Hire slowly, decide clearly

Why this rule exists

A hire is one of the highest-leverage and least reversible decisions you make, yet the pressure of an open role pushes managers to lower the bar just to fill the seat. A wrong hire costs far more than a slow one: the team carries them, the culture absorbs them, and unwinding it is painful for everyone, most of all the person you misplaced. Slowness here isn't indecision; it's respect for the stakes. And when you do decide, decide clearly, because a maybe dragged out is unkind to the candidate and to yourself.