When a company consistently misses sales goals, the root cause may not be the sales strategy but a failure in the hiring pipeline. A high employee churn rate combined with an inefficient screening process starves the sales team of the necessary manpower to hit its targets.

Treat hiring as a compounding flywheel. A new employee should not only be a great contributor but also make the company more attractive to future A-players, whether through their network, reputation, or interview presence. This focus on recruiting potential ensures talent density increases over time.

Most companies have a structured process for budgets and strategy but treat talent management as an afterthought. Implement a "people calendar" that systematically addresses attracting, developing, and engaging talent with the same discipline. This ensures people, your most critical asset, are managed proactively.

When contractors complain they can't find good people, it's often a culture problem, not a talent shortage. A great workplace turns existing employees into recruiters who attract other high-quality talent from their networks, creating a self-sustaining recruitment pipeline.

Early-stage recruiting requires relentless focus. Legendary investor John Doerr advised Dylan Field to think about it constantly—from morning to night—and manage it with the same discipline as a sales funnel, always feeding the top and moving candidates through the process.

When direct access to top talent is blocked by competitors, savvy leaders identify other successful companies with strong sales cultures (a "lineage") and strategically recruit from that pool. This allows them to tap into a new vein of proven, high-potential talent.