A young HR manager once walked into her boss’s office absolutely glowing. She couldn’t wait to show off her numbers.

Best speed-to-hire metrics in the entire company. Fastest processing time. Record-breaking volume.

She thought she had knocked it out of the park.

But when the boss looked at the same dashboard, he didn’t see a high performer.

He saw a five-alarm fire!

Why?

Because the number of applicants she was pushing through the system was unnecessarily and exponentially higher than anything they had ever seen.

One quick glance told him everything:

  • They weren’t hiring better.
  • They weren’t retaining longer.
  • They weren’t improving performance.

They were simply bringing in bodies… and losing them just as fast.

The young manager was operating under a belief many new leaders share:

“If my metrics show that I’m fast and efficient, I must be doing a great job.”

But the boss knew better.

He had enough experience to see what she couldn’t yet see:

If the job had been done right, they wouldn’t need to bring that many people through the pipeline in the first place.

High speed wasn’t a sign of excellence. It was a sign of rushing, poor filtering, and a hire-and-hope mentality.

It wasn’t a win.  It was a warning.

The Lesson Behind the Story

Fast numbers look impressive to inexperienced leaders.

But seasoned leaders don’t celebrate speed unless it’s paired with:

  • Quality
  • Stability
  • Long-term performance

Anyone can move quickly. It takes actual skills and business acumen to move quickly without sacrificing quality.

Because at the end of the day:

Working quickly is productive. Rushing is destructive.

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About the author: Mason Duchatschek is an expert in employee selection, engagement, and retention. He is the author of several bestselling books, including People Matter Most and Inclusive Leadership: Unleashing the Power of People. His ideas have been featured in Selling Power, Entrepreneur, and the New York Times.

Learn more at WorkforceAlchemy.com – home of the Hiring Suite Assessment system.