[💂 Saving Private Simon - Episode #007] The Person You're Hiring Isn't the Only Person Who Matters

Real Stories. Real Conversations. Real Lessons.

Every recruiter has stories. These are mine.

Real conversations with candidates, clients, and hiring managers shared with identities changed, but lessons preserved.

🙊 Can You Keep a Secret?

“Simon, we need to find someone. But this has to stay between us for now.”

“Okay. Who are we looking for?”

“A Business Unit Head. Someone with authority almost equal to our Country Manager.”

I paused.

“Your Country Manager?”

Yes. The same Country Manager we had helped them hire a few years earlier.

The person was doing well.

No performance issues. No complaints. No plans to replace them.

So, I had one question.

“Then why do you need someone at almost the same level?”

🤴 A New Hire. An Existing Leader.

The company was preparing to launch a new business line in Korea.

It needed a different skill set. Someone who could build the business from the ground up.

The existing Country Manager was experienced and successful.

But this new business required a different kind of leadership.

From a business perspective, the decision made sense.

The company needed the right person for the new role.

But what about the person already there?

How would the Country Manager react to another senior leader joining the organization?

Would they question the company's confidence in them?

Would they feel their position was being undermined?

Or wonder why they hadn't been considered for the new opportunity?

The company didn't intend any of that.

But intentions and perceptions aren't always the same.

🤝 The Person Already There Matters, Too

What struck me wasn't the need for confidentiality.

It was the reason behind it.

The company wasn't replacing a failing leader.

It wasn't trying to fix a problem.

It wanted to grow the business without undermining someone who was already doing a good job.

That says a lot.

Hiring a new executive is about more than finding the right candidate.

It's also about understanding how that decision affects the people already in the organization.

Yet, how often do companies consider that side of the equation?

They spend hours reviewing CVs, interviewing candidates, and negotiating compensation.

All of that matters.

But so does the impact on the existing team.

A great hire can bring new capabilities and accelerate growth.

But unclear responsibilities can create tension.

An existing leader may feel overlooked.

A new appointment can raise questions the company never intended to create.

The right hire can still become the wrong decision if the impact on the existing team is ignored.

💼 Hiring Is More Than Filling a Position

This doesn't mean companies should avoid difficult decisions.

Business needs change. New opportunities emerge. Different skills become necessary.

Sometimes, hiring another senior leader is exactly the right move.

The key is to think beyond the job description.

Before making the appointment, ask:

• Why is this role needed?

• Are responsibilities and decision-making authority clear?

• Does the existing leader's contribution remain recognized?

• How might this decision be perceived internally?

  
  

These questions won't prevent every disagreement.

But they can help avoid unnecessary problems.

And when the time is right, communicate openly.

Confidentiality may be necessary during a search.

It should never replace an honest conversation.

📝 FINAL THOUGHTS 📝

What impressed me about this company was simple.

It wasn't thinking only about the person it wanted to hire.

It was also thinking about the person who was already there.

The company wanted to grow.

But it didn't take its existing leader for granted.

That's an important distinction.

A new hire can help build a stronger business.

But so can the people who are already contributing to it.

Hiring the right person is only part of the job.

Taking care of the people already on the team matters, too.

Because the person you're hiring isn't the only person who matters.