Stop Hiring Resumes and Start Hiring People

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Stop Hiring Resumes and Start Hiring People

by | Mar 13, 2025 | Advice, Assessing Soft Skills, Assessment

“Moneyball for HR!” represents the idea that best people aren’t found using traditional resumes and traditional hiring techniques.

As hiring managers, we’ve all felt the sting of a bad hire. The polished resume, the smooth interview, yet the actual performance falls flat. It’s a frustrating, costly problem. But it doesn’t have to be this way. While I’m a bit partial I’d strongly suggest that the solution to every possible hiring problem is Performance-based Hiring.

One REALLY BIG REASON: Performance-based Hiring shifts the focus from qualifications to actual, demonstrable ability.

REALLY BIG REASON two: it’s a fully integrated business process that starts from the moment a new requisition is approved to the new hire’s first year anniversary date and every step in between. No other hiring framework can make this claim. In fact, we asked our PbHGPT if the claim was valid. Here’s what it said.

Now let’s get started to real hiring people rather than their resumes with this story from long ago.

… a list of skills, academics, competencies and experiences is not a job description, it’s a person description. A job description is what a person needs to do, NOT what a person needs to have.

In my first search project for a plant manager (1978) I suggested to the CEO that a list of skills, academics, competencies and experiences was not a job description, it was a person description. A job description is what a person needs to do, NOT what the person needs to have. The big idea here was that if you could prove the person was both competent and motivated to do the work, the person would have the exact mix of skills and experience needed to excel. More important, it would be different than on the resume.

Performance-Based Hiring: The Foundation

To achieve more Win-Win Hiring outcomes, where success is measured on the first year anniversary date, not the start date, you need to discard generic job descriptions and endless lists of “preferred” skills. This is only important if you don’t want to hire anyone good since the best people don’t care about this stuff. The best people care about the real work they’ll be doing and if it represents a career move.

Performance-based Hiring starts by defining the realwork with these questions:

What are the specific tasks and outcomes this person needs to achieve to be successful? What problems will they solve? What do they need to do first? What projects will they handle? Why are these important? Why would a top person want this job if it weren’t for the money?

This is how you begin to hire for engagement, potential and performance. It doesn’t begin by offering candidates ill-defined lateral transfers and an endless of “must have” requirements.

Why This Works:

  • Predictive Power: By focusing on a candidate’s past performance that mirrors the needs of the role, we gain a much clearer picture of future success.
  • Objective Evaluation: We move beyond subjective impressions and rely on concrete evidence of ability. The key is to ask candidates to describe accomplishments most comparable to the critical performance objectives of the role. In fact, this one question is all need to need to ask to start your “Moneyball for HR!” journey.
  • Improved Retention: When candidates understand the performance expectations upfront, they’re more likely to be engaged and successful. This critical idea was proven to be the most important driver of performance in Gallup‘s “First Break All of the Rules – What the World’s Best Managers Do Differently“ that led to their Q12 engagement scores. Q1 is role clarity and why it must be defined first.

Practical Tip: Define the job before defining the person for the job.

“Measure What Matters” Reinforces the Approach

John Doerr‘s “Measure What Matters“ introduces the power of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs). This framework isn’t just for company-wide goals; it’s a game-changer for hiring.

How OKRs Enhance Performance-Based Hiring:

  • Clear Performance Targets: Define the key results a successful candidate will need to deliver. This provides a clear benchmark for evaluation.
  • Structured Interviews: Frame interview questions around the specific OKRs of the role. Ask candidates how they’ve achieved similar results in the past.
  • Alignment with Company Goals: Ensure that every hire directly contributes to the organization’s strategic objectives.

Practical Tip: Before you start interviewing, translate the job description into 3-5 key performance objectives and measurable results. Here’s an example using PbHGPT.

“The End of Average” Reminds Us of Individuality

Todd Rose‘s “The End of Average” challenges the notion that standardized assessments can accurately predict performance. We’re not hiring averages; we’re hiring individuals with unique strengths and pathways to success.

How This Applies to Hiring:

  • Context Matters: Recognize that a candidate’s past performance is influenced by their environment. Focus on how they adapted and achieved results in specific situations.
  • Beyond the Checklist: Don’t get fixated on rigid requirements. Look for candidates who have the core competencies and the ability to learn and adapt.
  • Individualized Assessment: Tailor your interview questions and assessments to the specific needs of the role and the candidate’s experience.

Practical Tip: The Hiring Formula for Successcaptures this relationship in a unique way. By using the performance-based job description in combination with the performance-based interview it’s possible to ensure you’re able to hire people who not only have the ability to do the work but will also thrive in the new role.

Stop Hiring Resumes and Start Hiring People

It’s not about finding the perfect resume; it’s about finding the perfect person for the work that needs to be done.

By shifting your focus to performance, you can build a team of high-achievers who drive real results. It’s not about finding the perfect resume; it’s about finding the perfect person who’s highly motivated to do the work that needs to be done. This is how you achieve more Win-Win Hiring outcomes. It’s starts by measuring hiring success on the first year anniversary date, not the start date. Pulling it off requires a high touch relationship-based hiring framework like Performance-based Hiring, not an impersonal high tech transactional model used by most companies.

Shifting to this type of transformational hiring system is the true potential of AI. It all starts by asking the hiring manager this one question when opening a new job requisition:

What does the person in this role need to accomplish in the first year to be considered an extraordinary hire?

Using AI and Performance-based Hiring to Create a High Touch Hiring Experience