How Your Company Can Hire Like Amazon with Steve Anderson of Catalyit

Amazon’s leadership principles (Core Values) have been the most critical element in their unprecedented success. Value alignment first, and skills second.

So why is this not a standard practice among all up-and-coming startups? 

The reason I believe is that leaders then become accountable for their actions when they misbehave.  Without values, it is easy to hide. It is easy to rationalize bad decisions and easier to deflect blame when the shit hits the fan.

This is why 9 out of 10 startups fail. Without the right people, your company will not be able to execute.  And the right people are attracted to more than just money. They want growth, structure, and purpose. 

When your company demonstrates that none of these elements are present, the A-players run!  And what you are left with are the people who are willing to take the job. 

Guest Bio:

Steve Anderson is the CEO of Catalyit. He has spent decades shaping the insurance industry through a deeper understanding of emerging technologies and how businesses today can best integrate and leverage them. 

Steve is a sought-after speaker and influencer. He is also the author of the widely-anticipated book The Bezos Letters, where he reveals 14 principles for business growth based on the ideas and patterns that emerged when he examined Jeff Bezos’ 21 annual letters to Amazon shareholders. 

TODAY WE DISCUSS:

• Balancing need with patience to get the right hire
• How to put the right structure in place to land them

HIRING STORY:

• Hired an operations manager, who seemed like a good fit. Terminated after 3 months. Hired too fast! Pressure to move fast from start to offer in 3 days. The person already had an offer.
• He didn't follow his own advice.  

Challenge?

• Balance need with hiring the right person
  • Miscasting a hire
  • Don't hire when you rushed to fill a position
  • The interview process is not intentional. 
  • Not having a hiring process, hiring questions (winging it)

Rick’s Nuggets:

•  Problem: Pacing is determined by the candidate
  • Clue that the person just needs the money
  • Mitigated by disclosing your hiring process & timeline 
• Intention: purpose of the interview?

How do we solve the problem? 

• Structure
  • Have a good job description
  • Have a good hiring & interview process
    • Intentional interviews
    • Amazon 
    • Will you admire this person? 
    • Will this person raise the average level of effectiveness of the group 
    • Along what dimension might this person be a superstar
• Don't cave into the pressure 
  • Candidate pressure
  • Own need pressure
  • Find short term solutions while the interview process is moving along
• Be willing to fire fast
  • Not fully committing or fully focused
  • Not understanding urgency 

Rick’s Nuggets:

• Evidence trumps assumptions
• Pacing determined by the process, not the person
• No need to fire, when you have hired the strongest pers