The 80/20 of Hiring for Leaders
80% of hiring success comes from 20% of the process.
And most leaders are focused on the wrong part.
They jump into interviews without real clarity.
They hand off hiring to busy managers without direction.
They assume everyone knows what “good” looks like.
The best teams do two things differently:
They start with clarity
They ensure everyone has the same definition of success
Here’s how.
1. Get ruthless about role clarity
Before you open a req, ask:
Why does this role exist?
What does success look like in 6 to 18 months?
What kind of person will actually thrive?
This is your Hiring Blueprint.
It defines:
The mission (why the role exists)
The outcomes (what success looks like)
The competencies (how success is delivered)
If you skip this, you’re not hiring, you’re guessing.
2. Don’t assume alignment. Build it.
Hiring breaks when expectations aren't shared.
One manager expects a strategic partner. Another just wants someone who can execute. The candidate walks in expecting one thing and gets another.
Alignment isn’t a vibe. It’s operational discipline.
That means:
Scorecards tied directly to the blueprint
Defined interview ownership
Evidence-based decisions, not gut feel
When everyone is working from the same blueprint and rating against the same standard, hiring gets sharper. Faster. More reliable.
Here's your 80/20
If you're a leader building a team, focus on:
The Blueprint — clarity on purpose, outcomes, and success.
The Scorecard — structure and evidence to support decisions.
The Interview Structure — consistent, high-signal conversations that surface what matters
Everything else is noise.
Would you like this level of clarity?
Book a call and I’ll show you how to build a blueprint that cuts through the guesswork and help you craft questions that reveal the truth.
No cost, no risk, just clarity.
