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Key Takeaways Hire for the long haul. Don’t oversell or make promises you can’t keep, but do paint a picture of the possibilities.
Don’t wait until someone has checked every box before entrusting them with more responsibility. Your potential leaders will leave to find opportunities elsewhere.
Hire candidates with a growth mindset, equip them with the right tools and give them the space they need to flourish.
Several years ago, we had an opening for a senior position on our product team. By that point, my company, Jotform, had been in business for a few years, so I was accustomed to the hiring process. It was, however, my first time replacing a high-level employee who had moved on.
The departing employee had done great work, but now, I had a decision to make: On the one hand, I could hire an outsider with direct experience and ample credentials. Maybe a highly sought-after superstar from another tech company who would make our rivals jealous. The other option: promote someone from within — a known quantity who understood our culture, values and cared about the vision.
Both options had their pitfalls. An outsider could be good on paper, but fall flat once in the role. An internal candidate would lack the exact experience the role required, meaning they’d need time to get their sea legs.
In many ways, hiring externally seemed like a safer bet. After all, they’d not only be bringing the right experience, they might also bring in fresh perspectives and exciting new ideas that would help the company grow. But to me, it was a no-brainer. I promoted one of our junior staff, someone who had worked closely with the outgoing manager. That person is still with us today, now at the executive level.
Growing a great leader doesn’t happen automatically — it has to be consciously ingrained in your company’s culture. Here’s how I approach it.
Hire for the long haul
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