible, and sometimes downright frustrating. What’s more, the world we live in is just as inconsistent, unpredictable, and hard to understand as we are as people.
That’s why, when it comes to people, we often think to ourselves “why apply a process?” If each one of us is a unique and incomprehensible person, then what use is it to apply some formula or process to a person? What would I really learn? I know that I hate when I am put into a box – you really think a formula is going to define me? No math can truly comprehend the complexity that is me! And don’t get me started on personality tests or ESTJ – I am more than FOUR LETTERS!
Of course, I am being somewhat hyperbolic, but the point stands – someone with any level of empathy has probably had a thought like this while evaluating talent. Especially a startup founder – the type of person who is particularly hard to place into a personality type. As a result, it is hard to rely on formulas to make people-based decisions. But then the question becomes “what do we rely upon instead?” And frequently the answer is just “GUT”.
Going with our gut – or rather, making a decision based on what we feel is right – can be a problem because it leaves the door open for a variety of biases in the hiring process. Any investor worth their salt will tell you that the reason you have diligence processes in place when making an investment is because your gut can and will betray you. So as a result, you create a process to help mitigate these biases.
The same is true – or even more true – for hiring processes. You build a process not because it’s easy to put someone in a box and follow a formula to success, but because it helps you compare all candidates in a reasonably fair and clear-headed manner. This allows you to make a better decision simply because you have comparable data sets.
It also allows you to generate feedback on the process itself. It’s a lot easier to measure something – like whether your candidates for a role have the right skill set – if you are using the same sized measuring stick each time around. And the best way to do that is to have an established hiring formula. The Refinery Hiring Formula is as follows:
1. Establish a Theory of the Ideal Characteristics
2. Define an Evaluation Strategy for Each Characteristic
3. Score Candidates Against Ideal Characteristics
4. Iterate!
Stealth Job Opportunities
Reach out to Peter Schmidt, peter@refinery.com, if you would like to learn more about this position.
1. Go-To Market Talent
Cincinnati, OH
A healthcare data and AI company is looking for go-to market help with selling into health systems and nursing care facilities.
Hypergrowth Job Opportunities
From a curated list of startups and opportunities from our network.
VP of Product Management at FourKites
Chicago, IL
Lead a cutting-edge AI portfolio, guiding a team of top-tier data scientists and engineers. Collaborating with sales teams and Fortune 1000 clients, you’ll define a high-impact AI roadmap that drives innovation and transforms supply chain technology.
Head of Engineering at Loop Returns
Remote – HQ Columbus, OH
Drive technical excellence to align with Loop’s mission by fostering a culture of continuous improvement, owning the engineering roadmap, and collaborating across teams to deliver impactful solutions for merchants.
Remote – HQ Madison, WI
Execute a sales strategy that drives revenue growth across healthcare payers, providers, and digital health vendors. Cultivate key client relationships, navigate complex sales cycles, and expand market presence, all while collaborating with leadership to align sales strategies with company-wide growth.
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