September 2026
Hiring (Attracting the RIGHT People)
“If you can hire people whose passion intersects with the job, they won't require any supervision at all. They will manage themselves better than anyone could ever manage them. Their motivation is internal, not external.”
– Stephen Covey
INTRO
Every great job has incredible rewards and meaningful challenges. Running a marathon sounds miserable to some people and exhilarating to others. The same is true in every workplace. The goal isn't to hide the difficult parts of the job. It's to find people who see those challenges and think, 'That sounds like me.' This month we encourage you to spend some time thinking about what makes your company unique so that you can do a better job of attracting the right people to your company.
EXERCISE
Imagine your company is a mountain that people choose to climb!
INSTRUCTIONS
Pass out (4) Post-It notes to each member of your team and have them write their answers to each of the questions below:
Why We Climb:
What are the best parts of being on this team/working here?
What makes our company different from others places someone could work?
The Challenge of the Climb:
What is one of the hardest parts about working here?
What is a challenging part of your job that you enjoy, that someone else might hate?
Draw a mountain on a whiteboard, or poster post-it sheet. Have people come up individually and share their answers, posting their challenges on the left side (the climb) and their why we climb post its at the summit of the mountain.
Once everyone has done that, group the themes together from the challenges side. Select 2-4 and ask your team:
Who would love this?
For example, "Our work is incredibly fast paced" - What kind of person is energized by a fast paced environment? Potential Answer: A person who gets bored sitting behind a desk and loves juggling multiple projects.
FINAL DISCUSSION
How can you incorporate these answers into your job postings?!
CLOSING
When hiring, it's more important to be authentic than to look perfect. When we're honest about both the opportunities and the challenges, we attract people who are inspired by what the job really requires. Those are the people who are more likely to stay, grow, and help build a stronger culture.