Declaring (and Revising) Independence: Iterating Your Way to Better Hiring

When we think of America’s founding, we usually picture triumph: the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Revolutionary War victory, and the birth of a new nation. But what often gets overlooked is that the United States didn’t get it right on the first try. Before the Constitution, there were the Articles of Confederation—an early framework for government that, despite good intentions, didn’t work. It lacked a strong central authority, had poor mechanisms for resolving disputes, and ultimately left the fledgling nation vulnerable. George Washington described the government under the articles as "a half starved, limping Government, that appears to be always moving upon crutches, & tottering at every step.” James Madison called the articles “a monument to human folly.”

It was only after identifying those failures and revising the approach that the more enduring Constitution was created.

Well, the same principle applies to hiring practices. Just like building a nation, the process of building a company requires iteration. For your first few hires, a scrappy, ad hoc recruiting strategy might do the trick. Like the Articles of Confederation, it could allow you to get your leaders in place quickly and get your business moving. But also like the Articles of Confederation…that sort of hiring process is flawed and not built to scale. What works for your first thirteen hires rarely works for the next fifty. That’s a lesson our Founding Fathers had to learn the hard way. Luckily for us, they were able to adapt their strategy to meet the needs of a growing nation.

Here’s a few lessons we can learn from our Founding Fathers:

1. Don’t Expect the First Draft to Work Forever

Just as the Articles weren’t built to scale, neither are many companies’ initial hiring practices. The time will come when better practices need to be put in place…and that’s OKAY.

Hiring Tip: Treat your recruiting strategy as a living system. Review and revise your approach at regular intervals—especially after major milestones like funding rounds, team expansions, or high turnover events.

2. Build for the Long Term, Not Just the Quick Win

The Articles were reactive, but the Constitution was strategic. In recruiting, short-term thinking might help you fill a seat, but it won’t help you build a high-performing team.

Hiring Tip: Don’t just hire for skills—hire for adaptability, team fit, and long-term potential. Don’t just look for resumes, look for trajectories.

3. Collaboration Strengthens the System

The Constitution wasn’t written by one person. It was the product of intense collaboration, compromise, and input from multiple stakeholders. The same should be true of your hiring process.

Hiring Tip: Involve your hiring managers, recruiters, and team members in the interviews. If you can, bring them all into the interview at the same time. For any fans of the Hamilton musical, you want to get all your potential decision makers in “The Room Where It Happens.” This strategy can shorten a long, drawn-out interview process into a couple simple steps. If you get all the decision makers together, you’ll be able to make better decisions and make them quickly.

4. Failure is Feedback in Disguise

The Founders didn’t see the Articles of Confederation as a total loss—they saw it as a necessary first step. The lessons learned from its shortcomings were what made the Constitution stronger.

Hiring Tip: When a hire doesn’t work out, or when top candidates drop off mid-process, dig into why. Use that feedback to refine your approach, whether it’s adjusting how you evaluate technical skills, improving candidate communication, or aligning internal expectations.

Final Thought: Progress Over Perfection

No founding document is perfect—not even one that’s lasted for over two centuries. Recruiting is no different. What matters is your willingness to evolve. The strongest hiring strategies, like the strongest nations, are built not from getting it right the first time—but from having the courage and clarity to revise, improve, and build something better.

As we celebrate Independence Day, let’s remember: iteration isn’t a sign of failure—it’s a sign of maturity. The ability to revise our strategies can launch our business (just like our country) to the next level and create an enduring legacy.