'Hire Fast and Fire Faster' Is Terrible Advice — Here's What You Should Do Instead While slow, conscientious growth may not grab headlines, it is far less risky and more sustainable than rapid expansion.
By Aytekin Tank Edited by Kara McIntyre
Key Takeaways
- Rapid hiring and firing strategies may harm rather than help startups, contradicting conventional wisdom.
- Slower, deliberate hiring processes allow for more effective leadership development and a better company culture.
- Understanding every role through gradual growth ensures better hiring decisions and long-term sustainability.
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
Conventional wisdom is often wrong. An apple a day will not keep the doctor away. (You definitely still need to go to the doctor, no matter how many apples you eat.) You don't need to wait 30 minutes after a meal to swim. And you should not hire fast and fire faster.
The "hire fast, fire faster" mantra has been pervasive in startup culture for years. Back in 2011, Mark Suster wrote a widely-read article for Tech Crunch asserting that "most companies hire slowly and fire slowly — the exact opposite of best practice for startups."
Suster wasn't necessarily arguing for a revolving door of employees — more so that hiring is no different than any other rapid-fire decision a founder makes. And if a hire isn't the right fit, well, delaying the inevitable doesn't help anyone.
I agree that employees who aren't pulling their weight must be shown the door. But hiring — both the roles you decide to fill and the candidates ultimately selected — is one of a leader's most important responsibilities, and it should not be taken lightly. In my opinion, slow is the way to go. Here's why.
Related: A Healthy Approach to Hiring That Actually Works
You get to know your management style
Very few people are born leaders. In most cases, it's something you learn on the job. I'd never managed anybody when I started my company, Jotform — until I hired my first employee. There was a learning curve, and I can't imagine how overwhelmed I'd have felt if I'd suddenly had multiple direct reports and teams operating under me.
When you grow slowly, you have the opportunity to make a conscious choice about the type of leader you want to be. I'm a classic introvert, meaning my management style is different from someone with a bigger, more outgoing personality. Research shows that organizations favor leaders with tons of confidence and narcissistic tendencies, but my empathy and ability to communicate one-on-one or in small groups has emerged as a strength. It took time for me to feel comfortable growing into that role, and recognizing that different people lead differently — and that it's a good thing. Had I tried to replicate the playbook of a different leader, I doubt it would have worked out.
You can consciously create your company culture
There's evidence to show that employees who work in a positive corporate culture are healthier, happier and more productive. A generous pay package and short commute, while important, are not enough, says Michael McCarthy, an instructor at Harvard DCE Professional & Executive Development and host of the "Happy at Work" podcast.
"Workplace culture is not just about sticking a list of values on a wall in the break room and then going about your day," he says. "It's a commitment that every person in the organization, including senior leadership, will model their behavior to support those values."
When you hire fast, culture often springs up unbidden — and once it's in place, it's much harder to change down the line. When I hired my first employee, we ate lunch together every day. We had tons of time to talk and brainstorm, and all that time meant I came to understand what made him feel productive and engaged. Even as the office grew, I still spent a lot of time with my hires and generated a company culture that aligned with my goals.
What works for one company may not work for another, and it took time and research for me to learn what I wanted in a workplace. Sometimes, this means bucking the latest trends. I am proud to have reinstated a full return-to-office after I saw our pandemic era of working from home taking its toll on employees. Working in person across small, cross-functional teams is part of what makes Jotform unique, and it's a direction I was consciously able to take the company by growing slowly. New hires often tell me they've never experienced this setup before, but it works for us — I know this because our employees stick around for years and years.
Related: Startup Culture Prioritizes Scaling Fast — Here's Why That's Actually a Huge Mistake
You know the ins and outs of every role
Being an BIZ Experiences means going outside your comfort zone and doing jobs you may not have envisioned for yourself. I've always been a programmer, but it wasn't until I started Jotform that I also became a customer support specialist, graphic designer, marketer, dishwasher and so much more.
I was more suited to some of these roles than others, but to tell you the truth, I'm genuinely glad I had the chance to wear every one of those hats. Not only did it give me a sense of what the job entailed, it helped clarify exactly the type of person I wanted to find to fill the role. If you feel you need help right away, hire freelancers. Not only is there far less risk, but you can also delegate highly specific, one-off tasks, lightening your load until you truly need someone full-time.
As one Reddit user put it, "I saw startups die from growing too slowly. But I saw a hell of a lot more startups die from growing too quickly." I couldn't agree more. Of course, you want your business to get bigger. And while slow, conscientious growth may not grab headlines, it is far less risky and more sustainable. Which would you prefer?
