Hi Reader,

I once hired someone who looked perfect on paper. Top MBA. Ten years at a great company. Crushed every interview.

Six months later, my entire team wanted to quit.

This isn't just my story. In 2020, Nike hired John Donahoe as CEO. Tech veteran. eBay and ServiceNow leader. Impressive CV.

Within two years: strained partnerships, declining sales, brand damage, and a $6 billion drop in market value.

And this isn't a standalone case either.

McKinsey says 40-50% of executives don't last past 18 months (and that's not because they lack talent). John Donahoe was extremely talented.

They fail because of something else entirely.

Clarity Deficit

When you hire someone, they're not clear on what you need, how you'll measure it, or what success actually looks like.

We interview for skills, tasks, and responsibilities. Not outcomes.

And most companies treat hiring and onboarding as separate processes. They're not.

Here's what clarity deficit looks like in practice:

Unclear on what you need. You write a job description. List skills. Add "strategic thinker" and "strong leader." But you never answer: what does this person need to deliver in the first 6-18 months? Not what they'll do. What outcomes they'll produce.

Unclear on how to measure it. "Strong executive presence." "Very strategic." "Good culture fit." You know what's missing? Evidence they can deliver in your context.

Unclear on how to set them up for success. Week one: here's your laptop. Week two: here are some meetings. Week three through twelve: good luck. That's not a system. That's hope.

The Real Cost

Replacing an executive costs 2.5x their annual salary according to BCG. But ghSMART puts it at 15x. McKinsey says 20x.

And here's what keeps me up at night: 80% of employee turnover is caused by bad hiring decisions.

Your best people don't leave because they're underpaid. They leave because they're tired of carrying dead weight.

When you get an executive hire wrong, you risk your entire team.

The Fix

I break down the complete system in this week's YouTube video. It's called the 90-Day Framework, and it treats hiring and onboarding as one continuous process.

You'll learn:

• How to build a one-page Hiring Blueprint that defines success before you interview anyone
• The evidence collection system that eliminates "I like them" decisions
• Why onboarding should start during the hiring process, not on day one

Watch it here:

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This is the system I've used across 1000's of interviews and dozens of companies. It's how my clients have cut mis-hires by over 50%.

If you're hiring executives or senior leaders right now, this will change how you think about the entire process.

Speak soon,
​Konstanty Sliwowski​
Founder, School of Hiring

P.S. Subscribe to the channel while you're there. I break down hiring frameworks like this every week. No fluff. Just systems that work.