Podcast: How I Failed Someone I Hired
Chris Hyams: I came to Indeed 11 years ago as the, uh, VP of product, um, coming from the- the tech world. And- and when I stepped out of that role and moved into a role prior to- to this current role, um, I- I was became president.
Chris Hyams: And when I did that, I- I hired someone as my backfill to- to run the product team. And for the first two years he was there, I completely failed him in giving him the support and the air cover he needed to be successful in.
Chris Hyams: And from my lens at the time, he was just not doing the job the way that I thought it should be done, which really was just the way that I did it.
Chris Hyams: But I didn’t hire him because he was like me. I hired him because he had a different set of experiences and had worked at other places and had a different perspective.
Chris Hyams: And what I did was- was judged him through the lens of how I was doing the job and how I would do it. And I did that in front of other people and pointed out all the things that was- that were not right.
Chris Hyams: And I tried to take a step back and say, what is, what is my part in this?
Chris Hyams: And- and I ended up having a conversation literally just last week with someone who was having exactly the same scenario where there was someone they hired who wasn’t doing things the way that they expected they should.
Chris Hyams: They were struggling, they were getting poor results. And instead of telling that person how they’d screwed up, I just told this story. And, uh, I think it was helpful.
Chris Hyams: And I know that, you know, every time I- I tell a story like that it does help people see that it is possible to, um, to- to be OK after having screwed something up and- and- and admitting it and- and…
Chris Hyams: Because I- I think that the most frustrating thing for me is- is being around people who refuse to accept that they have made a mistake and to, uh, to acknowledge that
Chris Hyams: because I- I frankly, I, you know, I- I’ve had a lot more opportunity to learn from errors than I have from things that I’ve- I’ve done right.
Vocabulary:
stepped out of – (phrasal verb) left or retired from a specific role, position, or place, “She stepped out of her role as CEO to spend more time with her family.”
backfill – (noun/corporate jargon) a person hired to replace an employee who has left their position or been promoted, “The HR department is actively searching for a backfill to take over the manager’s duties.”
failed him – (expression) let someone down by not providing the help, support, or guidance they needed to succeed, “The mentor realized he had failed him by not checking in on his progress more often.”
air cover – (noun/corporate idiom) political or organizational protection and support from a superior, shielding an employee from outside criticism while they do their work, “My boss provided the necessary air cover so I could focus on completing the project without interference.”
from my lens – (idiom/expression) from my specific point of view, perspective, or way of looking at a situation, “From my lens, the new software seems much easier to use than the old version.”
set of experiences – (expression) a unique group of events, jobs, and life lessons that a person has accumulated, “Her diverse set of experiences made her the perfect candidate for the international project.”
pointed out – (phrasal verb) drew attention to, mentioned, or made someone aware of a specific fact or error, “The editor pointed out several spelling mistakes in the first draft of the book.”
take a step back – (idiom) to temporarily withdraw from a situation to think about it more objectively or gain a fresh perspective, “Sometimes you need to take a step back to see the big picture of a problem.”
my part in this – (expression) one’s personal responsibility or role in a specific situation, disagreement, or mistake, “I need to apologize and accept my part in this misunderstanding.”
screwed up – (phrasal verb/informal) made a serious mistake, ruined something, or failed at a task, “I completely screwed up the presentation because I forgot my notes.”
screwed something up – (phrasal verb/informal) ruined or made a major mess of a specific task, plan, or situation, “He was afraid that he had screwed something up when the machine stopped working.”
admitting it – (expression) confessing or acknowledging that you have made a mistake or that something is true, “Making a mistake is natural, but admitting it takes real courage.”
refuse to accept – (expression) to decline to agree with, acknowledge, or believe a fact, decision, or mistake, “Some people refuse to accept that their traditional methods are no longer working.”
acknowledge – (verb) to admit, accept, or recognize the truth or existence of something, “It is important to acknowledge your team’s hard work at the end of a long project.”
frankly – (adverb) honestly, directly, and openly, even if the truth is unpleasant or surprising, “Frankly, I do not think we have enough time to finish this proposal today.”