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- The Way You Hire is Silly
I think the way people hire is wrong.
It’s usually based on boiler plate language, muddled thinking, and a huge lack of specificity.
Applicants and hiring managers are numb to it at this point.
The job posts:
We are seeking someone who is a …TEAM PLAYER (!!) who takes INITIATIVE (!!) at a GROWING (!!) (Jon’s head just hit the keyboard).
Don’t even get me started on job titles.
They are completely worthless.
I’ve seen the title “Marketing Manager” actually mean someone who inputs data in a spreadsheet all day, and ALSO someone overseeing $1,000,000 a week in clicks.
Liiiiitttllleee bit of difference there.
Because of how much hiring we do at Sagan Passport - I see lots of “Hiring Request Forms” come in - which has further helped clarify my thinking.
I asked John Seiffer to chat with me about this topic (you can watch the whole convo when I post it on twitter later this week) and here was what I came up with after some thought.
The Father of Output Thinking
Hiring 2.0
Before hiring (or if you are a Sagan member, as you are filling out the form) - write out the following
What are the outputs of the role? (Remember there are 6 types of outputs)
A Thing
A change of status
Behaviors
Decisions
Solving Problems
Relationships
What are the character traits or attributes of the person who will be successful in this role?
What skills will this person have on day one? This one is tricky! It’s all about tradeoffs and varies by position & budget. Of course in an ideal scenario - people would have EVERY skill on day one.
But you gotta pay more for that, and often you can’t find that “magical person”. That said, if you are hiring a developer, you don’t want to be teaching them how to code - they should arrive with that ability.
Tradeoffs: Show where and how you are willing to make tradeoffs. Here are some ideas from John, that I’ve noodled with a bit.
You have to circle ONE version of each trait.
I get it - you want someone who can cold call, do accounting, slam dunk, do social media, and know your industry for ten years (but you want to save money too!).
If I found someone like that, do you think I’d give them to you?!
So there you have it.
My ideas for improving this whole thing.
Most hiring is broken.
But we can fix it.
Hiring 2.0 isn't just a new way to write job posts—it's a complete rethink of how we match people with roles.
By defining clear outputs and essential traits, we cut through the noise.
No more vague "team player" nonsense.
No more misleading titles.
Instead, we paint a vivid picture of success in each role by acknowledging trade-offs and deciding what truly matters.
Get started today.
Yallah Habibi,
Jon
Passage of the Wee
Les Miserables.
Do you hear the people sing: Sung by 17 Jean Valjeans from around the world