Let's start here: the problem with recruiting isn't just the outdated tools. It's the outdated mindset.
We've built entire hiring systems on the belief that some people are "high-potential" and others are... filler. "A-players" vs. "everyone else."
It's neat. It's clean. It's efficient. And it's also dead wrong.
The Myth of Potential
If we define potential as the capacity to learn, then congratulations! Everyone has it. It's called being human. But that's not how most hiring systems operate.
Instead, we use "potential" as a coded stamp of future value. A preemptive crown we bestow based on past pedigree, charisma, or our own bias-laced gut instinct. The result?
We elevate some based on vibes.
We ignore others based on nonconformity.
We label entire groups with a ceiling they never agreed to.
As Marcus Buckingham puts it, calling someone a "low-po" is not just misguided: it's dehumanizing. It's treating people as fixed assets instead of evolving beings with momentum: a combination of mass (who they are) and velocity (what they've done and where they're going).
What if hiring was built around momentum instead of myth?
1. Resumes Don't Capture Momentum
Resumes tell you where someone went to school, where they worked, and what they want you to think they did. They don't tell you how fast someone's grown, what lights them up, or what kind of challenges they've figured out in the real world.
They filter for pedigree, not trajectory. And they often filter out people whose brilliance doesn't look like a LinkedIn post.
👉 Fix: Replace resume worship with real discovery. Ask what someone loves about their current work. Where they see themselves going. And what they've built, not just where they've been.
2. Interviews Are Still Just Vibe Checks
Unstructured interviews are glorified coffee chats. We ask vague questions, follow our "gut," and reject candidates for reasons we can't even articulate. Why? Because we're not looking for momentum, we're scanning for familiarity.
👉 Fix: Use structured behavioral interviews to understand how someone does what they do, and what direction they're moving in. Don't just test what they know. Learn how they think, adapt, and evolve.
3. Culture Fit Is Killing Curiosity
Culture fit is often "Would I grab a beer with them?" in disguise. It kills curiosity before it starts. It creates monocultures of sameness where difference is seen as risky, not valuable.
👉 Fix: Hire for culture add and aspiration alignment. Ask:
What do you want from your next job?
How do you like to contribute?
What kind of environment helps you thrive?
You'll discover futures you couldn't have predicted.