"I Just Need Someone Who Can Hit the Ground Running" – The Phrase That Kills Good Hiring
Carrie Alderson
LinkedIn Top Voice ?? | the day job - Connecting Business Leaders to Talent that Share their Values & Vision | Passion Project - Helping Parents & T(w)eens Find Balance in a Digital World | Unapologetically Aquarian??
Why expecting instant results from new hires is setting them up to fail
I hear it all the time.
“I just need someone who can hit the ground running.”
It sounds reasonable, doesn’t it? A business hires someone, they step in, and within a few weeks, they’re fully functional, delivering results, and proving their worth. No hand-holding, no learning curve—just pure productivity from day one.
The problem? That’s not how great hires work.
Hiring with this mindset is one of the quickest ways to set up a new employee for failure. And ironically, it’s one of the biggest reasons companies keep hiring—because they never give their people the chance to truly integrate, thrive, and deliver their best work.
Let’s talk about why this expectation is so damaging—and what actually makes new hires succeed.
The Myth of "Hitting the Ground Running"
When a hiring manager tells me they need someone who can “hit the ground running,” what they’re usually saying is:
I get it. Businesses want speed. They want impact. And they don’t want to spend months onboarding someone who might not work out.
But here’s the brutal truth: the expectation of immediate success is a hiring trap.
Why Instant Productivity is a Fantasy
No matter how experienced or talented a new hire is, they are walking into a company with:
Even if they’ve done a similar role elsewhere, they haven’t done this role, in this company, with this team.
Expecting them to ‘hit the ground running’ is like expecting a world-class sprinter to win a marathon without any training for the distance.
The Cost of Rushing New Hires
When businesses demand instant results, they often end up with:
?? Superficial success. The new hire focuses on quick wins to look effective rather than truly understanding the company’s needs.
?? Unrealistic pressure. Employees feel stressed, overwhelmed, and unsupported—leading to burnout or disengagement.
?? High turnover. When people don’t feel set up for success, they leave (or worse, they underperform until they’re pushed out).
?? Missed potential. Great hires often bring new perspectives, but when they’re forced to produce results instantly, they don’t have the time or space to make real, meaningful impact.
The Truth About Onboarding and Integration
If you want a hire who will actually make a difference, here’s what you should be thinking instead:
?? How quickly can we get them up to speed—without setting them up for failure?
?? What knowledge, relationships, and tools do they need to succeed?
?? How do we create an environment where they feel supported enough to deliver their best work?
Let’s break it down.
What Actually Makes a New Hire Successful?
1. Time to Learn
In a study by Gallup, only 12% of employees strongly agree that their company does a great job onboarding. Yet onboarding is the foundation of performance.
If companies spent half as much time integrating a new hire as they did searching for one, they’d retain and develop far more top talent.
?? Give them time to absorb the business, meet key people, and understand what’s expected.
?? Let them listen before they fix things. A new hire with fresh eyes can offer valuable insights—if they’re given the chance to see the full picture.
2. A Structured Ramp-Up Plan
Instead of expecting immediate results, set realistic milestones.
?? A structured plan prevents the “sink or swim” mentality that causes so many new hires to fail.
3. The Right Support System
The best companies don’t just hire great people—they help people become great within their environment.
That means:
? Assigning mentors to guide them through company culture. ? Encouraging peer relationships to build internal networks. ? Having leaders who check in, offer feedback, and support integration.
?? Support doesn’t mean hand-holding—it means setting them up for success.
4. A Culture That Values Growth Over Speed
If a company only rewards fast results, employees will chase quick wins over long-term success.
The best leaders understand that true impact takes time.
?? Apple gives new hires two years before they’re fully ramped up. ?? Amazon’s leadership philosophy includes long-term thinking, not short-term output. ?? Google’s hiring process prioritizes culture add over immediate performance.
When you focus on growing people instead of just hiring them, you stop constantly replacing employees—and start retaining top talent.
But What If You Really DO Need Someone to Deliver Fast?
There are times when businesses genuinely need immediate results. Maybe a leader just left. Maybe a project is behind schedule. Maybe there’s no time for a long ramp-up period.
So what do you do?
?? Hire interim talent. Contract professionals who specialise in stepping in and fixing things fast.
?? Look at internal talent. Sometimes, the best solution isn’t outside—it’s an internal promotion or lateral move from someone who already knows the business.
?? Be honest about what’s realistic. If you must hire externally, at least acknowledge the need for speed without setting someone up for failure.
Final Thoughts: Hire for Long-Term Success, Not Just Immediate Output
The next time you think, “I need someone who can hit the ground running,” ask yourself:
? Are we hiring for speed or impact?
? Are we prioritising immediate results over long-term success?
? Are we giving our new hires the time, tools, and support they need to thrive?
Because the best hires don’t just “hit the ground running.”
They learn. They adapt. They grow. And when given the right environment, they deliver results that last.
What Do You Think?
Have you ever been thrown into a role where you were expected to “hit the ground running”? How did it go?
Or, if you’re a hiring manager, how do you set up new employees for success?
Chief Risk Officer
2 天前Technically it is slower too! Personal view.
Financial Adviser at Alan Taylor & Co
2 天前Carrie, often the issue is the failure of not “training the trainer to train.”
Supporting the legal services sector through innovation
2 天前I worked for a company that lulled me into a false sense of security with that old chestnut, won a big contract and refused to pay me because it was won in my probationary period! I left of course!!
Innovation Lead Aerospace/ Science Fiction Author/ eLearning specialist & Ex Head of Science. All views are my own!
2 天前Spot on and very insightful. Also a lot of companies seem very wrapped up in their own language and agendas which actually can end up becoming a group think issue which new people struggle to grasp. Time is required and also listening from the company on what the new person thinks. Could be a game changer!
Sales leader with 20+ years in B2B | Driving revenue growth & go-to-market strategies for SaaS | Expertise in go-to-market strategy
2 天前100% agree. Hiring someone who can ‘hit the ground running’ is a classic, but persistent, myth - and as you say, often suggests deeper issues in the culture of the hiring firm. Another one is hiring someone because they have a network of industry contacts - personally I’ve never seen this actually live up to its promise.