School of Hiring

Send us Fan Mail

Every company has a culture—whether you shape it or not.

It can be intentional or accidental. It can fuel performance or quietly tear your business apart. And the difference between a thriving company and one stuck in survival mode? Often, it comes down to one thing: leadership.

In this episode of The School of Hiring, I’m joined by Erik Pfannmöller, serial entrepreneur, former Canoe World Champion, and founder of The Culture Code Foundation. Erik has built and exited multiple high-growth companies and now helps organizations develop high-performance cultures that drive innovation, attract top talent, and create long-term, defensible success.

We unpack the often invisible force that shapes businesses—company culture—and the role ego plays in either strengthening or sabotaging it.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why culture is your ultimate competitive advantage
• How ego silently kills team performance and decision-making
• The biggest myths leaders believe about company culture
• What founders must let go of in order to scale successfully
• Whether it’s ever too late to fix a toxic culture
• What business leaders can learn from elite-level sport

Whether you're a founder building from scratch or a leader trying to fix what's broken, this episode is packed with insights on how to lead with humility, clarity, and purpose—and build a culture that lasts.

📝 Podcast Show Notes

Guest: Erik Pfannmöller – Serial Entrepreneur, Culture Builder, Former Canoe World Champion, Founder of The Culture Code Foundation.

Topics We Cover:

• The DNA of high-performance teams
• Why most leaders misunderstand what company culture really is
• Where ego helps—and where it destroys—leadership
• Letting go as a founder and learning to trust your team
• How to build “unhackable” cultures that competitors can’t copy
• What sports teach us about leadership, resilience, and feedback
• Why culture starts at the top—and how to keep it from going toxic

Key Resources Mentioned:

• 📘 Win from Within by James Heskett
• 📘 The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle
• 📺 How Apple’s Culture Evolved Over Time (YouTube – from min 12)

Connect with Erik:
🌐 Website: erikpfannmoeller.de
💼 LinkedIn: Erik Pfannmöller

Connect with Konstanty / The School of Hiring:
🌐 schoolofhiring.com
💼 Konstanty on LinkedIn

Follow Konstanty Sliwowski on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sliwowskik/

For more insights check out www.schoolofhiring.com and newsletter.schoolofhiring.com

Send us Fan Mail

Most leaders think they know how to make a good hire.

They trust their instincts. They believe their experience helps them spot the right candidate.

But what if that confidence is misplaced?

What if they’re unknowingly repeating the same hiring mistakes—costing their companies millions?

In this episode of The School of Hiring, I’m joined by Tim Freestone, founder of Alooba and host of the Objective Hiring podcast. Tim has spent years studying why hiring fails, and how companies can fix it with data-driven, validated insights.

We break down:

Why most hiring decisions are built on false confidence
The biggest hiring mistakes companies don’t even realize they’re making
Why intuition and experience aren’t enough to judge candidates
How data-driven hiring improves accuracy without losing the human element
Why companies that don’t fix hiring set themselves up for failure
This is not just about hiring. It’s about breaking free from flawed decision-making and learning how to build truly great teams.

How hiring will evolve in the next decade
What today’s hiring managers need to change
Tim’s one piece of advice for leaders who want to master hiring

Guest Links:

🔹 Tim Freestone LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-freestone-alooba/
🔹 Alooba: https://www.alooba.com

Host Links:

🔹 Konstanty Sliwowski LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sliwowskik/
🔹 School of Hiring Website: https://www.schoolofhiring.com

Follow Konstanty Sliwowski on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sliwowskik/

For more insights check out www.schoolofhiring.com and newsletter.schoolofhiring.com

Send us Fan Mail

Hiring is not just about finding the right skills. It is about identifying who can truly deliver results when it matters most.

In this episode of The School of Hiring, Konstanty Sliwowski sits down with Andrew Sridhar, a former Navy SEAL turned tech leader who has led high-stakes teams in combat, Wall Street, and AI-driven businesses worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Andrew has seen firsthand what separates elite leaders from the rest and how bad hiring decisions can derail even the best teams. His experience spans the military, finance, and cutting-edge AI product development, making his insights on leadership, resilience, and hiring some of the most valuable you will hear.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

🔥 The difference between leading in combat and leading in business—and what founders can learn from it
🔥 How to identify and hire real leaders (not just those who look good on paper)
🔥 Why resilience is the ultimate hiring filter—and how to assess it in candidates
🔥 The biggest hiring mistakes across the military, finance, and tech
🔥 Why AI will never replace human leadership in hiring

If you are a founder, hiring manager, or leader looking to build teams that can thrive under pressure and deliver when it counts, this episode is a must-listen.

This is a rare conversation that bridges leadership lessons from Navy SEAL operations, Wall Street trading floors, and AI-driven companies into one powerful discussion on hiring, resilience, and leadership.

If you want to hire and lead with clarity, precision, and confidence, this episode will change the way you think about who you bring onto your team.

Connect with Andrew Sridhar:

🔹 LinkedIn: Andrew Sridhar
🔹 Newsletter & Podcast: The Warrior Poet

Connect with Konstanty Sliwowski & The School of Hiring:

🔹 Website: School of Hiring
🔹 LinkedIn: Konstanty Sliwowski

📢 Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a hiring manager or leader who needs to hear this!

Follow Konstanty Sliwowski on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sliwowskik/

For more insights check out www.schoolofhiring.com and newsletter.schoolofhiring.com

Send us Fan Mail

Hiring is broken. The same outdated interview questions. The same awkward silences. The same hiring managers convinced they’re great interviewers—when in reality, they’re driving top talent away.

In this episode of The School of Hiring, Konstanty Sliwowski sits down with Lorna Erickson and Victoria Gates, co-founders of Expert Interviewers, who have built a following of nearly 200,000 people on TikTok (@expertinterviewers) by exposing the worst hiring practices in brutally honest (and hilarious) ways.

But don’t let the comedy fool you—between the three of us, we’ve conducted over 25,000 interviews. We’ve seen it all:
🚩 The painfully bad interview questions that should have died in the ‘90s
🚩 Interviewer egos that ruin great hiring decisions
🚩 The hiring mistakes companies keep repeating—over and over again

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

🔥 What actually makes a great interviewer (and why most people aren’t as good as they think)
🔥 The biggest hiring mistakes that are costing companies top talent
🔥 The worst interview questions ever asked—why they exist and how to replace them
🔥 How ego in hiring is ruining great hires and what to do about it
🔥 Why AI-led interviews are failing—and what the future of hiring really looks like

This episode will make you laugh, cringe, and rethink everything you know about hiring. If you’ve ever sat through a terrible interview, you’ll feel a little too seen.

Don’t miss this one!

Detailed Show Notes:

🎙️ The State of Interviewing Today

• The biggest red flags that reveal an interviewer has no idea what they’re doing
• Interview practices that should have died years ago but are still being used today
• The real problem with “hiring for culture fit”—and what to do instead

🎙️ Breaking Down Bad Interviews

• Ego in hiring—how to spot it and how to fix it
• The absolute worst interview questions ever asked (this will hurt)
• The one question more hiring managers should be asking

🎙️ The Science of Interviewing

• What separates an average interviewer from an exceptional one
• Is gut instinct in hiring a superpower or just bias wrapped in confidence?
• The biggest hiring myths that companies need to stop believing

🎙️ The Future of Hiring

• Will AI-led interviews ever work? Or are they just making hiring worse?
• If we could rebuild hiring from scratch, what would it actually look like?

🎙️ Rapid Fire Round (Quick-Hit Hiring Hot Takes)

🔥 Worst interview trend right now?
🔥 Best way to tell if a candidate is bullshitting?
🔥 One thing every hiring manager should stop doing immediately?
🔥 What’s worse: an awkward interview or an interrogation-style one?
🔥 If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing?

Why You Should Listen

If you’re hiring, being hired, or just want to know why interviewing feels so broken, this episode is packed with insights, laughs, and brutally honest truths about what needs to change in hiring today.

Listen now and learn how to stop making bad hires—and start building better teams.

Follow Konstanty Sliwowski on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sliwowskik/

For more insights check out www.schoolofhiring.com and newsletter.schoolofhiring.com

Send us Fan Mail

How intentional are you when hiring your next employee? Are you relying on outdated practices or picking random questions from an AI-generated list? 

Don’t worry—we’ve all been there. But what if you had a system? What if taking a more strategic approach to your hiring process could help you attract top talent, retain them longer, and avoid costly mistakes?

This week, Konstanty Sliwowski, founder of the School of Hiring, who has conducted over 12,000 documented interviews speaks with Erin Hatzikostas of the b-Cause Work Doesn't Have To Suck podcast. 

Konstanty is here to completely transform the way you think about hiring and interviewing.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

1️⃣ The real cost of bad interviews—and how to fix them.
2️⃣ Why a Hiring Blueprint is far more effective than a generic job description.
3️⃣ Konstanty’s favorite interview questions and the game-changing reasons behind them.
4️⃣ The 50% surge in ATS applications—and how it impacts your hiring strategy.
5️⃣ The concept of “rusting out” at work—and how to avoid it for yourself and your team.

If you’ve ever felt like hiring is a gamble, this episode is for you. It’s time to adopt a proven framework, make better hiring decisions, and build the high-performing team you’ve always dreamed of.

Links and Resources:
👉 Connect with Konstanty on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sliwowskik/
👉 Explore the School of Hiring: https://schoolofhiring.com/

Follow Konstanty Sliwowski on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sliwowskik/

For more insights check out www.schoolofhiring.com and newsletter.schoolofhiring.com

Send us Fan Mail

Are we approaching hiring backward? In this thought-provoking episode of the School of Hiring podcast, I sit down with the brilliant Dr. Diane Hamilton to explore a radical new lens on hiring. Dr. Hamilton, a globally recognized thought leader, Forbes contributor, and creator of the Curiosity Code Index®, challenges the traditional focus on skills and behaviors in hiring. Instead, she introduces the concept of outcomes-based hiring as the key to aligning talent with business success.

Named one of today’s top leadership voices alongside Elon Musk and Sheryl Sandberg, Dr. Hamilton has worked with leaders from Adobe, NASA, and General Motors. Her expertise sheds light on one of the most persistent hiring truths: companies hire for skills but fire for behaviors. Together, we dive into practical strategies hiring managers, HR leaders, and executives can use to build better teams and achieve measurable results.

Whether you’re rethinking your hiring process or positioning yourself as a top candidate, this episode is packed with actionable insights you can apply today.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Skills vs. Behaviors vs. Outcomes: Why hiring for outcomes bridges the gap between business needs and real-world performance.
• The Curiosity Advantage: How curiosity can transform the hiring process for both managers and candidates.
• Behavioral Blind Spots: Practical advice for avoiding common hiring mismatches.
• The Perception Puzzle: How subconscious biases influence hiring decisions—and what you can do to overcome them.
• Lessons from Leadership: What today’s most influential leaders do differently when building high-performing teams.

Key Questions Explored:

1. How has curiosity evolved as a critical driver of innovation and hiring success?
2. Why do companies continue to struggle with assessing behaviors, and how can they improve?
3. What can hiring managers learn from leaders like Ken Fisher, Martha Stewart, and Brene Brown?
4. How does perception shape hiring outcomes, and how can we minimize bias?

About Our Guest:
Dr. Diane Hamilton is a Forbes contributor, keynote speaker, and author of Cracking the Curiosity Code and Curiosity Unleashed. As the creator of the Curiosity Code Index® and Perception Power Index, she’s developed groundbreaking tools that help leaders drive innovation, engagement, and productivity. Dr. Hamilton has been recognized globally for her work, including being named one of today’s top leadership voices.

Actionable Takeaways:

1. Assess for Outcomes: Shift your interview strategy to focus on what success looks like in the role—not just on skills or past behaviors.
2. Leverage Curiosity: Use curiosity as a metric for identifying candidates who can adapt, innovate, and grow with your company.
3. Mind Your Perceptions: Challenge your biases by using structured interviews and validated tools to evaluate talent objectively.

🎧 Tune in to rethink how you hire—and how you build teams that drive success.

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe to the School of Hiring podcast for more expert insights and actionable strategies.

Follow Konstanty Sliwowski on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sliwowskik/

For more insights check out www.schoolofhiring.com and newsletter.schoolofhiring.com

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome to The School of Hiring! In this episode, Konstanty Sliwowski is joined by Alex Domene, former CTO of LucaNet and current Board Member of G&H Banking Software. With his extensive experience in engineering leadership and product development, Alex offers a fascinating perspective on the evolving role of engineers in today’s tech-driven world.

Together, Konstanty and Alex explore critical topics shaping the future of engineering and hiring:

• Redefining the Role of Engineers: How the modern engineer’s responsibilities have expanded in complexity and diversity, from architecture and toolchains to AI and DevOps.
• AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement: Why AI should be seen as a supportive tool—helping engineers generate ideas, solve defects, and enhance productivity—rather than a replacement for human creativity and judgment.
• The School Smarts vs. Street Smarts Debate: Alex shares his take on whether technical expertise or adaptability and problem-solving skills matter more in engineering roles today.
• Effort, Output, and Impact: Inspired by McKinsey’s frameworks, the conversation highlights why focusing solely on effort misses the bigger picture of outcomes and impact in engineering teams.
• Practical AI in Engineering and Hiring: How AI is transforming the hiring process and engineering jobs, and what qualities hiring managers should prioritize in this rapidly changing landscape.

Key Takeaways from McKinsey’s Research:
Alex and Konstanty unpack insights from McKinsey’s 2023 article on engineering KPIs, including frameworks like DORA and SPACE. They discuss how metrics such as Developer Velocity Index, Contribution Analysis, and Talent Capability Score are reshaping how companies assess performance and potential.

Why You Should Listen:
This episode is essential for leaders, hiring managers, and engineers who want to understand the shifting dynamics of engineering work and build teams that thrive in an era of constant innovation and change. Whether you’re exploring AI’s role in hiring, navigating the debate on school smarts vs. street smarts, or seeking actionable strategies to future-proof your team, this conversation is packed with insights.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter:
Stay ahead of the curve in hiring and team building by subscribing to the School of Hiring newsletter at newsletter.schoolofhiring.com. Get exclusive insights, practical tools, and strategies delivered straight to your inbox.

About Alex Domene:
Alex Domene is a seasoned engineering leader with a wealth of experience in product design, development, and delivery. As the former CTO of LucaNet and current Board Member of G&H Banking Software, Alex is responsible for driving innovation and empowering engineering teams to excel in a competitive landscape.

About the Host, Konstanty Sliwowski:
Konstanty is the founder of The School of Hiring, dedicated to helping leaders master the art and science of hiring as a strategic advantage. With nearly 20 years of experience in talent acquisition and building high-performing teams, Konstanty offers practical insights to empower leaders to make better hiring decisions.

Follow Konstanty Sliwowski on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sliwowskik/

For more insights check out www.schoolofhiring.com and newsletter.schoolofhiring.com

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of the School of Hiring, Dr. Mark Smith, founder of A Better Choice Hire and author of A Better Choice: The Manager’s Guide to Skills-First Hiring, joins Konstanty Sliwowski to discuss how outcome-focused and competency-based hiring can transform the way organizations identify top talent. Mark shares his innovative approach to reducing hiring risks, pinpointing leadership potential, and leveraging assessment techniques like role-play to evaluate candidates in real-world scenarios. This episode is packed with actionable strategies to help leaders and hiring managers make more effective, future-proof hiring decisions.

Dr. Mark Smith, is an organizational psychology expert and founder of A Better Choice Hire. With nearly two decades of experience advising top organizations, Mark has redefined how companies approach hiring, shifting the focus from skills to outcomes and competencies that truly drive success.

Mark’s expertise lies in helping organizations minimize hiring risks by evaluating candidates through innovative methodologies such as role-play exercises, which simulate real-world challenges to reveal how candidates perform under pressure. His book, A Better Choice: The Manager’s Guide to Skills-First Hiring, provides a practical framework for managers to make confident, informed decisions.

In this episode, we’ll explore:

• Common Recruiting Pitfalls: Why focusing on resumes and “fit” often leads to poor outcomes—and what to do instead.
• Competency-Based Hiring in Action: How companies can shift from assessing skills to measuring competencies that predict performance.
• Identifying Leadership Potential: Key traits and behaviors that signal a candidate’s ability to lead, and how to uncover them during the hiring process.
• Evaluating for Outcomes, Not Promises: Strategies for assessing a candidate’s ability to deliver results in uncertain and high-stakes environments.
• Role-Play Assessments: How Mark’s approach simulates real-world challenges to evaluate a candidate’s readiness and problem-solving capabilities.
• Minimizing Bias in Hiring Decisions: Techniques to create a fair and effective hiring process that prioritizes competency and outcomes over assumptions.

This conversation is packed with actionable insights for leaders, HR professionals, and hiring managers looking to build teams that can deliver tangible results and thrive in any environment.

About Dr. Mark Smith:
Dr. Mark Smith is a leading expert in organizational psychology and the founder of A Better Choice Hire. His innovative assessment methodologies help organizations hire for outcomes and competencies rather than traditional metrics like resumes or skills alone. Mark’s latest book, A Better Choice: The Manager’s Guide to Skills-First Hiring, outlines practical strategies for modern hiring practices that drive team and organizational success. Learn more about Mark at abetterchoicehire.com and connect with him on LinkedIn.

About the Host, Konstanty Sliwowski:
Konstanty is the founder of the School of Hiring, a platform dedicated to helping leaders master competency-based hiring as a strategic advantage. With nearly 20 years of experience in talent acquisition and building high-performing teams, Konstanty shares actionable insights that empower leaders to achieve better hiring outcomes. Connect with Konstanty on LinkedIn and visit schoolofhiring.com.

Follow Konstanty Sliwowski on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sliwowskik/

For more insights check out www.schoolofhiring.com and newsletter.schoolofhiring.com

Send us Fan Mail

In today’s episode, we’re thrilled to have Andrea Petrone, a seasoned advisor and coach to Fortune 500 leaders, high-growth companies, and transformative mid-sized firms. Andrea brings over two decades of global experience, having worked across seven countries and directly advised more than 250 C-suite leaders.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Shifting to a Legacy Mindset: Andrea dives into the concept of hiring beyond immediate needs, sharing how leaders can align hiring decisions with a long-term vision. We explore specific traits and qualities that support building teams who will carry the organization into the future.
• Balancing “Fit” and “Innovation”: A central theme of the episode is the “fit versus innovation” hiring dilemma. Andrea shares practical insights on how leaders can balance hiring people who integrate with the existing culture while still driving fresh ideas and innovation, particularly in high-stakes environments.
• Uncovering Hidden Leadership Potential: How can executives identify leadership potential that might not be immediately apparent in a standard interview? Andrea shares his tried-and-true techniques for finding candidates who possess not only the right skills but also the qualities that will help them thrive and lead during transformative times.
• Hiring for Resilience and Adaptability in Uncertain Times: In today’s unpredictable business landscape, resilience and adaptability are crucial. Andrea discusses key traits that signal a candidate’s ability to weather change and shares interview strategies to help uncover these qualities.
• Leveraging Cultural Diversity in Global Teams: Drawing from his extensive international experience, Andrea sheds light on the unique challenges and advantages of hiring within culturally diverse teams. He shares actionable advice on how leaders can turn cultural diversity into a competitive advantage, especially during times of rapid change.

If you’re interested in hiring not just for today but for the legacy you want to create, this episode is packed with insights and actionable advice from one of the most trusted voices in the field.

About Andrea Petrone:
Andrea is a strategic advisor and executive coach with a focus on leadership and organizational transformation. Over his career, he has supported leaders in building resilient, impactful teams that thrive in uncertain and complex environments. Andrea hosts the The World Class Leaders Show podcast, where he explores topics around leadership, growth, and high-performance teams. You can connect with Andrea and learn more about his work at andreapetrone.com and on LinkedIn.

About Konstanty Sliwowski:
Konstanty is the founder of the School of Hiring, an initiative dedicated to helping leaders master the art and science of hiring as a competitive advantage. With nearly 20 years in talent acquisition and experience founding and exiting two companies, Konstanty’s focus is on equipping leaders with the tools and insights to build high-performing, cohesive teams. Connect with Konstanty on LinkedIn and learn more about his work at schoolofhiring.com.

Listen to This Episode:
Tune in to learn from Andrea Petrone’s wealth of experience and gain practical strategies for hiring with intention and vision. This episode is a must-listen for leaders and founders looking to shape the future of their organizations through strategic hiring.

Follow Konstanty Sliwowski on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sliwowskik/

For more insights check out www.schoolofhiring.com and newsletter.schoolofhiring.com

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of The School of Hiring, we dive into a critical but often under-discussed element of Germany’s economic engine—the Mittelstand. This sector of small and medium-sized businesses has been a driving force in Germany's economy for over eight decades, and today we explore the unique challenges and strengths it faces in the realm of recruitment and organizational development.

Our guest, Helene Andreas, brings a wealth of knowledge from her global experience and her recent work within the Mittelstand as an investor, advisor, and, as she calls it, "troublemaker." Over the past four years, Helene has helped these family-owned SMEs shape their organizational structures, adapt to change, and master the “people factor.” Her insights offer a unique look at what makes the Mittelstand’s approach to talent and culture both resilient and adaptive in the face of demographic shifts and increasing labor shortages.

Join us as we explore how Mittelstand companies can effectively find, engage, and retain top talent, how they can reshape their cultures to be performance-oriented, and what future-ready strategies Mittelstand leaders can adopt to navigate the evolving workforce.

Key Topics Covered in This Episode:

• What Sets the Mittelstand Apart in Hiring: Helene shares her insights into the unique strengths and challenges of Germany’s SME sector, from recruitment to talent management.
• Strategies for Talent Attraction and Retention: With labor shortages on the rise, Helene discusses effective methods for finding and keeping the right talent in smaller, family-owned businesses.
• Building a Performance-Oriented Culture: Learn about the specific adjustments Helene has implemented to create a culture that values both performance and long-term resilience.
• The Role of People in Driving Resilience and Adaptability: Helene emphasizes how a people-centered approach helps Mittelstand companies stay competitive in a rapidly changing workforce.
• Future-Ready Advice for Mittelstand Leaders: Helene offers actionable advice on preparing for upcoming workforce challenges, including key mindsets and strategies to thrive in the evolving job market.

Key Questions Explored:

1. What unique strengths and challenges set the German Mittelstand apart in managing talent?
2. How can Mittelstand companies find and retain the right people despite demographic changes and labor shortages?
3. What specific cultural adjustments help create a performance-oriented environment within SMEs?
4. How does a focus on hiring, upskilling, and retention drive resilience and adaptability in these companies?
5. What future-focused strategies should Mittelstand leaders adopt to stay competitive and navigate workforce challenges?

Guest Information:
Helene Andreas is an investor, advisor, and organizational development specialist with extensive experience in both global corporations and Germany’s Mittelstand. With a background spanning multiple countries and cultures, Helene’s approach combines strategic insight with hands-on implementation to help SMEs build resilient, people-centered organizations.

Tune in to gain a unique perspective on the German Mittelstand and learn how to build a high-performing, resilient team ready for the future!

Follow Konstanty Sliwowski on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sliwowskik/

For more insights check out www.schoolofhiring.com and newsletter.schoolofhiring.com