The week 1 mini-lecture made the case that a company’s most important function is recruitment and selection, but I’m not entirely convinced. While hiring the right people is definitely important, I think there are legit reasons why some companies might choose to put more focus and funding into some other areas like marketing or product design.
For example, if a company is trying to launch a new product or gain traction in a competitive market, marketing might need to be the center of focus. Without strong marketing and a product that stands out, there may not even be a business left to staff. It’s also possible that startups or smaller businesses just don’t have the resources to invest in a premium hiring process, they might have to make do with what they have and focus on building the brand first.
This has both advantages and disadvantages, as is to be expected. On the plus side, investing in product design or marketing can help a company grow faster, attract customers, and bring in revenue. But the downside is that poor recruitment and selection can hurt that growth in the long run. If you don’t hire the right people, you end up with high turnover, burnout, or employees who don’t align with the company’s values, and that’s expensive and messy to fix. In the end, I think it’s all about timing and balance. Maybe recruitment is not always the most important function; sometimes it has to take a back seat while other aspects of the business take center stage.
