Problems with Hiring a Superstar

Hiring a superstar seems like a no-brainer. Who wouldn’t want a high performer to elevate their business?

But many companies underestimate the sheer effort required to not only secure top talent but also keep them engaged.

Without a solid plan, you risk wasting time, money, and resources trying to onboard someone who might leave just as quickly as they arrived. The result? Disappointment, high turnover, and lost momentum.

At The Metiss Group, our expertise in leadership development and talent selection helps us guide clients as they overcome the problems with hiring a superstar.

In this article, we’ll walk you through the realities of hiring and retaining top-tier talent, giving you the tools to make sure your investment in a superstar pays off.

The first problem with hiring a superstar is everyone wants them

The first problem with hiring a superstar is they’re in high demand. Everyone wants them.

This makes them expensive. They’re more willing to negotiate for a higher salary, and they’re more likely to walk away if you don’t meet their counteroffer.

After all, they often have competing offers, so they have the power to be inflexible. You need to ask yourself if you can afford a superstar, or if it’d be a better investment to develop a future superstar.

Superstar candidates make you want to skip the hiring process

Because superstars are in high demand, you’ll feel the need to rush through the hiring process. You’ll probably tell yourself you need to make an offer as soon as possible before someone else does.

And there is some truth to this. A 2024 study by Morgan McKinley found that 24% of employers said a slower hiring process was one reason they lost out on hiring talent in 2023.

Although you need to accelerate the hiring process for a superstar — potentially working nights and weekends to help push them through the process — it doesn’t mean you can cut corners.

There are imposters out there. Some candidates are easy to fall in love with from the beginning, and in your rush to hire them as quickly as possible, you’ll turn a blind eye to their red flags.

So accelerate the process for the superstars, but don’t cut corners. Give them a real work-product assignment so you can see what it’d be like to work with them (for example, give an programmer an assignment to debug code, or ask a salesperson to prepare a presentation on their favorite topic). And make sure your key interviewers have flexible schedules so there aren’t any bottlenecks in the hiring process.

You’ll have to put in more work keeping superstars engaged through the hiring process

Once your superstar has accepted your offer, they’ll likely need to give a two-week notice to their current employer.

This presents the next challenge with hiring a superstar: this is the most important two weeks of the process. You’ll need to put in the work to keep them engaged through their notice period.

A survey from Robert Half found more than a quarter of job candidates, 28%, renege on job offers after initially accepting them.

Think about it: if your superstar really is a superstar, then their current employer isn’t going to want to let them go. So when they give their notice, everyone from their manager to their coworkers is going to try to convince them to stay.

It starts after the superstar accepts the job offer. We advise our clients to ask their superstars, “Is there anything your current employer could do or say that would make you stay? What if they offer you more money? What if they offer you a promotion?” The goal here is to help the superstar build a script of how they’ll respond when this inevitably happens.

Ask the superstar when they’re giving their notice. Then, send them an email that morning wishing them good luck, and send them another email at the end of the day asking them how they went. Not only will it bring you comfort to know that they’ve officially given their notice, but it’ll also show them how much you care.

Next, order business cards with the supervisor’s new title, and mail them to their house. If they’re truly excited about the role, they’ll pass them out to their family and friends, further cementing their identity as an employee at your company.

We also recommend scheduling a casual get-together with the superstar during the notice period. This could be after-work drinks or a lunch. Invite their new coworkers and manager as well.

Finally, you should also send them onboarding materials during the notice period. This will help them hit the ground running on their first day.

Putting in this much work before the superstar comes on board presents a challenge for many employers, but it greatly reduces the chance they’ll renege on their offer.

Superstars can be tough to work with

Another problem with hiring superstars is they can be tough to work with. Some are so used to the spotlight, they don’t want to work with others.

We often see superstars have a difficult time accepting their imperfections. If their previous employers have treated them like they walk on water, they might believe they’re always right. An article in Harvard Business Review said, “Stars are unusually slow to adopt fresh approaches to work, primarily because of their past successes.”

You’ll also need to look at who manages the superstar — “C” managers have a tough time with “A” players. The same Harvard Business Review article found managers, resentful of the superstar’s pay and status, could avoid the superstar and refuse to cooperate. So you’ll need to ask yourself, can your managers handle superstar talent, or do they need leadership development?

Finally, you’ll need to keep a close eye on your superstars

Remember, everyone wants your superstar. They’re the easiest to leave. Even past the notice period, they could have people from their past company begging them to come back. Or they could have headhunters messaging them on LinkedIn with new job offers.

Keep them challenged, or they could get bored. You’ll need to give them a path for development to ensure their engagement and success in your company.

But on the other hand, don’t ask them to fill every gap. When a “C” player gives mediocre performance, managers will often ask the superstar to offset the workload because they know the superstar’s work will be perfect. Over time, the superstar will resent the disproportionately high workload.

So yes, the challenge with hiring and keeping a superstar is that it takes more work. As a business owner or hiring manager, you’ll need to ask yourself if you’re able to give the superstar an environment where they can thrive.

The bottom line about problems with hiring a superstar

Hiring a superstar isn’t as straightforward as it seems.

Although it sounds appealing to bring high-performing talent on board, the process is filled with hidden challenges, ranging from competition in recruitment, to managing egos, to the risk of turnover.

Many companies set out to hire a superstar hoping they’ll quickly boost performance, only to find themselves overwhelmed by the effort required to recruit, engage, and retain these high-demand individuals. Without the right strategy, organizations may waste valuable time, resources, and energy.

At The Metiss Group, we help organizations identify, recruit, and nurture top talent. With the right approach, you can avoid the pitfalls of hiring superstars and create an environment where even the best performers can thrive.

Now that you understand the extra work required by hiring a superstar, next you need to learn how to unlock the success process with The Metiss Group’s coaching philosophy. This will help you ensure your next superstar is engaged and set up for success.