Recruiting is hard.
In my previous company, habx, I was very proud of the team I built. Most of them stayed for the five years I was there, and they were consistently productive, deeply engaged, and genuinely collaborative. We had something special.
Interestingly, the people I ended up being the happiest with were the easiest to recruit. From the moment I met them, I was immediately convinced they were the right fit. My biggest concern wasn’t whether they could do the job, it was how to convince them to join us. Fortunately, I succeeded most of the time.
On the other side of the spectrum, I took some bets. Most of them didn’t work out. And worse than bets was lowering the bar. Every time I did that—and I admit, I did it more than once—it ended in failure.
Recruiting is about more than skills and experience. It’s about fit, intuition, and never settling for less than what the team truly needs. The best hires felt natural. The mistakes? They all happened when I compromised.
I’ve learned that holding the line is critical, even if it means taking longer to fill a role. Quality always beats speed.