Hiring Is a Team Sport

Finding the Right Team Player Through Trust-Hiring Diamond

Hiring the right people isn’t just a challenge—it’s the foundation of organizational success. Yet, despite significant investments in recruitment, many companies grapple with high turnover, costly hiring cycles, and employees who don’t fit. What’s going wrong?

The Central Problem: Why Hiring Falls Short

The root of the problem lies in a narrow definition of a “quality hire.” Too often, organizations focus solely on competence—technical skills or past accomplishments—while neglecting the foundational elements of trust.

Trust is the cornerstone of a successful hire. It extends beyond competence to include character and chemistry. Character ensures alignment with your organization’s values and mission, while chemistry fosters strong, productive relationships within teams. Without these elements, even the most skilled candidates can fail to integrate or elevate the team dynamic. For example, consider a highly skilled software developer who excels technically but struggles with collaboration due to poor interpersonal skills. Despite their competence, a lack of chemistry and shared values can disrupt team cohesion and hinder success.

Even elite organizations like the US Navy SEALs recognize this. Using a Trust/Performance Matrix, they consistently prioritize trustworthiness over raw performance, knowing that high performers who lack trust can erode team cohesion and undermine culture. Trust ensures that hires contribute not only through their abilities but also by enhancing team dynamics and aligning with organizational values.

Compounding this issue is the reliance on siloed, top-down hiring practices. Many organizations exclude input from those closest to the position—managers, teammates, and colleagues—who often have the best understanding of the role’s demands and the team’s dynamics. This oversight blinds companies to critical factors like cultural fit, collaborative potential, trustworthiness, and team chemistry.

The consequences of these missteps are costly: higher turnover rates, strained team dynamics, and diminished morale. But there’s a better way. By evaluating candidates holistically—through competence, character, and chemistry—and involving your team in the hiring process, you can secure hires who not only perform well but also strengthen your team and culture. This article outlines actionable strategies and proven frameworks to transform your hiring process, ensuring every hire is a trust-based team player.

The Importance of Trust in Hiring: The Economics of Trust

As Stephen M.R. Covey highlights in The Speed of Trust, trust is much more than a feel-good quality—it’s a powerful economic driver that shapes how organizations perform. In hiring, trust speeds up onboarding, strengthens teamwork, and cuts down the hidden costs of inefficiency. Covey explains that trust is built on two key pillars: Competence (skills and results) and Character (integrity and intent). Evaluating these pillars helps ensure trust is at the heart of every hiring decision.

Trust-based hiring means looking beyond just what a candidate can do (competence). It also considers who they are (character) and how they interact with others (chemistry).

The Economics of Trust in Action

High-trust environments are transformative. They accelerate decision-making, streamline processes, and foster open communication. A high-trust hire:

• Integrates faster, adapting to team dynamics with minimal friction.
• Requires less oversight, freeing leadership to focus on strategic priorities.
• Strengthens collaboration, driving innovation and improving morale.

Conversely, low-trust environments are plagued by inefficiencies. Hiring a candidate who lacks trustworthiness can lead to:

• Delays in onboarding or project execution due to mistrust or miscommunication.
• Higher costs associated with micromanagement and oversight.
• Turnover and disruptions, which erode morale and team cohesion.

In tangible terms, trust reduces "transaction costs"—the resources expended to monitor and manage—and amplifies "dividend returns" such as efficiency, innovation, and team satisfaction. These dynamics illustrate why trust is not a luxury but a necessity in every hiring decision.

A Lesson in Trust: The Apollo 13 Example

Consider the Apollo 13 mission, where trust played a pivotal role in averting disaster. The astronauts’ competence in handling spacecraft systems, their character in staying composed under pressure, and their chemistry with ground control exemplified the power of trust in critical moments. Similarly, in hiring, these dimensions can be assessed through real-world problem-solving scenarios, stress tests, and interpersonal evaluations during the recruitment process.

By placing trust at the center of hiring, organizations ensure every new hire not only performs well but also elevates the team’s performance and aligns with the mission. Trust-based hiring, as Covey suggests, is an investment in both the present and future success of your organization.

Why Hiring Should Be a Team Effort: The Importance of Chemistry

When hiring decisions are often made in isolation, organizations risk overlooking critical dynamics that affect a candidate’s success within the team. Chemistry, for instance, isn’t something that can be assessed through a resume or even a standard interview—it’s revealed through interaction and collaboration with potential colleagues.

Dennis Bakke, in Joy at Work, emphasizes the importance of empowering team members closest to the action. These individuals often have the most practical knowledge and insights into day-to-day operations, customer needs, and on-the-ground challenges. By decentralizing the hiring decision-making and involving the team members that will be working closest to the new hire, organizations foster agility and responsiveness while creating a sense of ownership and accountability. Bakke further argues that empowering those closest to the action demonstrates trust and respect for their expertise, which strengthens the overall organizational culture.

The Apollo 13 mission also highlights the importance of collaboration. Ground control and the astronauts worked as a cohesive unit, relying on shared trust and respect. Hiring teams can replicate this level of collaboration by actively involving team members closest to the position during the hiring process, conducting group interviews, and facilitating cross-functional discussions about candidates. Without leveraging the unique insights and expertise of every team member, the mission could have failed—a lesson for hiring processes that ignore input from those closest to the action.

By involving managers, coaches, and team members in the hiring process, organizations gain a more comprehensive understanding of a candidate’s potential fit. This collaborative approach helps determine whether the candidate:

• Possesses the interpersonal skills needed for effective collaboration.
• Aligns with the organization’s culture and values.
• Offers complementary strengths that enhance team dynamics.

This collaborative approach creates a sense of ownership among current team members, fostering buy-in for the new hire and ensuring smoother integration into the team. The Trust-Hiring Diamond offers a structured approach to building trust into the hiring process.

The Trust-Hiring Diamond Framework

The Trust-Hiring Diamond is a visually compelling framework for identifying and hiring the right team players. The Trusted Team Player Hire is the goal at home plate, supported by the three foundational dimensions: Competence, Character, and Chemistry. Each side of the diamond contains two essential steps, providing a holistic process to evaluate candidates and build teams rooted in trust.

FIRST BASE: Competence – What They Can Do

Competence ensures the candidate has the skills, knowledge, and results needed to excel. It aligns directly with performance, representing what a candidate can do and their ability to deliver outcomes.

• Capabilities
  • Review their resume, LinkedIn profile, and portfolio for evidence of expertise. According to a 2023 LinkedIn report, 60% of hiring managers prioritize technical skills during the first round of evaluations.
  • EVALUATE: Does the candidate possess the technical skills and experience needed to excel in that role?
• Results
  • Evaluate their track record. Reference calls and performance examples help gauge their ability to deliver results. A Harvard Business Review study found that candidates with a proven history of results are 45% more likely to exceed performance expectations.
  • EVALUATE: Have they consistently achieved success in past roles?

SECOND BASE: Character – Who They Are

Character establishes trust through integrity and motivation. It ensures the candidate’s values align with your organization.

• Intent
  • Understand their motivations. As Covey highlights, alignment of values fosters genuine trust. Patrick Lencioni also emphasizes in The Ideal Team Player that humility and alignment with organizational values are key indicators of success.
  • EVALUATE: Do their personal values align with the organization’s values and mission? Why do they want this role?
• Integrity
  • Use probationary "try-out" periods to observe their ability to follow through on commitments. As David Maister’s Trust Equation suggests, reliability plays a significant role in building interpersonal trust.
  • EVAULUATE: Do es their background check show/try out time show that they will “do what you say you will do?” (DWYSYWD)?

THIRD BASE: Chemistry – How They Fit

Chemistry determines whether the candidate will collaborate effectively and enhance team dynamics.

• Compatibility
  • Personalities sometimes clash, so aligning with the other team members through tools like DISC, Working Genius, or MBTI assessments may highlight work style characteristics. These tools, widely used in organizational development, help quantify interpersonal dynamics and predict collaboration success.
  • EVALUATE: Is their personality a good fit for that job? Would they work well with the existing team?
• Synergy
  • Use group interviews, shadowing sessions, or informal meet-and-greets to gauge rapport and interpersonal dynamics. A 2022 SHRM study found that structured team interactions during hiring increase post-onboarding productivity by 30%.
  • EVAULATE: How does the candidate interact with their potential manager and team members?

Home Run: Hired

The Trust-Hiring Diamond simplifies the hiring process into a memorable, repeatable model that ensures candidates are evaluated holistically. By integrating trust into every stage of the hiring process, organizations not only improve individual hires but also strengthen team cohesion and long-term success. The Trust-Hiring Diamond ensures a strategic, reliable framework for achieving these goals.

• COMPETENCE builds trust in what they can do.
• CHARACTER builds trust in who they are.
• CHEMISTRY builds trust in how they fit and elevate the team.

By integrating trust into every stage of the hiring process, organizations not only improve individual hires but also strengthen team cohesion and long-term success. The Trust-Hiring Baseball Diamond ensures a strategic, reliable framework for achieving these goals.

Call to Action

Review your current hiring practices for gaps in trust and collaboration.

FAQs

• How can we balance thoroughness with speed in the hiring process? Focus on streamlining key steps, such as using structured interviews and pre-designed assessment tools, to ensure a thorough evaluation without unnecessary delays. Collaborative hiring processes, when well-organized, often reduce decision-making time by fostering consensus earlier.
• What if my organization lacks resources for team-based hiring? Start small by involving just one additional team member in the interview process or using free resources like personality assessment tools. For example, tools like DISC or free templates for competency assessments can provide immediate value.
• How do I address trust gaps within the existing culture? Begin by identifying your core values and ask if we are following through on those values as behaviors within our organization. Simple trust-building exercises like Patrick Lencioni’s Personal Histories activity can help foster openness and accountability.
• What if candidates resist team-based hiring methods? Set expectations early in the process by explaining the collaborative approach’s value. Emphasize how this method ensures mutual fit and provides candidates a chance to understand team dynamics.
• Can this framework apply to non-corporate settings? Absolutely. Whether in non-profits, education, churches, or small businesses, trust and collaboration are universal drivers of success. Adaptations may be needed for unique organizational cultures, but the principles remain effective.

Assessing the Candidate

Competence - What They Can Do

• Capabilities
  • Does the candidate provide specific, clear examples of their skills and experiences that align with the job requirements?
  • Do they demonstrate a strong understanding of the tools, technologies, or processes required for the role?
• Results
  • Do they mention measurable outcomes or past successes in their responses?
  • Are their achievements backed by concrete examples rather than vague statements?

Character – Who They Are

• Intent
  • Does the candidate’s explanation of why they want the role align with the organization’s mission and values?
  • Do their motivations seem sincere and focused on contributing to the team and organization, rather than solely personal gain?
• Integrity
  • Do they take ownership of past mistakes or challenges without deflecting blame?
  • Do their stories and examples reflect honesty and consistency in their actions and decisions?

Chemistry – How They Fit

• Compatibility
  • Does their assessment fit into the benchmark that you have assigned for this position?
  • Do they seem to listen attentively and respond thoughtfully during conversations with different team members?
• Synergy
  • Do they interact naturally and comfortably with other team members or stakeholders during group interactions, shadowing, or informal meet-and-greets?
  • Do their contributions during team exercises or discussions indicate a collaborative mindset?

“Trust is the foundation of great teams.
The Trust Hiring Triangle ensures
every hire earns it.”

That's a homerun hire!