If we can change *how* we hire so we can change *who* we hire, we might just change everything.
Fabio Gratton, Founder of SpiceQuest & serial entrepreneur, joins KANNY as a guest author. Connect with Fabio on LinkedIn.
I’ve built and sold four companies. Hired hundreds. Fired more than I care to admit. Through it all, one truth stands out: character trumps credentials.
Resumes lie. Experience can be faked. But character? That’s the bedrock of success.
Pedigree vs Principles
I once hired a tech genius. Ivy League degree. Silicon Valley pedigree. Warning signs about their “people skills” that I chose to ignore. Big mistake. Within months, our once-cohesive team was a snake pit of mistrust and backstabbing.
Contrast that with the college dropout I took a chance on. No fancy degree. No Fortune 500 experience. Just a razor-sharp mind and an unwavering moral compass. He became the linchpin of our operation, the glue that held everything together when shit hit the fan.
Measuring Character
But here’s the challenge: how do you measure integrity? Quantify dependability? In a world where we rely on strangers’ reviews to choose our dinner, why can’t we do the same for the people who’ll make or break our companies?
I’ve seen the dark side too. The serial worker’s comp filers. The disability claim abusers. The ones who game the system, leaving a trail of productivity carnage in their wake. And every time, I’ve thought: if only I’d known.
Apples & Diamonds
This isn’t just about avoiding bad apples. It’s about finding the diamonds in the rough. The ones whose character shines so bright it eclipses their lack of conventional qualifications. These are the hires that change trajectories, that turn good companies into great ones.
We need a new way. A system that cuts through the bullshit of polished resumes and rehearsed interviews. Something that captures the essence of a person’s character, distilling it into hard data that can inform our decisions.
Thrive
Because in the end, it’s not about what a person can do. It’s about who they are. And in the high-stakes game of building a company, that’s the difference between thriving and barely surviving.
If we can change *how* we hire so we can change *who* we hire, we might just change everything.