Why Hiring Decisions are Driven By Cost Instead of Value, It Can Drain Your Time, Energy, and Growth
You know that saying, “You get what you pay for.” It’s cliché for a reason, because it’s usually true.
I was reminded of this not long ago when I hired a lower-cost handyman for a seemingly simple job. We have numerous projects to undertake on our house, and as a result, we naturally need to be budget-conscious. I conducted some research, spoke to a few people, and found that the less expensive option was perfectly acceptable, as it would accomplish the task without breaking the bank. I figured: “It’ll be fine; how hard could it be?”
Well… it wasn’t fine.
The work was sloppy. Corners were cut, and this 3-hour proposal turned into an 8-hour ordeal that was nowhere near done – in fact, it was worse than before. This guy couldn’t seem to figure out some fundamental aspects of what should have been a simple project for a handyman, and it ended up taking both my boyfriend and me away from work to oversee things, continually answer his questions, and provide hands-on support. By the end of it, it cost us more time than we had available, which is why we hired someone to ‘handle’ it for us in the first place. What should have been a one-and-done task turned into a frustrating, time-consuming mess. I ended up hiring someone else to redo the entire job, paying more in the long run and wishing I’d gone with a seasoned professional from the start.
And it hit me: this is exactly what happens in business when leaders try to save money by hiring too junior, too quickly, or too cheaply. This is what happens when you make hiring decisions driven by cost rather than value. I’m guilty of this, too (clearly!). It’s in our nature to try to get more for less – who doesn’t love a good deal, after all? However, sometimes misaligned hiring decisions occur because we simply do not know who, or what, is the ‘right support’ for us, our needs, our business, and our leadership. So, how do you figure this out?
I hear from founders and leaders all the time when they come to me after making hiring decisions based on cost instead of value. They bring on ostensibly entry-level help expecting high-level results, or wait too long to bring anyone on at all, convinced that bootstrapping and hustle are noble rites of passage.
But here’s the truth: Cheap support is never truly cheap. It often costs more in the long run, in time, frustration, rework, and reputation.
Expertise is the value. If an experienced service provider can execute a job in 30 minutes, it’s because they have spent years, possibly decades, learning how to do that job masterfully in 30 minutes. The energetic transaction here is that they are paid for their years of experience, not the minutes. Jim Rohn said, “You don’t get paid by the hour. You get paid for the value you bring to the hour.”
In business, we’re not paid for our time; we’re paid for our value. Our insight. Our ability to solve problems with clarity and experience. That’s what clients and companies invest in. So why would you hire someone to support your business who isn’t equipped to do the same?
When you hire someone who’s too green, who lacks the polish, expertise, discernment, or strategic foresight to operate alongside you, you end up having to:
- Re-explain tasks repeatedly
- Micromanage outcomes
- Fix mistakes
- And worst of all… stay stuck in the weeds instead of leading
The cost isn’t just monetary. It’s your energy. Your reputation. Your opportunity to lead from a place of abundance and vision, not chaos and chronic overwhelm.
Strategic Support Is an Investment, Not an Expense
Hiring a seasoned Executive Assistant (EA) isn’t a “nice-to-have,” it’s a strategic decision. A high-caliber EA knows how to filter noise, anticipate needs, protect your time, and elevate your business through impeccable communication and operational mastery. They think like you. They move proactively. And they’ve been in the room with decision-makers before.
If I had hired the right handyman the first time, I would have saved money and sanity…and been able to apply what it cost to hire someone to re-do it all to getting other projects accomplished not to mention the opportunity cost of the time we both took away from our work and in re-sourcing another professional. If you invest in the right support early, the same is true for your business.
I invite you to ask yourself:
- What is it costing you to keep doing it all alone?
- What’s the price of burnout, bottlenecks, or missed opportunities?
- Are you really “saving” anything by waiting, or by hiring cheap labor? Do you know how to calculate your opportunity cost accurately?
You deserve support that matches the caliber of the business you’ve built. Not a helper, but a strategic partner.
Are you ready to shift out of chronic chaos and overwhelm? Start by downloading our Founder’s High-ROI Delegation Blueprint, a free resource to help you identify what to delegate first and how to reclaim your time with confidence.
