Field Notes · Hiring

Hiring as a source of power.

How to build a team through perception, not checklists.

Interviews are rarely treated as sources of power. Most organizations approach them as a bureaucratic ritual: a matching game of scanning resumes, probing for past experience, and hoping the candidate's polished presentation matches the job description.

While the hiring landscape has evolved over the past two decades, moving away from purely casual, ad-hoc chats, the fundamental error remains largely unchanged. Leaders still tend to evaluate candidates on credentials and past tasks rather than on how they think and interpret reality.

Consider a true story from a professional practice. Dr. Reed was elated after hiring a new, high-powered office manager. She carried herself well, was sharp and articulate, and could figure things out on the fly. Within months, production numbers climbed 40%, and Dr. Reed felt his operational problems were finally behind him.

Twelve months later, the relationship had completely fractured. The office manager had become a controlling presence, manipulating the team and dragging down what had been a genuinely positive office culture.