Hiring is one of the biggest challenges for any growing company. As you grow, things pile up on your table exponentially. And the natural inclination is to solve that by hiring quickly. More people must mean more work will be done.
But there’s more to the story. Hiring also means it adds more organizational complexity and communication overhead. Unless it’s manual labor, it adds inertia. More people means it’s difficult to change the overall direction.
The inability to change direction is a major blocker for any innovative company. The world is changing rapidly, and we want to adapt and adjust.
As such, when we started, we asked ourselves a simple question: “How do we ensure we have a great team that will be able to execute at a rapid pace, even as we grow?”
The secret was a simple framework around a disciplined approach to the hiring process. It was for every hiring manager to make sure they’re increasing the talent density of the overall company with a new hire.
It’s no secret that great teams build great companies. And the problem we’re solving at reAlpha (to accelerate the transition of the Real Estate industry to the digital era) is not for the faint-hearted. It will require a full devotion to our mission and a team that trusts each other to do their job.
But how do we make sure that there’s complete trust and harmony with the team? It’s not rocket science. Great people want to work with other great people.
Take a game of soccer, for example. A coach’s ability to create a great team is surrounded by players who believe in their teammates. No formation would work if the team members don’t stick to their positions. And for individuals to stick around in their position, you need a team where everyone trusts each other. You want 11 great players.
Our hiring process is structured around the same. We want A-star players. We want to ensure we’re increasing the talent density of the overall team whenever we welcome someone new.
The mindset shift is a need of the hour. Work today is not like 30 years ago. More and more tools are changing the way we work, and the amount of time you put in is no longer an indicator of the value you provide.
And with the progress in AI, it will be more prevalent.
People with better skills can leverage tools to improve their output significantly.
A great programmer can build features 10x faster than their average teammates.
A great artist already produces a piece of art 10 times more valuable.
Not everyone is equal. Especially when you’re attempting to disrupt a traditional industry like we’re aiming to do.
So, hiring shouldn’t be for the sake of hiring. If anything, bad hiring slows you down. A team of 5 great people performs better than 15 if you give them the right resources and tools.
So, increasing talent density is the fundamental framework our hiring managers take for any new hire.
The question they ask before they finalize any hire is: “Does this person increase the overall talent density within the team?” We tell them to look for other prospects if they don’t have an astounding YES.
Here’s how to make sure you’re increasing talent density within your company:
The focus of the entire team should always be on increasing talent density. If you give the right vision to a great team, they’ll be able to solve any problem that gets in their way.
