Quit hiring on experience.
Yeah, I said it.
It’s not exactly provocative to point out that the hiring process is broken, but something has to change.
When you filter based on specific tools or industry lingo, you leave a lot of talent on the table.
As industries keep popping up, disappearing, or completely transforming, we should be hiring people who are capable, not people who come with Asana pre-installed.
If I were hiring today, I’d stack the criteria like this:
- Personality. Do they play nice with others? Do they fit the culture? Would I want to spend 40+ hours a week with this person?
- Capability. Have they actually done things? Finished projects? Learned quickly? Made an impact?
- Transferable Skills. Have they done something similar enough that I trust they can ramp up fast?
- Direct Experience. Last. Not first.
Here’s the truth:
Everything you use today will be outdated by next year.
If your team is full of specialists who can’t bend, their value will shrink. Fast.
Strong teams are built from flexible generalists, not brittle experts.
If someone has a varied work history, they’re not lost. They’re evolving.
Give them a chance.
Switching industries is the new normal.
The best hire isn’t always the one who’s “done it before.”
It’s the one who can learn to do it next.
We can pick up your systems in a week.experience
