Andreessen

Hiring: Getting it Right from the Start

Many a day, I answer phone calls and emails about non-performing or even “toxic” employees who must be terminated.  After grappling with the legal “dos” and “don’ts,” about half of the time the employer asks, “Why did I ever hire this person?” 

The answer is not purely a legal matter.  Marc Andreessen, a very successful entrepreneur, venture capitalist and software engineer, suggested his answer in a blog post entitled, “How to hire the best people you ever worked with,” several years ago.  Simply stated, he recommends that employers take time to look at their criteria and their process.  There are certainly many smarter and wiser than I who have written on the topic of the “perfect hire,” but after years of advising clients on terminating employees, I’d like to share a few tips that I’ve learned about hiring employees, in part, inspired by Andreessen’s sage advice.… Keep reading