In this episode of the Determined to Succeed podcast, host Dawn Mullarney, also known as the Unique Connector, welcomes Sarah Young, founder of Zing Collaborative, for an insightful discussion on the hiring process. Dawn shares that she's been following Sarah for years and was drawn to Sarah’s thought-provoking online post about hiring. Sarah opens up about her experiences—particularly her challenges with hiring for her own business, despite excelling at hiring for others. She reflects on how her tendency to focus on a candidate’s potential, rather than the immediate fit for her team, sometimes led to misalignments. This prompted her to refine her approach to hiring. Sarah details the evolution of her process, which now involves an initial email filter, a paid project to assess real-world skills, and reference checks before even conducting an interview. This structure helps ensure that candidates are aligned with the company's needs and values, saving time and improving hiring decisions. Dawn and Sarah also discuss the importance of seeing beyond an impressive interview performance, as well as the value of incorporating projects and references early on to avoid costly mistakes. Sarah offers listeners practical tips and directs them to her blog for more detailed steps on how to implement a more thoughtful and effective hiring process. The episode is packed with actionable advice for both small business owners and larger organizations, emphasizing that the hiring process can—and should—go beyond traditional methods to ensure the best possible fit for long-term success. Connect with Dawn: ⁠ Follow: Determined to Succeed on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawnmullarney Check out Dawn's website to learn more: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Uniqueconnector.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sarah's Bio: Sarah Young is the founder of Zing Collaborative, a leadership development company that has been partnering with forward-looking organizations, teams, and individuals to elevate their leadership capacity since 2013. Sarah is also the author of Expansive Impact: An Invitation to Lead in Everyday Moments. Sarah is grateful to work with leaders and teams spanning industries and roles: from executive leadership teams, to construction and manufacturing companies, to high growth start-ups and professional organizations. Sarah is a former corporate leader, a two-time Ironman finisher, and a certified professional coach through both the International Coach Federation and the Co-Active Training Institute. Zing Collaborative is a proud member of 1% for the Planet. Connect with Sarah: Website: www.zingcollaborative.com Sign up for her FREE Inspiring Newsletter: www.zingcollaborative.com/fridayfavorites