by Ron Cox and Chris Cox

All new hires are not created equally. Dr. Joseph Juran taught us that a key to success lies in being able to separate the vital few from the trivial many. He gave us the Pareto Principle or 80/20 Rule. Not to disparage anyone by saying they’re less important, but as organizations go, some hires are more critical than others. If you don’t buy into that, talk to a board member about the search for the next CEO and compare that to what a recruiter is doing to fill other positions in the same company.  The reality is that, whether you know it or not, you separate the vital few hires and handle them very differently. It just makes sense. When you’re hiring an upper level player or key contributor, the stakes are much higher, as are the expectations of everyone involved.