Avoid Hiring Misfires By Raising The Bar

Your team's performance can only rise to the level of your talent.

Hire poorly and you set a low ceiling.

The math is brutal:
→ One bad hire lowers the entire team's standard
→ "Good enough" becomes the new normal
→ Mediocrity spreads like a virus through your culture

Here's what winning companies do differently:

🚫 Default to NO
Look for reasons to reject, not accept. Most managers think "I hope this candidate works out" instead of "They need to prove they belong here."

📈 Every hire must raise your average
If they wouldn't be top 50% of your current team, pass. If you're not excited to hire them, why bother?

⭐ High standards attract A-players

Top talent wants to work with top talent.

Amazon mastered this with their "Bar Raiser" program.

A trained interviewer from outside the hiring team evaluates every candidate to:
→ Maintain hiring quality
→ Ensure cultural fit
→ Block "good enough" hires

Meeting the requirements is not acceptable.

Result? One of the most talent-dense companies ever built.

The Bottom Line

The chart above shows exactly what should happen with every hire. Your newest team member should push your average higher, not drag it down.

Stop hiring people who "fit in." Start demanding people who stand out.