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Brian Chesky's Hiring Trick: Try to Talk Them Out of the Job

By Brian Chesky · Leadership · 1 min read

Chesky says at the end of every interview process, try to talk the candidate out of the job. The mediocre people leave. The great people lean in.

Key Points

Try to talk candidates out of the job at the end of the interview process
Recruiters sell the company like a country club — that creates mismanaged expectations
The best people want a challenge. Mediocre people don't.

The average person doesn't want a challenge. But the best people want a challenge.

Talk Them Out of It

Chesky: One counterintuitive tip is to at the very end of the process, try to talk them out of the job. I'll say — here are all the reasons to work here. It's going to be the longest hours you've ever had. I'm going to hold you to higher standards. It's going to be day and night.

Recruiters want to sell their company as a country club. Great benefits, great this, great that. And it creates mismanaged expectations. But the second thing is it's like a reverse psychology — they say no, I want to do it.

Recruiters want to sell their company as a country club. That creates mismanaged expectations.

The Shackleton Job Ad

Chesky: Ernest Shackleton was an expeditionary about a hundred years ago. He had this giant shipwreck and famously all his guys survived. And there's a very famous job posting.

It says: Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages. Bitter cold. Long months of complete darkness. Constant danger. Safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success. Probably the best job ad ever.

Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages. Bitter cold. Constant danger. Safe return doubtful.

The Navy SEAL Principle

Chesky: Why do the most fit people in the world want to be Navy SEALs? Because they want the challenge. The average person doesn't want a challenge. But the best people want a challenge.

Don't sell a rosy picture of the experience of working. That will turn off mediocre people, but will turn on great people.

The average person doesn't want a challenge. But the best people want a challenge.