One of the biggest hiring traps growth-stage companies fall into is this:
"We just need another Sarah."
"Can you find someone who’s basically Marcus 2.0?"
And suddenly, the whole hiring process is centered on recreating a person instead of solving a problem.
But here’s the thing: Sarah and Marcus aren’t here anymore. And the business isn’t in the same place it was when they were.
So why is the job description still built around them?
Backfilling isn’t the problem. Backwards hiring is.
Replacing a key hire is hard. Especially when that person made a big impact. But there’s a difference between filling a role and rethinking what that role should be now.
When companies default to backfilling without reflection, here’s what happens:
The job description is copy-pasted from 18 months ago
The team is evaluating based on outdated needs
The new hire walks into a role that no longer fits the business
That’s how you get misaligned expectations, poor retention, and early turnover.
You're hiring for the past. And that’s a great way to stay stuck.
This problem is especially glaring in startups and small teams. Because you're not just hiring for a skillset; you're hiring for growth stage fit. And that changes dramatically as a company evolves.
A 10-person team needs generalists who can wear multiple hats, thrive in ambiguity, and build from zero.
At 50 people, you're starting to look for folks who can bring structure, define process, and still roll up their sleeves.
By the time you're at 250? You're hiring for scale, specialization, and cross-functional leadership.
Trying to backfill a role that was defined in the scrappy stage, but your company is now operating at a more complex level, puts you out of alignment from the start.
This is a hard lesson I’ve learned in my own business. Someone can be the perfect hire for where you are at the time, and still not be the right fit two years later. That doesn’t mean it was a bad hire. It means your business evolved…and your hiring needs to evolve with it.
If you ignore that evolution and simply try to replicate the person who left, without addressing why they left or what’s changed since, you risk making a hire that feels safe but is actually incredibly risky.
Why this happens (and how to stop it)
It’s easier to replicate than rethink. Especially when you're moving fast. But that urgency leads to:
Roles with bloated or vague scopes
Candidates confused about priorities
Recruiters pulling back because priorities keep shifting
We see this a lot. A client will come in knowing they need help, but as interviews start, so do the changes. Just recently, we had a client reduce their salary range by 25 percent after re-evaluating their budget. That shift completely changed the candidate pool and what’s realistic. When things change mid-search, it creates whiplash for everyone: the candidates, the recruiter, and the hiring team.
This is why recruiters stop prioritizing your role. We gravitate toward teams that are clear, aligned, and ready to move. If every conversation redefines the target, you’re not hiring; you’re brainstorming.
How to prevent that? Get clear before you kick off.
Here are the questions I recommend asking before you start the search:
What’s the real business problem we need to solve?
What does success in this role look like 3, 6, 12 months from now?
What are the non-negotiable skills or traits someone must bring?
Where do we need flexibility? Can we coach someone up in a certain area?
Who will this person report to, collaborate with, and be accountable to?
What has changed since the last time we hired for this?
Why did the last person leave, and what would have made them stay?
Take 45 minutes. Pull in the key decision makers. Answer these honestly. And build your JD around those answers, not what was written two years ago.
And candidates: this matters for you, too.
If you're scanning job boards and feeling like everything sounds the same...it's not just you. A lot of roles are still written for ghosts.
That's why you have to go beyond the bullet points. Instead of asking, "Do I check every box?" try:
What business problem are they trying to solve?
What would make someone in this role wildly successful?
Do I have experience owning and driving that kind of impact?
When you show up speaking in outcomes, not just responsibilities, the conversation changes.
Because real teams don’t need someone who just checks the boxes. They need someone who knows how to solve the problem in front of them.
This is why targeted outreach matters
If you're a candidate, this is exactly why I recommend being proactive.
Instead of playing the job board game and hoping a vague posting leads somewhere, do your research. Figure out the kind of company you want to work for: based on size, stage, and what problems they're likely facing.
Then, do targeted outreach. Reach out to hiring managers, founders, or functional leaders. Ask smart questions. Start conversations about real business problems and how you might be able to solve them.
You’ll have more meaningful conversations. You’ll stand out from the crowd. And you’ll avoid getting caught in the bloated, noisy mess that is today’s job market.
The Bottom Line
Hiring for the future requires more than filling a gap. It requires being honest about where the business is going, what kind of talent that takes, and what needs to evolve to support it.
If you’re a company designing your roles based on someone who already left, it might be time to pause.
And if you’re a candidate? Learn to spot the job descriptions stuck in the past. Ask better questions. Translate your story into impact.
And whatever side of the table you’re on: Stop hiring (or applying) based on what was. Start building for what’s next.
See you next Monday,
Robin
#gorogue