Twenty years of hiring—from engineers straight out of school to seasoned C-level execs. Lots of lessons on where I went right and where I went terribly wrong. Here’s what I’ve learned. 👇 I over-indexed on resumes and what other senior people thought. I didn’t rely enough on my gut, which turns out to be quantifiable after years of doing it. The biggest lesson? Many things matters beyond resume and smarts. 1. Style matters. Intelligence and experience are irreplaceable. At the senior levels, people can’t be learning on the job. But you also have to look at the intangibles—because they often determine success or failure. Desire to learn. Willingness to collaborate. Communication style. How someone applies their intelligence turns out to be critical. You have to test for it. 2. Simulate the real work. We call it “The Sim.” Everyone who joins Honor does one. It puts them in the role they’d play, doing real work. It shows how they collaborate, solve problems, and communicate under pressure. It also gives them a clear view into what they’re walking into. It’s by far the most important part of our interview process. 3. Motivation matters. I’m wired to chase hard problems that matter. That means people at Honor need to be wired that way too. How do you know if someone can push through the impossible? You test for motivation. What truly drives this person? “I love to learn” isn’t enough. Why? Was it something they experienced at age 10? Is it financial—but rooted in what? Understanding real motivation is critical. 4. Hire to complement, not match. There is absolute power in diversity of thought, background, and experience. If you're trying to serve everyone, you need a team that understands everyone. But at the same time, different communication styles can create friction. Some people value direct talk. Others prefer quiet sidebars. One isn’t better, but mismatches break trust. Make sure your culture supports a mix of perspectives and ways of working. But hire within the culture you’ve established. When we get hiring right, trust builds faster. The work moves quicker. We stay focused on what matters—making life better for older adults and those who care for them. Always curious to learn from others, how do you think about hiring? 👇 #HonorCare #Hiring #FounderAdvice #Leadership #Startups
Great insights , Thank you for sharing
Seth, thinking back, all of my top talent picks were people my gut told me to take a chance on. Cultural alignment matters, but the drive and dedication in the person is what brings the most value.
Have a call with you at 8:30 on am but need details appreciate all you don
Seth. I can see the value of the approach to picking the right candidate. But all that comes ‘after’ someone defaults to what’s on the resume. Doesn’t it? How does someone stand out at that stage to get to your sim evaluation ?
This is gold, Seth. So many leaders still default to résumés and pedigree, overlooking the deeper traits that actually drive success. Your approach—especially “The Sim” and digging into real motivation—brings clarity to what hiring should look like in high-stakes, mission-driven environments. Hiring to complement, not just to match, is powerful—and hard to do well. Thanks for sharing such hard-won wisdom.
I really love this perspective, especially around “The Sim.” As someone pivoting into People roles from a nontraditional background, I know how hard it can be to show transferable skills on paper. But give me a real-world scenario, and I’ll show you how I think, communicate, adapt, and lead. Simulations like this level the playing field and make space for candidates who bring real value, even if their resume doesn’t follow the typical path. More of this, please.
and Seth - That is why we hired you at IBM in the early days.
Helpful insight, Seth I worked at Honor looking to return waiting for an opportunity to reapply
Master M&A Practitioner, Expert Deal Maker, Passionate Technology Leader
1wWow, If only I had been that thoughtful when looking at your resume! Did I make the right call then?