Hire Slow, Fire Fast – What It Really Means for Retention (Part 1 of 3)

Hiring slow doesn’t mean hiring slowly. It means hiring smart. Invest time on the front end to define success, structure your process, and ask meaningful questions. You’ll make better hires—and save yourself the pain of having to “fire fast” later on.

We’ve all heard the phrase: “Hire slow, fire fast.” While there’s some wisdom to this, many leaders take the saying at face value without understanding what hiring slow actually entails. It doesn’t mean dragging your feet or losing great candidates to unnecessary delays. It means being intentional, strategic, and thoughtful before you even start the interview process.

Before you post that job or schedule a single interview, take the time to follow these three essential steps:

1. Build a “Success Profile” – Not Just a Job Description

• What skills, knowledge, experience, and—importantly—competencies are needed to not only perform the job but to excel in it?

• Look at your top performers in this role. What are they doing that sets them apart? What behaviors or traits do they consistently demonstrate?

• Use that insight to define a Success Profile that goes beyond the basic job description. This is your blueprint for hiring someone who won’t just fit in—they’ll thrive.

 

2. Know What’s Required vs. What Can Be Learned

One of the biggest mistakes in hiring is thinking a candidate must check every single box. Ask yourself:

• Which skills or experiences are truly required on day one?

• What can be trained or developed over time?

Being honest about this can dramatically broaden your talent pool—especially in a competitive market. You might just find a high-potential candidate who learns fast and brings a fresh perspective to the role.

3. Create an Interview Process That Aligns with the Success Profile

Once you know what great looks like, your interview process should help you uncover it.

• Develop behavioral interview questions that dig into real-world examples.

For instance:

“Tell me about a time when you missed a timeline that impacted a deliverable.What was the situation, and why did you miss the deadline?Who did you inform, and when did you inform them?What was the outcome, and what did you learn from the experience?”

This type of questioning reveals not only how candidates think, but how they respond to challenges, communicate with others, and learn from experience.

 

Bonus Tip: Break Your Screening Process into Three Strategic Steps

 

To streamline your efforts and stay consistent:

1. Initial Application ScreenUse structured questions—including knockout questions—to quickly identify qualified applicants.

2. Phone ScreenAsk a consistent set of questions to dig deeper into motivations, communication skills, and job fit.

3. Site or Virtual InterviewTailor this stage to explore the Success Profile in-depth and assess alignment with your team and culture.

Start by building your Success Profile—and watch how everything else falls into place.

How We Can Help

At Levin HR Consulting, we teach leaders how to go beyond performance reviews and checklists. We equip managers with the tools to lead through listening, set clear expectations, and build trust with their teams.

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