A Complete Hiring Process Guide: Finding the Right People

Why Hiring is Broken

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Misconceptions of how the hiring process should work often lead to poor decisions and bad hires. At Ploomo, we see these mistakes over and over:

• Gut Feel Hiring – Managers relying on intuition rather than structured decision-making.
• Searching for "The Spark" – Picking someone based on a quick connection in an interview instead of what actually shows they’ll do well.
• Using Perks to Win Candidates Over – Thinking salary, benefits, or office perks will compensate for deeper mismatches.
• The Magic Pill Assessment – Relying on a single test to choose a hire instead of using it as one piece of the bigger picture.

None of these fix the real problem - knowing what makes a candidate succeed in your company.

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The real challenge isn’t just finding people with the right skills - it’s about identifying those who are:

• Aligned with your company’s direction & values.
• Accountable and take ownership of their work.
• Able to succeed and make a difference in their role.

The problem? This is difficult and widely misunderstood. Training rarely equips hiring managers with what actually works. Many people view hiring as just a task to finish, not the key to building a strong team.

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That’s why this guide exists. We’re going to break down exactly how to hire the right way. This guide will help you work step by step, so you can consistently bring in people who drive your business forward.

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Part 1: The Hiring Process Is a Team Effort - But Who Actually Makes or Breaks It?

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The Key Players in the Hiring Process

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A hiring process typically involves:

• Candidate – The individual applying for the role.
• Recruitment Agency / Internal HR – Sources candidates, and screens applications.
• Hiring Manager – Writes position description, briefs the recruiter, conducts interviews, and makes the key decision.
• Final Decision Maker – Signs off on the hire, ensuring it meets business needs.
• Assessments – Tools used to understand candidates, including technical, personality, and emotional intelligence tests.

The hiring manager has the largest influence on the entire hiring process. If they:

• Fail to define the role properly.
• Don’t know how to interview and screen candidates.
• Don’t know how to attract and represent the brand.
• Aren’t available for questions, interviews, or feedback.

Then the entire process can fall apart.

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Why Most Hiring Managers Aren’t Equipped for Hiring

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Hiring is a complex and high-stakes challenge. But most hiring managers receive zero formal support on how to hire. Their approach is typically based on:

• What they’ve observed in their own careers - which often means repeating the mistakes of those before them.
• How their boss hires - who also likely lacks training or coaching in hiring.

Because hiring is so widely misunderstood, many managers see it as a burden. Instead of viewing it as one of the greatest tools for building a great team, they just want to get it over with.

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This is why hiring often ends up in the too-hard basket. Instead of taking ownership, hiring managers may:

• Rely on gut feel because they don’t know how to assess candidates properly.
• Use assessments without thinking. They hope they’ll provide a clear answer - but don't understanding how to use them effectively.
• Default to looking for “culture fit” without defining what that actually means.

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Why Hiring Should Be Seen as Leadership Development

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A company’s hiring process is only as strong as the hiring managers driving it. Instead of treating recruitment as a chore, managers should be coached and supported to take control of the hiring process.

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At Ploomo, we believe that hiring is an important part of leadership development. When managers approach hiring strategically, they don’t just build stronger teams - they become better leaders themselves.

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Part 2: How to Design a Hiring Process That Works

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Step 1: Defining What You Actually Need

Why This Matters

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Most hiring mistakes happen before the job is even posted. The biggest reason? Companies don’t take the time to truly define what they need.

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They either:

• List out an unrealistic wish list of qualifications that shrinks their talent pool before they even start.
• Assume they need a “high performer” in every role, without considering fit for the actual work.
• Focus too much on hard skills while ignoring attitude and approach, which are often bigger predictors of success.

Before you even think about writing a job description or screening candidates, you need to get clear on two things:

1. What actually leads to success in this role?
2. What does your company offer to attract the right person?

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What Leads to Success in a Role? (It’s More Than Just Skills)

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Hiring managers often think that hiring is about checking skill boxes - but that’s only part of the equation.

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Skills can be taught.

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Experience can be gained.

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But a bad attitude is almost impossible to fix.

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Ask yourself this:

• When hiring has gone wrong in the past, was it because of a skill gap or an attitude gap?
• Why is it that some people can jump into a new job and figure things out, while others struggle even with experience?

The reality is, attitude and mindset are just as fundamental as skill - if not more.

• Ownership: Do they take responsibility for results?
• Adaptability: Can they handle challenges and change?
• Work Ethic: Are they self-motivated, or do they need constant direction?

The challenge? Skills are easy to measure. Attitude is much harder to gauge. That’s why you need to be crystal clear about what kind of mindset leads to success in this role - before you even begin interviewing.

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Positioning Yourself to Attract the Right People

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Hiring isn’t just about what you need - it’s also about what you offer.

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Many hiring managers enter the process with an ideal candidate in mind but don’t stop to ask:

• Is this realistic for the market?
• Would someone with these skills & experience actually want to work here?
• If I were a candidate, why would I choose this role over another?

The strongest hiring strategies don’t just filter candidates - they position the company to be attractive to the right kind of person.

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That means:

• Being clear about what makes your company a great place to work - whether that’s leadership opportunities, team culture, career growth, or flexibility.
• Setting realistic expectations - not just trying to “sell” the job but being honest about challenges, pace, and company culture.
• Understanding that top candidates are also evaluating you.

If you can’t answer why someone would want to work for you, you’ll struggle to bring in great people - because great people have options.

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Key Takeaway: Define Success & Attract the Right People Before You Start Hiring

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Before you even post a job description, make sure you have total clarity on:

• What actually leads to success in this role (not just skill, but mindset & approach).
• What kind of person aligns best with your company’s culture & goals.
• What makes your company attractive to the right candidates.

Get this right, and the rest of the recruitment process becomes dramatically easier. Get it wrong, and you’re setting yourself up for frustration before you even start.

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Step 2: Screening Without Bias

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Why This Matters

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Most hiring mistakes aren’t made in interviews, they're made during screening.

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Hiring managers waste massive amounts of time on the wrong candidates because they:

• Over-rely on resumes - which tell you little about how someone actually works.
• Filter based on the wrong criteria - prioritizing years of experience over mindset, flexibility, and alignment.
• Let bias creep in - first impressions from a CV often shape a candidate's entire evaluation.

Screening isn’t just about cutting down a large pool - it’s about identifying the right attributes early.

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Defining What to Screen For

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Most hiring processes focus only on skills - but success in a role is about much more than that.

• Skills & Capabilities – Can they do the job? (Technical knowledge, soft, skills, industry experience, problem-solving ability)‍
• Attitude & Mindset – How do they approach challenges? (Ownership, adaptability, work ethic)‍
• Self-Awareness & Alignment – Do they understand their strengths & weaknesses? Are they the right fit for this role, team, and business?

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Ask yourself this:

• When a hire has gone wrong in the past, was it a skill issue or an attitude issue?
• Why do some people jump into a role and figure it out quickly, while others struggle even with experience?

Once you accept that attitude and self-awareness are just as important as skills, you need to flip how you screen candidates - because resumes won’t tell you these things.

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Why Starting with a Resume Creates Bias

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Most hiring processes start by looking at a CV. The problem with this is that it creates an impression that's hard to change.

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The first three things you see on a resume are:

1. Name (triggers subconscious bias on gender, race, and culture)
2. Age (assumptions about capability based on years of experience)
3. Career path (gaps, short stints, or company names that influence your perception)

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You can’t unsee these things, even if you think you’re being objective.

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This is why you need a way to start forming an opinion about a candidate without looking at their CV first.

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Screening Hack: Flip the Process & Kill Two Birds With One Stone

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One of the biggest time-wasters in hiring is screening candidates who aren’t serious about the role.

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Many applicants spray out 100+ resumes to see what sticks, which leads to:

• Reviewing CVs & discussing candidates who aren’t actually interested
• Spending time on phone screens & interviews with people who just want to ‘gauge the market’

Here’s how to fix it - while also reducing bias:

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Right after an application, send a short written task.

Ask 2-3 simple questions about:

• Challenges they’ve faced in life
• What they’re passionate about
• Their perspective on work & growth

Why this works:

• Filters out candidates who aren’t serious - people who don’t want the job won’t take the time.
• Removes bias - you form an opinion based on their mindset before looking at their CV.
• Gives you deep insight - you start learning about how they think, problem-solve, and reflect on challenges.

We’ve applied this approach for over a decade. Expect a 30-40% drop-off rate - AND the responses you receive will be from people who actually want the job.

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When to Look at a CV (And How to Use It Correctly)

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Once you’ve read their written task, THEN you check their CV - but now you’re reading it with a completely different perspective.

• You’re already forming a view based on their attitude & mindset.
• Now you sanity-check that they have the basic qualifications.
• You’re not making snap judgments about job-hopping or gaps - you already understand their perspective.

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This simple shift removes bias, saves time, and gives you meaningful insight into what actually matters.

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The Role of Psychometric Assessments: A Misunderstood Tool

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Hiring managers often use assessments incorrectly, either:

• As a box-ticking exercise with no real impact on decisions.
• Or they’re skeptical, assuming assessments are just personality tests with no value.

The truth? Assessments are only as useful as the way you apply them.

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At Ploomo, we’ve spent 10+ years refining our own assessment built specifically for building high-performing teams. But you don’t need a custom tool - you can even start with free frameworks like MBTI or Big Five.

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The key insight most people miss: Assessments are self-reported.

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That means a psychometric test isn’t a fact - it’s a reflection of how someone sees themselves.

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The Importance of Self-Awareness in Hiring

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Self-awareness is a skill - one that is rarely taught.

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Most people have a weak understanding of their own strengths & weaknesses.

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High self-awareness vs. low self-awareness:

• A highly self-aware person will say:‍
  • "I know I’m detail-oriented, but sometimes I struggle with seeing the big picture."
• ‍A low self-aware person will say:‍
  • "I don’t have weaknesses. I just work too hard sometimes."

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Why this matters:

• People with low self-awareness struggle to improve - because they don’t see where they need to grow.
• If someone thinks they’re extroverted but is actually introverted, that’s a misalignment in self-perception.
• A person’s ability to see themselves accurately is a strong predictor of their ability to adapt, take feedback, and grow.

Bringing It All Together – A Smarter Way to Screen

• Define what actually matters - skills, mindset, and self-awareness.
• Flip the process - read a short task first before looking at resumes.
• Use assessments the right way - as a tool to evaluate self-awareness, not to box people into categories.
• Focus on key hiring criteria - use their story, assessment, and interview to evaluate if their fit with your team, role, and business.

Screening isn’t about removing people quickly - it’s about identifying those worth investing in.

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Step 3: Running Structured Interviews

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Why This Matters

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Most job interviews don’t actually predict success in a role.

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Why? Because they:

• Lack clear intent – Hiring managers aren’t specific about what they’re actually trying to uncover.
• Overvalue confidence & charisma – Mistaking smooth talkers for strong performers.
• Fail to connect the dots – They treat the interview as a fresh start instead of building on what they already know from earlier assessments.

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A structured interview fixes these issues by:

• Keeping the focus on what actually matters – Screening for attitude, self-awareness, and skills (as defined at the start).
• Building on existing information – Using written responses & psychometric assessments as a foundation.
• Reducing bias & increasing accuracy – Making hiring a repeatable, data-driven process.

At Ploomo, we never run interviews in isolation. We chain together every piece of information we already have, making each interview a targeted, high-efficiency step in evaluating a candidate.

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The Key Principle: Stay Intentional

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Before you walk into an interview, remind yourself what you are actually screening for.

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Based on the role and your hiring criteria, the interview should give you insight into:

• Attitude & Ownership – Do they take responsibility for challenges, or do they shift blame?
• Self-Awareness – Do they have an accurate view of their own strengths & weaknesses?
• Skills & Capability – Can they do the job, and how do they think through problems?
• Alignment – Do they naturally fit into the team’s way of working?

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Every question should be designed to reveal insights into these factors. If a question doesn’t help you assess attitude, self-awareness, skills, or alignment, it’s not worth asking.

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Digging Into Real Experience – Pressing for Depth & Specificity

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A good interview isn’t just about what someone has done - it’s about how they think, what role they actually played, and how they respond to challenges.

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The best way to do this? Start with real experiences and press deeper.

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Candidate’s written response:

"In my previous role, our team had to implement a new software. It was complicated and took a while, but we knew we had to make the transition work, so I took on the role of coordinating efforts to streamline the process. I organised training sessions, and we shared tips and tricks to get everyone up to speed as quickly as possible."

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Interview follow-ups:

• ‍"What were the biggest roadblocks in getting everyone on board?”‍
• ‍“How did you handle team members who struggled to adapt?”
• “What was the final result? Did the adoption meet expectations?”
• “Looking back, would you have done anything differently?”

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What this reveals:

• Whether they actually led the initiative or were just part of the team.
• If they understand why their approach worked (or didn’t).
• How they reflect on lessons learned - key to growth.

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Key takeaway: People who have actually experienced something speak in detail. If they’re vague or struggle to give specifics, they probably weren’t the one driving the outcome.

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Values & Self-Awareness Interviews (Stacking on Psychometric Tests)

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Who They Are & How They See Themselves

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At this stage, you’ve already seen their psychometric assessment. Your job now isn’t to ask them about it directly - it’s to observe whether their behaviors, energy, and examples align with what the test results suggest.

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For example:

• If their assessment suggests they are high in extroversion, do they actually display that energy? Or do they come across more reserved?
• If their results indicate high ambition, does their story reflect someone who proactively seeks challenges, growth, and leadership? Or do they describe a career shaped by external factors?
• If their profile highlights high self-discipline, does their history and past actions show consistency, commitment, and structure? Or do they discuss struggling with follow-through?

The key is to let them reveal this naturally, rather than asking explicitly.

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How to Indirectly Assess Self-Awareness

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Instead of directly asking candidates to describe their traits, you want to:

• Leverage what they’ve already shared in their written responses to press deeper.
• Get them to expand on their past decisions, challenges, and accomplishments. Observe how they carry themselves, their energy, and how they react to pressure.
• Listen for contradictions between what they say and what they’ve actually done.

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Example Approach (Stacking on Their Written Reflections):

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Candidate’s written response:

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"A few years ago, I set a goal to improve my leadership skills. I started volunteering for more responsibilities at work, took a management course, and actively sought feedback from my team to improve my communication. Over time, I was given more opportunities to lead projects, and eventually, I was promoted to a team lead role."

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🎤 Interview follow-ups:

• “Tell me about one of those projects where you had to lead. What was the most difficult part?”
• “You mentioned actively seeking feedback - what’s an example of feedback you received that changed how you lead?”
• “You took a management course - what’s something you learned that you still apply today?”

What this reveals:

• If they actually lived what they wrote about, or if it was just a polished response.
• How deeply they reflect on what shaped their growth (or if they just list surface-level experiences).
• If they have awareness of their development journey - or if they give generic answers with little substance.

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Key takeaway: By stacking onto their own words, you naturally test self-awareness, ambition, and discipline without making it obvious.

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Bringing It All Together – The Ultimate Structured Interview Process

1. Start with their experiences – Build on their written responses & look for depth.
2. Press for specificity – Look for real examples, not made-up scenarios.
3. Assess values & self-awareness – Use their psychometric test as a reference point.
4. Apply advanced interview techniques – Use silence, follow-ups, and pattern recognition.
5. Chain insights together – Every stage should add another layer of clarity.

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This method ensures you make hiring decisions based on EVIDENCE, not just gut feel.

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It removes bias, increases accuracy, and uncovers the real predictors of success.

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Done right, a structured interview isn’t just a Q&A session - it’s a high-efficiency system to identify top talent.

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Step 4: Skills & Capabilities Assessments – Measuring Real Ability

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Why This Matters

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Resumes and interviews tell you what someone says they can do - but a skills assessment shows you what they can actually do.

However, many companies use assessments the wrong way:

• They treat it as a pass/fail test – Focusing only on the result instead of how the person got there.
• They don’t have a benchmark – Without comparing results across a large dataset, you don’t know what ‘good’ looks like.
• They assess skills in isolation – Instead of seeing how problem-solving ability connects to real-world application.

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A well-designed skills or capabilities assessment solves these problems by:

• Giving you objective data on their actual ability – Removing reliance on self-reported skills.
• Focusing on how they think, not just their answer – The discussion afterward matters just as much as the test.
• Building a spectrum of results – Using the same assessment repeatedly to develop a deep understanding of different performance levels.

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The Key Principle: Establish a Benchmark Over Time

One of the biggest mistakes hiring teams make is using a skills test in isolation.

If you only have a handful of people completing an assessment, you lack perspective on what great actually looks like.

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Key rule: The more times you use the same assessment, the more valuable it becomes.

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Example: If you’ve seen 100 people complete the same coding test, case study, or problem-solving exercise, you gain an intuitive feel for:

• What “great” looks like – The smartest approaches you’ve seen.
• Common mistakes – Patterns among weaker candidates.
• Variations in thinking – How different people approach the same challenge.

What this does:

• Gives you a spectrum of ability, instead of judging in isolation.
• Helps you compare fairly - rather than relying on gut feel.
• Allows you to fine-tune the difficulty over time as you learn more.

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What a Good Skills Assessment Looks Like

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A strong assessment should:

• Measure role-specific capability – Does the person have the technical or functional skills required?
• Test general problem-solving ability – Can they think critically, adapt, and approach challenges logically.
• Be time-bound but reasonable – Enough to challenge them without excessive effort.
• Lead into a meaningful discussion – The review process is just as important as the test itself.

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Example for a marketing role:

• Task: "Analyze this landing page and suggest three optimizations to improve conversions."
• What you assess:
  • Do they take a structured approach?
  • Can they articulate why their suggestions would work?
  • How well do they balance creativity vs. data-driven decisions?

Example for a technical role:

• Task: "Here’s a dataset - write a simple script to clean the data and extract key insights."
• What you assess:
  • Do they take a structured approach?
  • How efficiently do they solve the problem?
  • Can they explain their logic clearly afterward?

The Most Important Part: The Discussion After the Test

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The real value of an assessment isn’t just the final answer - it’s the conversation that follows.

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Key follow-ups to ask after an assessment:

• "Walk me through your thought process - why did you take this approach?"
• "If you had more time, what would you improve?"
• "What assumptions did you make while solving this?"
• "Looking back, would you do anything differently?"

What this reveals:

• How deeply they understand their own decision-making.
• Whether they iterate & improve or just defend their approach.
• If they are rigid in thinking or adaptable to new perspectives.

Key takeaway: A right or wrong answer isn’t as important as how they got there.

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Bringing It All Together – The Smart Way to Use Assessments

1. Use the same assessment over time – Build a spectrum of results for comparison.
2. Assess problem-solving & logic – Not just technical correctness.
3. Always discuss the process afterward – The thinking matters more than the answer.
4. Look for patterns – Compare their results with what you’ve seen before.
5. Use it as a hiring AND training tool – Over time, refine the test to better predict success.

Done right, skills assessments remove bias, improve accuracy, and help you identify top performers in a scalable way.

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Step 5: Independent Structured Scoring of Candidates

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Why This Matters

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Most hiring decisions are made inconsistently and with too much bias. The problem?

• Groupthink – One strong opinion can sway the entire hiring panel.
• Unstructured evaluation – People rely on gut feel instead of assessing candidates against specific criteria.
• Unclear decision-making – Without structured scoring, it’s hard to know why one candidate is chosen over another.

A structured, independent scoring system fixes these issues by:

• Ensuring every interviewer captures their own thoughts first – No influence from others.
• Focusing the evaluation on pre-defined success factors – What actually matters for this role.
• Creating transparency – Making hiring decisions data-driven, not just instinctual.

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The Key Principle: Independent First, Then Collaborative

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Rule #1: No Discussion Before Individual Scoring

Before any hiring discussion, each interviewer must:

• Score the candidate separately based on a structured framework.
• Write their thoughts on strengths, weaknesses, and key observations.
• Avoid influence from other interviewers - this ensures diverse perspectives.

Why this works:

• People observe different things in an interview - this method preserves that insight.
• Avoids loudest voice bias - strong personalities don’t dominate the decision.
• Forces objective thinking, rather than just going with the group’s opinion.

Defining Your Evaluation Criteria

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Remember what you defined at the start of the process - what leads to success in this role.

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Your structured scoring should measure:

• Specific attitudes needed for success in this role – Not just general "culture fit."
• Self-Awareness – Do they accurately understand their strengths & weaknesses?
• Skills & Capability – Can they actually perform in the role?
• Problem-Solving Approach – How do they approach challenges, decisions, and complexity?

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Key rule: If it’s not in your success criteria, it shouldn’t impact the hiring decision.

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Being intentional matters – You are not looking for generic "team alignment" or "culture fit." Instead, you’re looking for specific traits and ways of working that fit your team’s needs.

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How to Score Candidates Effectively

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Each interviewer should rate the candidate across pre-defined categories using a structured scorecard.

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Example Scorecard (1-5 Scale for Each Category):

• Evaluation Factor Score (1-5) Notes / Observations
• Specific Attitudes Required for This Role
• Self-Awareness
• Skills & Capability
• Problem-Solving Approach

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Why this works:

• Ensures each person evaluates the same key factors - not random observations.
• Helps remove personal biases by forcing structured thinking.
• Creates a clear decision-making framework that can be reviewed later.

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After Scoring: Running a Collaborative Hiring Discussion

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Once everyone has scored the candidate individually, you can now compare perspectives.

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Key discussion questions:

• “Where are we aligned, and where do we see gaps?”
• “Did anyone observe something that others missed?”
• “What does the overall scoring tell us - are we making a decision based on facts or gut feel?”

What you’re looking for:

• Patterns – Consistently strong or weak areas across interviewers.
• Blind spots – One person may have seen something critical that others didn’t.
• Final decision clarity – The group should now have data-driven confidence in the decision.

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Bringing It All Together – The Smart Hiring Process

1. Each interviewer scores separately first – No discussion or groupthink.
2. Use structured criteria – Stick to the success factors defined at the start.
3. Compare & discuss after scoring – Find gaps, align perspectives, and make a data-driven decision.
4. Ensure decisions are based on evidence – Not just who "feels like a good fit."

Done right, this method creates hiring decisions that are clear, fair, and accurate - leading to better hires and stronger teams.

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Want a Complete Hiring Scorecard Template?

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We’ve created a structured hiring scorecard template to help you:

• Remove bias from hiring decisions.
• Create a clear, repeatable process for evaluating candidates.
• Make hiring faster, fairer, and more effective.

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Part 3: Onboarding – The Real Purpose & How to Avoid the Biggest Mistakes

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Why This Matters

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Most companies think onboarding is about getting a new hire up to speed as fast and as smoothly as possible. But that mindset is completely flawed.

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A great hire isn’t someone who just follows a perfect process - it’s someone who can think for themselves, solve problems, and integrate into the business in a meaningful way.

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Most onboarding processes fail at two key things:

• They spoon-feed new hires everything – Instead of testing problem-solving & adaptability.
• They stop evaluating after the hire – Instead of using onboarding to confirm alignment.

Great onboarding isn’t just training - it’s about checking fit and making smart decisions early.

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Step 1: Start by Aligning on Success & Failure

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Before onboarding even begins, both the new hire and the hiring manager should answer:

• “What would success look like 12 months from now?”
• “Where do you think this could go wrong?”

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Why this matters:

• Most people only focus on success - but misalignment comes from unspoken concerns.
• This ensures both parties are clear on expectations upfront.
• It creates a foundation for open, honest conversations from Day 1.

What this does:

• Gives the new hire a clear picture of how they’ll be evaluated.
• Helps the hiring manager understand where the new hire may need more support.
• Prevents surprises 6-9 months down the track when things “suddenly” don’t work out.

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Step 2: Stop Over-Optimizing for Smooth Onboarding

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Most companies try to create the “perfect” onboarding experience - but that’s not the goal.

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Ask yourself: Do you want someone who just follows instructions, or someone who can think?

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If you spoon-feed every process and make things too easy, you’re training them like a robot.

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If you give them the fundamentals but let them navigate challenges, you’ll see how they think.

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A better approach:

• Give them core resources & fundamentals – Don’t leave them totally lost.
• But let them struggle with real work – See how they communicate, problem-solve, and ask for help.
• Create real conversations – Instead of just guiding them through step-by-step training.

You’re not onboarding them into a “process” - you’re onboarding them into real work.

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Step 3: Keep Evaluating – Onboarding is 50% Training, 50% Alignment Testing

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Most companies assume that after a hire is made, the decision is final.

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But here’s the reality: you will have 1,000x more data points about a person during onboarding than you did in the interview process.

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Probation exists for a reason. Use it.

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Here's a key mindset shift to make:

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Onboarding isn’t just training - it’s also checking if they’re the right fit over time.

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Best practices for ongoing evaluation:

• Frequent alignment check-ins – Don't wait for performance reviews.
• Observe their actual work & interactions – Are they delivering in the way you expected?
• Compare their actions to what they said in interviews – Do they follow through on their stated strengths & work ethic?

What you’re looking for:

• Are they showing the mindset, problem-solving ability, and self-awareness you expected?
• Do they fit into the team & business in the way you envisioned?
• Are there red flags you were too optimistic about during hiring?

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Step 4: Combat Sunk Cost Bias – Make the Hard Calls Early

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One of the biggest hiring mistakes?

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Letting a mis-hire drag on for 6-12 months (or longer) because you don’t want to start over.

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The problem: Sunk cost bias.

• Once you’ve invested time, effort, and money into hiring someone, you WANT it to work.
• You think, “We’ve already spent 3 months training them, let’s give them more time.”
• But deep down, you know it’s not working.

The fix: Train yourself to be disciplined.

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Set a rule: Assume they will be let go in 90 days unless there is a STRONG reason to keep them.

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This flips the psychology:

• Instead of “let’s see if it works”, you train yourself to look for real evidence that they are the right fit.
• It forces diligence in the first 90 days, rather than ignoring red flags and hoping for the best.
• It prevents the far worse problem of keeping the wrong hire for 2 years just because you don’t want to start over.

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Anyone who has led teams before knows: It’s much harder to unwind a bad hire after 2 years than it is to fix the mistake in the first 30-90 days.

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Bringing It All Together – The Smart Onboarding Process

1. Start with success & failure alignment – Define expectations & potential risks from both sides.
2. Don’t make onboarding too easy – Let them solve problems & think critically from Day 1.
3. Keep evaluating fit – Onboarding is about alignment, not just training.
4. Set a 90-day termination assumption – Train yourself to make the hard calls early.

Done right, onboarding ensures you’re not just hiring the right person - you’re keeping the right person.

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Conclusion – The Future of Hiring: Building a System That Actually Works

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Most hiring processes are built on gut feel, vague assessments, and wishful thinking.

But hiring isn’t about guessing. It’s a system.

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A system where you:

• Define what actually leads to success in a role - not just "culture fit."
• Use structured screening & assessments to get objective insights.
• Run intentional interviews that test real-world thinking, not rehearsed answers.
• Score candidates separately to avoid bias and groupthink.
• Continue assessing alignment during onboarding instead of blindly committing.

Hiring well isn’t about luck. It's about discipline.

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If you build a repeatable, structured hiring system, you won’t just make better hiring decisions - you’ll build a stronger, higher-performing team.

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And the reality? Most companies aren’t doing this. They’re still relying on outdated methods, "gut feel," and hoping for the best.

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Which means if you implement a system like this, you instantly gain a competitive advantage.

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Want Help Implementing This in Your Business?

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If you’re serious about building a structured, high-performance hiring system, our People Scientists at Ploomo can help.

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We work with companies to:

• Design customized hiring frameworks that fit your team & business needs.
• Implement structured interviews, assessments, & onboarding systems that eliminate hiring guesswork.
• Train hiring managers to consistently hire and retain top performers.

Book a call with a Ploomo People Scientist today

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