The Human Advantage
Insights, guides, and perspectives on building great teams and finding meaningful work.
The Case for Working Interviews
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The Truth About Work
Work isn't a necessary evil. Dignity and purpose come from attempting and accomplishing hard things. This is your reminder to work like you were made for it.
319 views
Not Optimized
Run the numbers on the Continental Army and victory was never the prediction. Numbers can't measure character, courage, or values — and neither can a list of skills.
101 views
Your Work Matters
Whether you're building rocket ships or moving shopping carts, your work matters. Hard work brings dignity to the worker and delight to the customer.
212 views
3 Things You Should Believe About Hiring
Why AI shouldn't make decisions on candidates, how to build an employment brand that attracts top talent, and why people are never just happy accidents. Let's make hiring human.
171 views
How to Beat AI Deepfakes With a Powerfully Human Job Search
AI fraud in hiring has ramped up fast — 86% of recruiters say they've caught a candidate in a lie. A senior recruiter's view from the other side of the table, and how to show up as a real human.
510 views
From "Short Bus" to Serial Entrepreneur — A feature on the Forged in Idaho Podcast
Andrew Crapuchettes sat down with Brad Covington on the Forged in Idaho Podcast to talk through his story — from nearly being put on the short bus to building 10+ businesses.
193 views
Employers and Pronouns: Three is a crowd?
A recent study found employers are far more likely to overlook a resume that includes 'they/them' pronouns. Here's why — and what it says about protecting workplace culture.
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A Great Hiring Rule of Thumb
If someone starts by negotiating how little they can give, they're probably not worth your time. Build a team of people who lean in, not people who only want to kick back.
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Some People Are Catching On To This Too Late
You should never hire someone just because of race or some other characteristic they can't control. Hire whoever is best at the job. Full stop.
746 views
The Kind of Employee That Will Undermine Your Team
One bad employee can undo the work of 10 great employees. You're hiring complete people, not checking a box of skills — screen out the ticking time-bombs.
751 views
An Unpopular Piece of Advice: Fire Quickly
Second chances matter, but keeping a struggling employee in a role where they aren't successful helps no one. People problems don't get better when you ignore them.
788 views
Remember What We've Been Given
We've been handed unmatched technology, information, and opportunity. Don't work with people waiting for perfect circumstances — work with people who feel responsible to build.
731 views
This Kind of Attitude Takes Down Teams
If a candidate's first instinct is to complain and blame-shift instead of taking ownership, they'll bring that habit into your workplace. No great company was built by complainers.
773 views
Hire People Who Want a Wild Opportunity
Every dying company has one thing in common: everyone they hire plays it safe. Hire people who move fast, break ground, and see empty land as the start of something massive.
830 views
Build Something Great
The United States wasn't built by people chasing comfort. Our forefathers were driven by purpose — it's time we saw our work that way again.
856 views
The "Gentle-Parenting" Approach to Business has to Stop
Treating your people as if they don't understand anything is a fast track to resentment. Hire people who are ready to do the job, and then let them do the job.
906 views
We Don't Wait for Easier Times
We don't wait for easier times in this country, we make them. If you're building something important, don't hire people wishing for better conditions — hire the ones who create them.
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Why I Love Being American
We all have a desire to do something great — 'good enough' doesn't have a place in our dictionary. We have better opportunities than any people in history. Don't take it for granted.
707 views
DEI's Divisive Nature
One in six hiring managers have been instructed to discriminate by ethnicity. A look at the destructive effects of DEI's growing dominance in the American workplace.
957 views
DEI: The "E" Stands for Exclusion
DEI policies exclude qualified individuals from promotion, training, and recognition based on race or gender. As Americans, we should judge people for the quality of their work.
940 views
DEI Policies Render the Workplace Ineffective
The I in DEI should stand for 'ineffective.' Forced DEI policies reward who you are over what you do — distorting the free market and rendering the workplace ineffective.
903 views
How An Employee Learned His Company No Longer Respected His Values And Found Freedom
Darin Mitchem thought he'd work at his company until retirement — until it stopped sharing his values. Here's how he found a workplace where he didn't have to choose.
1,145 views
Tired of bad hires? Todd Dexter Assoc. was too. Here's how they threw out the playbook.
A 50-year business collapsed after one values-misaligned hire. Todd Dexter & Associates refused to make the same mistake — so they threw out the playbook.
746 views
It's Better to NOT Hire Than to do This
Too many treat hiring like buying a used car — cheapest deal that checks the most boxes. It's often better to NOT hire than to bring on someone who'll struggle on your team.
721 views
How Firing Can Cost You Money
Cut corners with your team and 9 times out of 10 you don't actually save money — you just delay the bill. Going cheap isn't worth it.
732 views
How a Single Bad Hire can Send You Sideways
All it takes to lose control of your company is one bad hire. Next time you're hiring, make sure your candidates aren't just a skills fit — screen for values-alignment too.
720 views
Think Twice Before a Desperation Over-Share
The job market is tough, but a desperation overshare won't get you hired. Help the recruiter understand your ability and readiness for the role instead.
809 views
Job Seekers Like AI Interviews? Not so Fast...
Someone claimed candidates want to be interviewed by AI. So I polled 636 people. Only 4% were in favor — 96% think hiring should stay in human hands.
761 views
Why I Have ZERO Tolerance for Gossip (and you should too)
I have a strict no-gossip policy in my businesses. Gossip is the fast track to divisive, messy office politics — here's what to encourage instead.
733 views
Job Seekers: Everything on Your Profile Sends a Signal
So much of the hiring process is about signals. Your photo, your name, your tone — work to send signals that show preparation, competence, and effort.
925 views
Most Recruiters Don't Want to Admit This
Your beliefs impact your work. What someone believes about money, work, and people shows up in how they work — beliefs drive behavior, and behavior builds or breaks companies.
715 views
Things You CAN'T Ask in an Interview
You can't ask candidates about their political or religious views. But you can ask open-ended questions about how they view authority, responsibility, and leadership.
779 views
Want a Team That Lasts?
Fields don't plough themselves, and businesses don't build themselves. If you want a team that lasts, hire people who live to answer the call, not just the clock.
758 views
STOP hiring people who nod along.
Safe hires build safe companies, and safe companies don't do anything great. If your mission is ambitious, build your team like it.
733 views
How Great Teams are Built
Negativity is contagious — one person pouting can undo five pulling the right way. Great teams are built on people who put the mission ahead of their moods.
780 views
You Need to Learn to Spot These Guys a Mile Away
Some hires think effort is optional and accountability is a personal attack. Not every candidate will have a good effect on your business — hire like that's the case.
710 views
This Lie Needs to Stop
“The future of hiring is NO hiring.” That's a lie. New tech can't replace your need to surround yourself with wise, skilled, virtuous people.
797 views
Legacy Hiring is Dying
Post-and-pray job boards or $50k headhunters — for decades there was no common-sense option in the middle. That's exactly what we built at RedBalloon.
945 views
Job Seekers: Do Yourself a Favor
The #1 interview mistake recruiters wish they could eliminate: candidates who don't know the job or company they applied to. Do your homework.
733 views
How NOT to Use AI
A candidate told my recruiter ChatGPT said they were a 90% match. No great team is built by people who give up thinking for themselves.
765 views
My Friend had this Role Open for Over a Year
Troy Miller couldn't fill a CFO role for 18 months. After RedBalloon's recruiter process, he had three superstar candidates who fit his culture perfectly.
800 views
Skills Can Always Be Trained... But Character?
Skills can be easily trained. Values, character, and work ethic are much harder. When you're hiring, don't just learn if a candidate can do the job — learn how they do it.
728 views
How to Find People with Strong Work Ethic
You can't always teach work ethic, but you can hire it. Stop asking candidates only where they've worked and start finding out how they work.
730 views
You NEED to Ask Candidates This Question
One interview question reveals a candidate's real character: “What other responsibilities do you have in your life, and how do you balance those with work?”
743 views
Operation Dynamo
The Miracle of Dunkirk was pulled off by 800 vessels, 90% of them “not the right fit” on paper. The lesson for hiring: look past the corporate mold and search for mission fit.
792 views
Not Optimized
On paper, Audie Murphy was the last person you'd pick. Character and grit can't be reduced to 1s and 0s — and that's exactly what takes someone from “not optimized” to legendary.
775 views
What AI Can Never Replace
Humans are designed to do great work together. New tech doesn't change that — wise, skilled, virtuous people are still irreplaceable.
968 views
What NOT to Include on Your Resume
There is plenty of generic resume advice out there. We asked our recruiters the opposite question — and their answer was unanimous.
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