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Hiring That Works (Part 4): You’re Not Hiring Wrong - You’re Defining the Role Wrong

Written by Chris Scherer | May 11, 2026 3:22:56 PM

Most hiring processes start the same way.

A role opens up.

Someone updates the job description.

Requirements are listed:

  • Experience
  • Skills
  • Education
  • Responsibilities

Then the search begins.

And yet, many hiring decisions still lead to:

  • Misalignment
  • Frustration
  • Performance inconsistency
  • Leadership overload

Not because the hiring process failed.

Because the role itself was never clearly defined.

What Most Job Descriptions Actually Describe

Most job descriptions explain:

  • Tasks
  • Responsibilities
  • Reporting structure
  • Technical requirements

What they rarely define is:

  • How decisions need to be made
  • How independently the role should operate
  • How pressure should be handled
  • How conflict should be addressed
  • How quickly the role needs to move

Those aren’t small details.

They determine whether someone succeeds.

Why This Creates Friction

When behavioral expectations aren’t defined:

  • Candidates interpret the role differently
  • Managers evaluate differently
  • Teams respond differently
  • Performance becomes inconsistent

And once the person is hired, expectations begin shifting in real time.

That creates:

  • Rework
  • Frustration
  • Escalation
  • Leadership dependency

Not because someone is incapable.

Because the role operates differently than it was described.

The Problem Leaders Feel

This usually shows up as:

  • “They interviewed well, but…”
  • “This isn’t what we expected.”
  • “They need too much direction.”
  • “We thought they’d take more ownership.”

Those statements sound like people problems.

But they’re often role definition problems.

What Strong Organizations Do Differently

Before hiring, they define:

  • What success actually looks like
  • Where pressure will appear
  • How decisions should flow
  • What behaviors the role requires daily

That clarity changes everything.

Because now:

  • Interviews become more meaningful
  • Expectations become consistent
  • Candidates can be evaluated accurately
  • Teams know what success looks like

A Better Way to Think About Hiring

Hiring isn’t just about finding qualified people.

It’s about clearly defining:

  • The role
  • The environment
  • The expectations
  • The behaviors required for success

Without that clarity, organizations end up hiring for the description…

Instead of the reality.

What Comes Next

In Part 5:

Why interviews often reward confidence instead of alignment – and how that leads to costly hiring mistakes.

📅 [Schedule a Talent Alignment Session]
Let’s determine whether your hiring challenges are really people problems – or role definition problems.