In small to medium-sized companies, prioritize ‘reference hires’ by finding people you trust and asking for their recommendations, as interviews often misjudge candidates. This approach values the endorsement of someone you trust over an impressive interview performance.
Adopt an ‘athlete’ hiring approach by recruiting great people even if a specific role isn’t immediately available. The belief is that good people, especially young individuals, are incredibly agile and will figure out how to contribute effectively within the organization.
If an employee is not working out, tell them directly, specify what they need to do, and give them three months to course correct. If it doesn’t improve, let them go, as prolonged underperformance is detrimental, especially in small or medium-sized companies.
As a manager, understand that different team members have varied priorities (e.g., flexibility, praise, money) beyond just wealth or status. Demonstrate appreciation and loyalty by learning individual needs and reflecting them in how you manage and support their career paths.
Good managers hold people accountable by establishing clear job descriptions and metrics. Provide open, honest dialogue, praising publicly for good work and criticizing privately for underperformance, offering support to rectify issues.
Adopt a ‘player-coach’ leadership style where you actively work alongside team members, teaching and demonstrating how to improve their work (e.g., editing a document with them). This approach builds credibility and fosters learning more effectively than purely inspirational leadership over the long term.
To provide valuable feedback, send emails to yourself throughout the year noting specific instances of good performance or areas needing improvement for each employee. Compile these notes annually to provide detailed, example-based performance reviews that young people especially value.
To become a senior leader, ensure you are exceptionally skilled at a specific core function (e.g., design, data analysis, strategy presentation), rather than just being a manager. Excellence in a domain commands respect and is essential for leadership.
Encourage current employees to refer impressive individuals from their professional and social networks. Actively seek out these potential candidates, even if they aren’t actively looking for a job, and invite them to learn about your company.
Young people should pursue some form of certification (e.g., college degree, specialized license) to differentiate themselves and stand out in a competitive job market, particularly on platforms like LinkedIn.
For job interviews, prepare by articulating how you are different from other applicants, why that difference is relevant to the company, and what you do daily to sustain that competitive advantage. Also, anticipate common questions like ‘Why you?’ and ‘Where do you want to be in 3-5 years?’
When seeking a job, treat it as a numbers game by consistently sending out cold emails (3-12 daily), calling everyone in your network for interview help, and getting used to rejection.
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