Why I Hire People Smarter than Me!

I am Salman Lakhani, the Founder and CEO of Cubix. have been hiring people for over two decades now. I can confidently say that I have hired more than 500 people in three different countries and for various positions. There is only one simple rule I follow when selecting candidates. I make sure that I am not the smarter one in the room. It must always be the candidate and not me!

With years and years of experience in the field, I have gained sufficient knowledge and developed different expertise. You would wonder if it’s fair to expect the candidates to be better than me. Well, here’s the catch. My team brings incredible ideas to the table, outshine me every day, and teach me new things. During an interview, I look for confidence, intellect, and the willingness to learn. But above all, I look for people who are better than me at writing code and everything else.

If I am the smarter one in the room, I will dictate, and my team would follow. If I am the dumb one, my team will show me how it is done better, and their creative juices will flow like a river.

Hiring the right people in your company is the secret to success. I no longer write code or work on designs. I have hired top-notch resources to do that for me, and they make me proud every day. But hiring such people who add infinite value to the company is the real challenge. I learned over time that hiring people who met my expectations and had the skills I needed was a recipe for disaster. What I needed in my company were people who surprised me with their talent and made me feel dumb. That’s when my company was going to learn and grow. Bring in people who are better than you so that you can deliver better things to your clients!

I understand that it’s not easy to get comfortable with the idea of hiring people who are better than you. You might feel that they would impose their knowledge and ideas on you and rebel. But in my company, that’s what I am looking for. People who can challenge us, teach us new and better ways to do things, and increase our knowledge. Each of our resources has taught me and their peers things that we didn’t know. Hence, I am in love with my team for the value it brings to my company.

And when you finally find people who are better than you, nurture their talent and skills. These are the real keepers. With an open mind, listen to what your team has to say and remember that they are better than you at their work.

Hiring people who are smarter than you means that the work can be confidently delegated over time. Then focus on the important stuff — growing your business and hiring more A players.

I am going to hire a hundred more people in the times to come, and every time, I will hire someone who has something to teach me. So, do you think you have something to teach me and my team? You are my next hire if you have something exciting to offer to my company!

Let’s connect?