Addressing Vision Misalignment in Job Interviews

Your hiring problem isn't always the hire. It's the black box around it. A CEO hired their first Chief Customer Officer. 8.5 months later, they were gone. Not because they weren’t qualified. Not because they didn’t work hard. We were brought in to figure out what happened and how to prevent it from happening again in the future. So we sat down with the CEO. We talked to the executive. We replayed the tape. Here’s what we uncovered: The CEO had a specific vision for the role but never communicated it fully. The executive was told what to focus on but not what they weren’t being told. They were going so fast, key details were locked in the CEO’s head, only surfacing when things started to break down. The executive walked into a black box of missing information, unclear expectations, and invisible roadblocks. And when we shared what the executive had shared about the role? The CEO's response was: “𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑑𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡?” Because they told us. They had been piecing together information, making assumptions, and trying to read between the lines. The full picture had never been laid out and it was like pulling teeth to figure it out. This is how good people fail together. And what I call hiring in a black box. 𝐈𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧: ⇢ CEOs or founders assume things are obvious ⇢ Information is revealed on a "need to know" basis, without realizing it’s all need to know ⇢ They don’t create space for real, open conversations, so misalignment only shows up after the hire is made 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐚 𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟: ⇢ Have I communicated the full picture, or just pieces of it? ⇢ Do they have the clarity and context to make the right decisions? ⇢ Am I giving them everything they need, or expecting them to figure it out on their own? Many executives don’t realize how much critical information stays stuck in their heads. And by the time it finally comes out, it’s too late. Great hiring and leadership aren’t just about finding the right people. They’re about setting them up to succeed, before they have to ask for it. If your hires keep struggling, the real question is: 𝑨𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒔𝒆𝒕 𝒖𝒑 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒆, 𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒕 𝒖𝒑 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒔?

Last month, we hired a top candidate. 30 days later, he quit. His reasons for leaving? → Our function wasn’t as mature as he expected. → He needed more support than we could provide. At first, I was heartbroken. Then, I was angry. Finally, I reflected. The reality was that the candidate kept interviewing even after accepting our offer. When another company came back post-holidays, he negotiated a better deal and left. My advice to job seekers is to accept a role only if you’re genuinely excited and committed. But we made a few tweaks to our process, too. Here’s what we will do differently to avoid this again: 1.⁠ ⁠Offer compensation that creates long-term stability 💡 If a candidate feels underpaid, they’ll keep looking. → ⁠ ⁠Benchmark compensation carefully (cash + stock). → ⁠Find candidates who see your offer as good, not just okay. → If you’re stretching budgets, ensure strong non-monetary value (growth, culture, mission). Due to market corrections, our offer was slightly below his last salary. He accepted, but he wasn’t fully content, which made all the difference. 2.⁠ ⁠Reduce disruption for new hires 💡 A sudden move + a new job = too much change at once. →  If relocation is required, offer a gradual transition. →  Allow remote onboarding for the first few months if possible. →  Provide extra support in the initial phase. He moved cities for this role. Looking back, we should have given him an option to start remotely and ease into it. 3. Set crystal-clear expectations during hiring 💡 Misalignment on role maturity = early exits. → ⁠Be upfront about the current stage of the function. → ⁠Show them the real challenges they’ll be solving. →  Ensure they are excited about the journey, not just the title. There’s no such thing as a “killer deal” in hiring. A content, aligned, and stable candidate will always outperform a “perfect hire" who is uncertain. This hiring mistake cost us 3 months (a lifetime in a startup).  But the learnings will save us years in the long run. Have you ever had a new hire leave too soon? What did you learn from it?

One of my clients just lost a rockstar candidate. Not because of comp, title, or benefits. It’s because of… …story. The candidate interviewed across multiple departments. And even though we aligned on the role, scope, and growth plan, each interviewer shared a different version of the vision. Different priorities. Different goals. Different expectations. No one meant to cause confusion because everyone was just being transparent in their own way. But what the candidate walked away with was this: “I’m not sure what I’d be walking into. It feels messy. I think I’ll stay where I’m at.” And just like that, the opportunity was gone. This might’ve happened to you, and the candidate just didn’t say it out loud. So here’s the fix: Before you launch a search, get your team aligned. Talk through the role, define the vision, create clarity, and even give your interviewers talking points. I did this with a client last week, and we closed the role because everyone told the same story. And if you’re working with a recruiter, ask us to help build the narrative. We know how to do it…and it might be what secures your next great hire

A VP of Procurement told me he went through 14 interviews for one role. Just to decline. Fourteen. Executive team. Functional leaders. Comp alignment. Bonus structure agreed. Board round. From the very first conversation, the mandate was clear: “We need transformation.” Process redesign. Governance overhaul. Clearer cost accountability. Strategic evolution. He asked multiple times throughout the process, “Are you looking for someone to transform or to maintain?” Every time the answer was the same. Transform. Until the final interview. The board said: “We are actually pretty good. We do not want to rock the boat. We just need someone to maintain what we have.” After FOURTEEN interviews. This is not a candidate problem. This is not a recruiter problem. This is executive misalignment. You cannot hire a transformational leader into an organization that is afraid of change. And you cannot spend three months evaluating someone only to admit you never agreed internally on what you wanted. At VP level, that kind of disconnect is expensive. It damages credibility. It wastes executive time. It signals indecision to the market. Fourteen interviews should sharpen clarity. Not reveal confusion. If you are hiring senior procurement leaders, ask yourself one uncomfortable question: Is the board aligned with the operating leadership on whether you want change or preservation? Because those are two very different hires. And the wrong one will cost far more than 14 interviews. Are you actually ready for transformation, or do you just like the idea of it?

You made it to the second- or third-round interview… and then everything went quiet. I’m seeing this constantly with strong, accomplished professionals: No offer. No clear rejection. Just… “we’re still aligning.” Here’s what’s usually happening: ✔️ The interview team is not aligned. ✔️ Different stakeholders want different things. ✔️ Different risks matter to different people. ✔️ Sometimes they don’t even agree on what success looks like. And candidates rarely surface it. They prep great stories. They answer questions well. They research the company. But they don’t pivot the conversation toward the interviewer: “What would make this a great hire for YOU?” “What concerns would YOU need resolved to feel confident?” “How do YOU see us working together in the first 6–12 months?” You cannot assume everyone in the room wants the same thing. It’s not just about aligning with “the company”— ✔️ It’s about aligning with each individual stakeholder. When you understand what each person needs, you make it easier for them to advocate for you when you’re not in the room. That’s when they start selling each other. If you don’t understand how they’re deciding, you’re auditioning blind. Mid-process stalls aren’t usually about capability. They’re about alignment. ⬇️ Comment “ALIGN” if you’ve felt the second- or third‑round stall. 🔔 Follow me for practical, no‑fluff strategy on turning interviews into offers. #jobsearch #interview #careers #resumes #coach #payments #fintech