Job Fit | SeibCo, LLC

How Do You Handle Feedback without Being Defensive?

July 30, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

Receiving feedback and hearing it is a skill that many leaders and bosses need to develop. Being defensive is a difficult behavior to overcome since, too often, people want to defend their actions, attitudes, and results.

Why?

They:

Find it hard to laugh at themselves
Worked hard but failed to ask for help and instead accepted mediocrity
Have a perfectionist attitude
Feel misjudged (and it may be true)
Are overly sensitive to hearing anything that is negative
Blame the person delivering the feedback for the way they speak or deliver the information – their excuse for not listening

As a leader, you may cause team members to be defensive when you:

Are critical
Overreact to situations
Expect perfection
Take things personally
Have poor feedback and coaching skills

The additional problem is, coaching and feedback are difficult to hear when delivered poorly!

Yet, you will find that people excel when they are open and receptive to feedback without being defensive. (Think of well-paid sports people, leaders excelling in their work, entrepreneurs selling their startups, etc.)

How to Hear Feedback without Being Defensive

Be open and value the insight, whether you want to hear it or not.
Set aside ego. While you may not like being judged, develop a healthy ego that is committed to your success.
Ask for clarification or example. Ask open-ended questions, and hear the value offered. (Even when the feedback or coaching is poorly delivered.)
Thank the person for their insights. Include their recommendations where appropriate (e.g., if you winging presentations, a plan and practice will make a big difference in your career).
Remember, saying you’ll think about it is a different way of being defensive.

How to Deliver Feedback without Being Defensive

Talk with a select few people that were impacted or aware of the situation. Be careful about nitpicking someone’s personality. If someone talks too much, instead of saying that, say, “It’s important in these situations that you listen more than talk. And, here’s why.”
Use sandwich or direct approach. This depends on the person and the type of feedback you need to deliver.
Practice with your coach. Especially if you’re a new leader, or believe the person will be defensive.
Keep it simple. No more than two key issues or challenges. Yes, there may be more feedback you feel is necessary. But that can be overwhelming and not helpful. (I’ve seen leaders and bosses give an employee a list of 20 items … the person was overwhelmed and became defensive. Consider, in this case and similar ones, that it is due to poor job fit.) Again, to ensure great results, only provide two at a time and check in with the person to determine progress before adding additional areas for improvement … you find additional feedback is not necessary.
Make a plan for improvement. For team members, it’s important that there is a process they can follow and learn from.
- Either: The most effective choice is to have the person create it (be clear about required outcomes and have a “By When Date” this will occur).
- Or, provide a process for them to follow, which will not be as effective because there may not be buy in, and will be effective as long as you are managing the process.
Now, follow-up and follow-through. Most people skip this … big mistake! You need to have regular check ins to ensure progress is being made. It also shows your commitment to the person’s success.

Jeannette Seibly is a legacy‑driven Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author. For over 33 years, she has empowered thousands of executives and business leaders to achieve sustainable success through strategic hiring, values‑based coaching, and intentional leadership development. Her work blends clarity, accountability, and soulful impact—activating performance and purpose at every level.

Do You Need to Hire Salespeople? What Are 5 Key Tips to Ensure They Fit the Job?

July 27, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

Hiring salespeople can be a challenge. Many look and/or talk the part, but once hired, fail to produce the required results. It’s up to you to improve your selection process to uncover salespeople who can actually sell your product or service, and fit the job requirements.

Remember, it’s always faster, easier, and far less expensive to determine their ability to sell before you hire them. If you don’t, you’ll spend too much money and energy — and face sleepless nights attempting to fix them (and this never works out well for anyone).

5 Tips to Improve Your Selection Process

Listening Skills Are they listening? Can they hear you? Do they respond appropriately? Ask the candidate to summarize the interview or parts of the conversation by asking, “Tell me what you heard?”
Do They Ask Questions? Do they have questions about your company, product, management style, etc.? If not, move on. Candidates who don’t ask questions lack the curiosity, interests, and skills to inquire further.
Are They Calm and Patient? Does the person squirm in their seat? Do they rush the conversation or attempt to finish your sentences? Do they look at you when speaking or listening? While closing is a required skill, it also requires the ability to ask several times in several different ways without being offensive.
Do They Fit the Job? To determine key traits, most salespeople need prospecting, presenting, and closing skills must have the interest to use these skills. Use a qualified job‑fit assessment. Can they do these things? Will they do these things? And can they do these things for your company and product?
Do They Tell the Truth? To objectively answer this question, first use an honesty/integrity assessment to uncover omissions not found in public records. It saves time and money by eliminating candidates who stretch the truth (think customer expectations and fulfillment). Second, always conduct thorough due diligence with final candidates by checking background, education, and other accomplishments.

Bonus Tip: Do They Follow a Sales Process?

Sales Process Discipline. Many salespeople rely on charm, personality, or improvisation. But consistent results require following a repeatable sales process. Notice whether the candidate follows your interview structure, asks clarifying questions, and moves through conversations logically. Salespeople who resist structure rarely produce consistent results.

Jeannette Seibly is a Leadership Results Coach, Talent Advisor, and Business Author with 33 years of experience activating greatness in leaders and companies. She delivers practical coaching and solutions that elevate performance today, build legacies that stand the test of time, and support people in empowering themselves to lead with clarity and impact.

Build a Strong and Dynamic Team to Produce Great Results

July 20, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

Many leaders today struggle with building a team that produces intended results, is innovative, and works well together. Many leaders blame their lack of success on the belief that the “right” team members cannot be found.

The real problem? Leaders fail to take responsibility and be held accountable for hiring, coaching, and managing their team (individually and as a group) to be strong and dynamic. Instead, they rely on outdated management of the processes and execution of the goal. When they claim they “don’t have the right people,” it is a way to distract others from their inability or unwillingness to lead effectively.

How to Transform Your Team and Achieve Intended Results

A leader’s beliefs matter. Your beliefs can become an excuse that prevents you from developing teams, addressing blind spots, and doing the real work required to build a strong and dynamic team. To improve everyone’s skills, you must be willing to look in the mirror, acknowledge what’s not working, and take deliberate steps to strengthen your leadership effectiveness through coaching, feedback, and consistent practice.

Hire for job fit. This is the ignored key to ensure you have the right people on the team, with the skills, attitude, behavior, and interests to achieve the intended results. Don’t forget onboarding is critical to each person’s success … it gives them the direction and support to integrate well and become productive more quickly.

Remove your ego. A healthy ego is key. An unhealthy ego will sabotage your results. If you’re egotistical and unable to be a true leader for your team, step aside. OR hire an experienced executive coach to guide you along the way. This requires developing emotional intelligence and awareness of what may trigger your upsets, frustrations, and other poor communication habits.

Manage for results, not personalities. This can be a hard one: Focus on the action plan while staying focused on the goal. This can be difficult when people don’t get along, create miscommunication, and are not team players. Use a qualified job fit assessment that reveals objective data, not how the person wants to be seen, which will camouflage job fit and hurt results. This clarity will improve results, while strengthening your team.

Define role expectations. Address clearly defined roles, who makes which decisions, and expectations. Many teams fail not because of talent, but because people don’t know what “success” looks like in their role or how their work connects to the bigger picture. It’s up to you to communicate and guide the way.

Create or follow accountability systems. Instead of “winging it,” create or use structures that keep teams aligned: metrics, check-ins, dashboards, or performance conversations. Leaders often “get out of the way” by stepping back so far that the team lacks direction, guardrails, and timely feedback, leaving people to guess at priorities, make assumptions, and commit avoidable mistakes.

Communicate with intention. When you are being indecisive, people will take advantage of you. Instead, be clear about the goal, budget, and any other defined structures or limitations. Admit when you are uncertain about what to do next. Ask the team for their input by asking open-ended questions. Encourage brainstorming, and avoid the trap of seeking consensus. Remember, innovation and communication improve when people feel safe speaking up. The solutions will reveal themselves.

Apologies are required. When mistakes occur, and they will, own them. Apologize. Move forward. All is not lost if you are looking for the lesson(s) learned from the mistake or failure. Many times, it leads to the next successful innovation!

Use Please and Thank You! People want to feel valued. If you are not appreciating your team and the individuals that support the process and achievement of the intended results, you are not building a strong and dynamic team … just one that’s waiting to move on … and away from you.

Celebrate and Brag! Every milestone is important, since each one leverages your next one. Speak positively about your team members, and ensure there is a celebration beyond a weekly pizza.

Be a Respected Leader and Achieve Intended Results

July 6, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

Being a respected leader and boss requires taking responsibility for each situation, discovering the true issue, and making the best decisions to improve results. And? Asking for help! (So often overlooked until it’s too late.)

Respect grows when you prevent small issues from becoming major crises and shows your team you value team results over your ego.

The biggest challenge I’m seeing today with leaders is they focus on being well‑liked by employees and customers, and disregard the importance of being respected. This stifles innovation, and team members withdraw from actively focusing on intended results.

A general manager (GM) for a company was well liked by employees and clients. It was a surprise and shock when he was reamed by a new board member about his poor management of the company’s satellite office. After the board session, the GM resigned. After the employees and other board members convinced him to stay, he rescinded his resignation. But nothing was done to resolve the real issue of poor financial management of the satellite office. Several months later the GM was fired.

In this situation, the GM was liked but not respected. He did not ask for help, and no one addressed the real issue of poor financial management results. This also revealed a deeper problem: there were no accountability systems in place to catch issues early, and no one was telling the truth soon enough to prevent a crisis.

5 Keys to Build Respect as a Leader

Select the Best People. Stop intuitive hiring practices! Respect begins by hiring, promoting, and job transitioning your management and employee teams into positions that fit them! (It’s called job‑fit.) Before selecting people, craft a well‑designed selection process to collect objective, valid, and reliable data about the person’s ability to be effective in the job. This requires using qualified job‑fit assessments, conducting job‑focused interviews, and implementing a six‑month onboarding program.
Make Faster Decisions. Taking days, weeks, or months to make decisions is often due to poor decision‑making skills. Do your homework by having intentional conversations … the decisions will become much clearer. Remember, integrity, critical thinking, and paying attention to the impact on others are key to making decisions that impact everyone long‑term. Let go of those elephants!
Talk It Out. Communication is everything. Too often, leaders don’t pay attention to their own words, avoid having tough conversations, and ignore others’ concerns. With your team, go around the table to get everyone’s input until there is nothing new being added. The process includes eliciting responses from those you normally don’t listen to, and may include things you don’t want to hear! The answers reside inside the quality of these conversations! Yes, it can take more time in the short-run. But in the long run, it builds respect for you as a leader, and provides support when implementing less‑than‑popular decisions. Telling the truth early, even when it’s uncomfortable, is a cornerstone of respect and prevents small issues from becoming major problems.
Build Good Working Relationships. This facilitates getting things resolved with less push-back and faster buy‑in. Respect is a two‑way street. Before offering opinions about how things should be done or how a person should view a situation, listen! Remember, hearing and asking open‑ended questions will always build stronger relationships and uncover most concerns.
Plan for Your Replacement. Succession planning and development are crucial for future leaders. When you plan for your replacement, you build respect because you are showing your commitment to the longevity of the company, more than your own personal interests. You never know when your successor will need to step up, either short or long‑term, due to illness, death of a family member, and other issues. The key? Make sure the person is the right one. (SEE #1 above) Too often, a good #2 person does not make a good #1 leader. Don’t skip #1.

To be a respected leader and achieve intended results, implement the five keys. Contact me to accelerate your success.

5 Attitudes Required to Fast Track Career Success

June 25, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

There are many conversations business professionals, executives, and business leaders keep continue to have about why they are unhappy in their jobs or careers. These otherwise qualified individuals live under the false illusion that finding the perfect career or job will automatically have them earning mega-bucks, working for a great boss, and enjoying a great life!

But not so fast! The truth is … if you want to fast track your career success … first, you need to address the elephants in the room as to why you’ve derailed your career.

The Elephant Tracks That Keep You Stuck

Elephant tracks are made by people not bring forth their A Game! They are more focused on gossip, factions, and not doing complete work.

I can do anything, but don’t want to do this. According to Gallup, over 80 percent of people are in jobs that don’t fit them.

Gimme, gimme. Many people jump for extra pennies or dollars in their paycheck, but then end up leaving those jobs because they are unhappy!

Grass is greener. All companies have their issues.

I’m too busy. There’s a saying, “If you want something done, give it to a busy person.”

Bigger is better. A bigger company does not mean it is better run, regardless of their bigger budgets!

Rather than believe you’re stuck in a job or career, recognize you are there because of your unwillingness to make the needed changes. Only you are responsible for your work-life happiness!

Your Career Success IS an Inside Job

Remember, it’s an attitude. Take charge of your career.

Understand and clarify your strengths as they are, not as you believe they should be. Learn skill stacking. Take a qualified job fit assessment to clarify job fit.
Professionals who hire the right career or executive coach have a competitive edge, with their current employer or their next one. They enjoy their jobs again.
Empower yourself to ask for help. Stop waiting for someone to show you the right direction.
Stop mimicking others in hopes of becoming happier. Happiness is an inside job!
New opportunities will appear quicker when you have a great mindset and are focused on fulfilling your career goals.
Learn what your boss and the company needs done. Have strategic conversations (yes, many) to ensure you’re on the right track. Then, get busy.
You learn to how sell yourself in a business savvy manner. (https://SeibCo.com/books/).
You write down the top three must-haves for the next job, and take action to fulfill them in your current one!

Fast tracking your career success is an inside job. Focus on building your strengths, working with a coach to develop your EI, and be ready to move forward when opportunities appear.

Being successful in your career isn’t hard. Stop expecting your boss, company, and others to create your success! Look inside yourself. If you are stuck, reach out now before you talk yourself out of it. Contact me.

Listen to: The Business Power Hour: Deb Krier’s 1176 episode with Jeannette Seibly, feel the fear and do it anyway: https://youtu.be/kQLaw_jN50Q

How to Use Technology and AI to Attract and Hire Top Talent

May 19, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

Many social posts and media highlight AI’s value in automating hiring. But they overlook that human interaction is still required.

AI and Technology Excels At:

Finding candidates
Screening for basic qualifications
Scheduling interviews
Managing communication
Tracking candidate progress

AI is Only as Good as a company’s hiring clarity and systems programming:

Cannot infer job success factors a company or hiring manager has not defined (e.g., requiring a four‑year degree vs. hiring for job interest (financial interest for accountants).
Overvalues credentials (e.g., degrees and job titles) and dismisses non‑traditional work (e.g., gig driver).
Cannot improve a job description or ad that is vague, outdated, copied, or contains bias from past hiring decisions. Instead, AI will amplify and automate those flaws and use these biases. The results are not legally defensible.
Can send “thank you” letters, but relies on consistent communication programming – or it can damage a company’s reputation.
Cannot build trust if auto‑responses feel cold or systems fail to notify managers of scheduled interviews.
Doesn’t recognize and value every job candidate as a potential customer, future contract decision maker, or vendor/supplier.

What AI and Technology Cannot Do Right Now:

Tell the difference between subjective and objective data
Listen and determine a candidate’s coachability, resilience, or job curiosity
Evaluate job candidate conduct during an interview (tone, listening skills, trust‑building, authenticity)
Make a hiring decision
Provide legally compliant interview questions or deep‑dive questions into responses
Replace qualified assessments (validated, reliable, legally defensible tools)
Note: AI‑powered personality quizzes are not validated for pre‑employment or promotion use.

AI Legal Risks Often Overlooked:

Several states require transparency when AI is used in hiring
Some states require bias audits of automated hiring tools
The EEOC has issued guidance on AI discrimination

Companies relying on AI without understanding these requirements expose themselves to compliance risk and potential legal challenges.

AI is a tool … not a decision maker. Human discernment is still the differentiator and a critical piece in the hiring and selection process.

Written with help from AI

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author with over 33 years of experience guiding people to empower themselves, transforming workplaces into places that work, and shaping leaders who truly lead.

Want or need to improve your hiring results? We all do. Let’s schedule a conversation to determine where you need to focus first. Contact me to understand and use the power of objective data when hiring.

Using Hiring Assessments to Revive Your Bottom Line

May 11, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

“I started using the right hiring tools and have improved my bottom line.” President, Engineering Company

Companies everywhere must focus on strategies to improve team performance and revive their bottom line. Today, more than ever, there are many qualified job candidates seeking employment. But one bad hire can hurt a company’s retention, revenues, and results.

It starts with hiring and selecting the right employees for the right job … aka job fit, the first time. The challenge is too many companies spend more time evaluating equipment and systems than focusing on using the right tools and hiring practices to find and attract the right people who will use these systems.

“It is not experience that counts, or college degrees or other accepted factors – success hinges on fit with the job.” (Source: Harvard Business Review, Vol. 58, No. 5)

Today, more than ever, collecting objective data by using the right assessments for hiring and selecting the right employees will determine your company’s success and revenues.

Cost of Poor Hiring Practices

As a leader, you know your turnover rate. In fact, you may be proud that it is below industry standards. Yet, the truth is, you do not know how the actual costs of your current hiring practices impact your bottom line. (Think of the client you just lost and the intangible costs!)

Now is a great opportunity to calculate the cost of a bad hire, and how much it costs you to promote the wrong person, or lose a talented team member. When you do this, you will realize you’re losing money each and every quarter, even though your bottom line may be acceptable … not great … just OK!

Not All Assessments Are Created Equal

Not all assessments are designed for hiring and selection purposes. For example, AI‑powered personality quizzes are not validated for pre‑employment or promotion use. Using assessments that have not been statistically validated for pre-employment and selection purposes can get you in legal trouble, and have you rely on subjective, not objective data. Also, the wrong assessment will cause you to hire the wrong person for the right job OR hire the right person for the wrong job.

Why? People are like icebergs: they only let you see what they want you to see and what you don’t see under the surface is often far more significant and costly.

Using the wrong assessment or no assessment at all, allows candidates to tell you what you want to hear not what you need to hear. (Note: most hiring managers miss lies, misinterpret facts, and fail to listen to what a job candidate is actually saying. Deep diving using the Rule of 3 can discern the truth and overcome these issues, if you are listening.)

For example, candidates will…

Talk about the skills and talents they don’t use appropriately. (Or, haven’t used ever.)
Share achievements they didn’t accomplish. (Team work v. individual contributions.)
Win the job offer and not be the same person that shows up to work. (Or, ghosts you!)

These avoidable hiring mistakes will hinder your ability to revive your bottom line, and improve your retention and results.

Use the Right Assessment to Ensure Job Fit

You would not use a screwdriver to put a nail in the wall. The right tool is a hammer. Using the right assessment tools are no different.

There are over 3,000 assessments in the market today. Most do not meet the Department of Labor’s 13 Guidelines for Using Pre-Employment and Selection Assessments (See: Testing and Assessment: An Employer’s Guide to Good Practices, Department of Labor).

How do you choose the right assessment to determine job fit and core values?

There are two options:

Read the DOL’s 13 Guidelines (citation noted two paragraphs above) and review the technical manual for each assessment. A qualified assessment will have a technical manual showing statistically that it meets the validity and reliability guidelines and all other requirements for pre-employment and selection purposes. The key is to ask for the technical manual and refuse to use an assessment for pre-employment and selection purposes without one.
Talk with an assessment expert to guide you through the process.

When you take the time to select the right assessments and use them as directed, they work and will positively revive your bottom line.

*Source: “Hire Amazing Employees: How to Increase Retention, Revenues, and Results!”

©Jeannette Seibly, 2015-2026

Do you have questions about how to use qualified assessments to get the best results? Contact me to understand the power of objective data.

When Employees Refuse to Be Satisfied or Communicate

March 16, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

Some employees, paid or volunteer, refuse to be satisfied. They’re never happy, something is always wrong, and they blame others for their frustrations. The key resolve? Acknowledge you cannot fix what they refuse to own or communicate about. And, if necessary, employment law will determine how and when to let them go.

The Real Issue Often Isn’t Obvious

Many employees, contractors, or volunteers avoid conversations because they lack the skills, confidence, or willingness to talk things out. Leaders avoid tough conversations for the same reasons. When both sides avoid the conversations that need to happen, resentment grows, stories get created, reasons multiply, and the situation spirals into a no‑win cycle for everyone involved.

Leadership isn’t about fixing people. It’s about creating the conditions for clarity, accountability, and growth. But beware, your ego may be doing the talking and thinking. Self‑reflection is required.

When employees are not satisfied, it can show up as:

Hiding behind emails and texts instead of talking
Reacting without facts
Responding emotionally to questions
Being triggered by small things
Being a victim
Needing to be right
Thinking everyone is against them

When leaders encounter these behaviors, it’s crucial to act, determine the real issue, and whether or not you can resolve it.

Good Intentions Aren’t Enough

Some employees (W2 or 1099) or volunteers genuinely want to do well, but they’re never satisfied. They’re unhappy, allow their skepticism free rein, blame others, and drain the team. Here’s what must be in place before you decide whether to keep them or let them go.

1. Job Fit. According to multiple studies, over 80 percent of people today are in jobs that don’t fit them. When job fit is off, communication breaks down, performance drops, and dissatisfaction skyrockets. Use a qualified job‑fit assessment to determine whether the person is correctly placed in the right role, and identify any coaching you may have overlooked and any adjustments to their job responsibilities.

In the future, when you hire, promote, or transfer someone, use a strategic job‑fit hiring process. When followed, it will reduce dissatisfaction and poor job fit. (Grab your copy of Hire Amazing Employees. Note: An employment attorney bought copies of Hire Amazing Employees for clients struggling with hiring. All but one improved. The one who didn’t? Never read the book.)

For a volunteer, the same principles apply: Ensure they’re in a role that matches their interests, strengths, and available time. Volunteers often say yes out of goodwill, not fit. When the role doesn’t align with who they are, they become frustrated, disengaged, or overly critical, just like an employee in the wrong job.

Have a simple conversation and deep dive into the real reason they volunteered. This conversation will usually clarify whether they’re in the right place, need to be reassigned to a role that better suits them, or it’s time for them to move on.

2. Training. Once you have the right person in place, onboarding and training must begin immediately, preferably before their first day. The right‑fit person appreciates training.

The wrong‑fit person:

Takes coaching personally
Fears feedback
Loathes training
Interprets direction as criticism

This should be a sign, not a surprise, when job fit is missing.

3. Communication Skills. Many people today lack strong communication skills. They rely on electronics, emojis, and avoidance. During their primary education years, they never developed the depth and breadth needed to express ideas, resolve upsets, or talk things out. This leads to misunderstandings, assumptions, and unnecessary drama. Provide ongoing training and lead by example.

4. Tough Conversations. Avoiding tough conversations only deepens resentment. Leaders must be willing to talk things out, even when it’s uncomfortable.

Role-play with your executive coach. Prepare. Get grounded. One well‑prepared conversation can shift everything or reveal that nothing will change.

It’s up to you as the leader to initiate and take responsibility for listening and communicating in a manner they can hear. Beware of using manipulation or being manipulated. This is an opportunity for dissatisfaction to decrease or for the person to find other opportunities.

5. Let Them Go. If you’ve had the conversations and it’s still not working, and the issue is not harassment or discrimination, it may be time to let them go.

If harassment or discrimination is involved, you must address it immediately with your attorney or HR and document everything.

Letting someone go isn’t failure. It’s leadership.

Leadership Requires Clarity and Courage

Leadership is about creating the conditions for clarity, accountability, and growth. When someone refuses to communicate, take responsibility, or participate in solutions, it negatively impacts the entire team. Strong leaders recognize when they’ve done their part and when it’s time to make a decisive, responsible choice for the health of their organization.

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author with over 33 years of experience guiding people to empower themselves, transforming workplaces into places that work, and shaping leaders who truly lead.

Review your team this week to identify where job fit, communication gaps, or unresolved issues are creating friction. Then take one decisive step: have the tough conversation, adjust a role, provide training, or reassign or release someone who is not a match. Leadership requires action. Contact me to address difficult concerns and move your team forward.

Why Companies Fail to Hire Top Talent

January 12, 2026 by Jeannette Seibly

If your job ad has been running for weeks, the problem isn’t the talent pool. It’s your hiring preparation, your lack of clarity, and your poor follow through.

We’ve all seen the posts: “We can’t find the right person.” Yet the same ads run week after week, sometimes month after month, while leaders insist they’ve reviewed hundreds of applicants with no success.

Let’s be honest: the problem isn’t the talent pool. The problem is the company, the hiring boss or leader, and/or lack of a clear selection system.

Top talent hasn’t disappeared. It’s being overlooked, filtered out, or scared away by hiring practices that haven’t evolved since 2020.

Why Does This Really Happen?

Lack of objective data. This is the #1 culprit. Too many leaders still trust their “gut” which is just bias wearing a nice suit.
Lack of clarity. Job descriptions are skimmed, recycled, or written by committee. If you can’t articulate what success really looks like, you can’t hire for it.
Combining jobs to save money. Wanting someone who is both detail obsessed and a big picture innovator? That’s not a unicorn. That’s a fantasy. And fantasies don’t reduce turnover.
Not involving the team. Instead of asking the people who actually depend on the right person being hire, leaders guess what the job requires.
Failure to onboard. If you can’t clearly explain expectations to a candidate and don’t have a 180‑Day Success Plan, you have wishful thinking.

Let’s Get Real in 2026

Follow a well-designed strategic job‑fit hiring plan. One client had over 100% turnover. They said, after implementing a structured hiring system and holding managers accountable, turnover dropped below ten percent. (SEE Chapter 2, Hire Amazing Employees for guidance to develop a practical system.)
Use qualified assessments. Valid, reliable honesty‑integrity and job‑fit assessments reveal who the candidate really is not who they pretend to be in an interview. (SEE Chapter 9, Hire Amazing Employees)
Use a structured interview format. Feelings and intuition derail good decisions. Ask every candidate the same job‑related questions and use the Rule of 3 to dig deeper. (SEE Chapters 4 and 10, Hire Amazing Employees for practical guides to get started. One employment attorney said the questions alone are worth the price of the book.)
Stop delaying decisions. Strong candidates won’t wait while you “think about it.” If they meet or exceed requirements, complete your due diligence and make the offer. (SEE Chapter 19, Hire Amazing Employees)
Onboard with intention. Culture, expectations, and weekly follow‑up matter. When top talent leaves, others follow. Onboarding is retention. (SEE Chapter 20, Hire Amazing Employees)

The Truth Leaders Need to Hear

Companies don’t have a talent shortage—they have a clarity shortage.
If you’re still hiring the way you did five years ago, you’re already behind.
Top talent isn’t rejecting you because they’re picky. They’re rejecting you because they can tell you’re not ready for them.
Hiring is not a scavenger hunt. It’s a strategic discipline.
If your hiring process depends on luck, you’re not hiring, you’re gambling.

If you want to win the talent game in 2026, stop treating hiring as a side job. Top performers can instantly tell whether a company is prepared or improvising. The companies that rise will be the ones willing to do the unglamorous work of preparation and follow‑through. Good hiring isn’t luck.

Jeannette Seibly is a Leadership Results Coach, Talent Advisor, and Business Author with 33 years of experience guiding leaders and executives to achieve exceptional results. She delivers practical coaching and innovative solutions for hiring, leadership development, and performance success. Successful leaders have coaches—connect with Jeannette to elevate your results and impact in 2026.

Need help discerning what is working and not working in your hiring plan? Contact me for a confidential conversation to ensure you’re ready to hire top talent.

2026 Is Right Around the Corner! Are You Ready to Achieve Real Sales Results?

December 23, 2025 by Jeannette Seibly

As 2025 winds down, every company is asking the same question: are we truly on track for a profitable finish? Some will succeed. Many won’t. And whether you’re ready or not, 2026 is around the corner.

Beyond sales and profitability numbers, objective data is scarce. Too often, we lean on excuses: Why someone couldn’t follow through, or stories like, “our top customer has been out of the country for six months.” We downplay lackluster results and cling to hope. But hope is not a strategy.

In 2026, let’s replace hope with hard data. Let’s turn numbers into strategies, and strategies into results so by year’s end, you don’t just meet your projections, you surpass them.

7 Tips to Achieve Real Results

1. Hire the Right People. Not everyone can sell your products or services, no matter what they’ve sold before. As the old saying goes, “Just because they can sell Cadillacs in Boston doesn’t mean they can sell Lincolns in Denver.” The key is to get real about who you hire and get real data about their natural ability to prospect, persist, and close. Use a qualified job-fit sales assessment that provides consistent, objective data.

Low assertiveness: A candidate who is “too nice” may build rapport but struggle to ask for the sale.
Team-dependent: Someone who thrives only in group settings may falter when left to hunt alone.
Mismatch of style: A polished corporate seller may not adapt well to scrappy startup environments.

2. Coach with Laser-Focused Accuracy. The right job fit assessment also sharpens your coaching. (SEE Chapter 9, Hire Amazing Employees) Address the real “why” behind a salesperson’s struggles. For instance, telling a rep to meet more people when they already have plenty of contacts won’t help. Instead, coach them on how to engage those contacts and uncover buying interest.

3. Stop Relying on Technology to Fix Sales Performance. A new CRM or AI tool won’t magically improve results. These are tools, not producers. Without the right salespeople, technology only makes things worse. Low performers hide behind learning systems, while high performers resent being slowed down from meeting prospects and closing deals.

4. Engage Customers Every Quarter. Quarterly engagement keeps customers loyal and more likely to refer you. Use a scorecard to focus conversations on quality, service, and pricing, and how you can help them in the future. Training is essential to make these discussions effective.

5. Hold Daily Sales Team Huddles. If you’re not already doing this, start now. A 10- to 20-minute STAND-UP HUDDLE each morning keeps everyone accountable. Standing shortens the meetings and makes it harder for low performers to hide. Focus on progress and needed adjustments. Don’t let excuses derail creativity and sales results.

6. Train for the Details. Years ago, a sales expert told me: successful salespeople know the details of their products and services. That wisdom made a huge difference in my own results. Provide weekly training, updates, and stories. And remember, repetition works.

7. Acknowledge Results. Recognition works wonders. Acknowledge individuals and your team by sharing brags. Use a dashboard to show weekly results. This builds support when someone is stuck and motivates everyone to do more of what’s working.

Jeannette Seibly, an award-winning Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author, has guided thousands of executives and business leaders to achieve remarkable success over the past 33 years. Her specialty is delivering innovative solutions for hiring, coaching, and leadership challenges—with excellence and accountability at the core.

Want objective, real-world data on your sales team? Contact me today to find out how.