You Pick the People, They Pick the When

Build relationships with future hires long before you need them

Ayo Omojola
Frameworks for product differentiation, team building, and first principles thinking

You Pick the People, They Pick the When

"When you're hiring you pick the people, but they pick when. There are many, many people on the team who, the time between when I first met them and the time when they joined the team was like months. There was one person who was like, a year and a half almost." - Ayo Omojola

What It Is

This hiring philosophy recognizes that recruitment is a long game. You identify who you want to work with (you pick the people), but they decide when the timing is right for them (they pick when). The gap between meeting someone and hiring them can be months or even years.

The framework shifts hiring from a transactional search ("I have an open role") to a relationship-building practice ("I'm building connections with people I'd love to work with someday"). This requires continuously meeting people, adding value to their lives, and staying connected until the timing aligns.

How It Works

The core insight is that great candidates aren't usually looking when you're hiring, and your open roles aren't always right for people you've just met. By decoupling "identifying talent" from "filling roles," you:

  1. Build a pipeline of relationships with people you'd love to work with
  2. Add value first before expecting anything in return
  3. Stay connected through genuine helpfulness
  4. Convert when timing aligns for both parties

Ayo operationalizes this by constantly meeting people and asking: "How can I add value to your life so you will consider me somebody who you would like to work with one day?"

How to Apply It

  1. Meet people constantly - Don't wait until you have open roles. Build relationships with talented people in your industry regardless of immediate hiring needs.

  2. Be direct about intentions - Tell people explicitly: "I hope we can find a way to work together one day."

  3. Identify what they want - Figure out what the other person is optimizing for right now, even if it's not working with you.

  4. Give away value freely - Connect them to people, opportunities, and resources. As Ayo puts it: "If it is something that you have to give, or you can connect them to, it's criminal not to."

  5. Don't hold cards close - Make introductions, share knowledge, and help without expecting immediate return. Over a long enough time horizon, it compounds.

  6. Stay patient - Some relationships take 18+ months to convert. Maintain the connection through ongoing helpfulness.

When to Use It

  • Building a leadership pipeline: For senior roles where cultural fit and trust matter enormously
  • Competitive talent markets: When the best people are rarely on the market
  • Growing organizations: When you know you'll be hiring but specific timing is uncertain
  • Career development: Works in reverse too—build relationships with leaders you'd want to work for
  • Network building: Even beyond hiring, the philosophy applies to partnerships and collaborations

Source

  • Guest: Ayo Omojola
  • Episode: "Frameworks for product differentiation, team building, and first principles thinking"
  • Key Discussion: (28:46) - The full philosophy and operationalization
  • YouTube: Watch on YouTube

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