Stop Hiring People You Like: The 2026 Guide to AI & Data Talent

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Are you hiring for "culture fit" or for outcomes? In 2026, that distinction will determine if your Salesforce team sinks or swims.

Most hiring managers are falling into the "Mirror-tocracy" trap—hiring people just like them instead of the talent they actually need. In Part 2 of our ecosystem outlook, Josh Matthews and Scott Stafford reveal why "gut feel" is a career-killer and how the hiring landscape has shifted.

If you want to build a high-performing team that can actually orchestrate AI, you have to change how you interview.

In this episode:

• The 20% Rule: Why paying more for "Orchestrators" saves you $100k in the long run.
• The Live Prompt Test: A simple, 2-minute tactical test to see if a candidate is faking their AI skills.
• Data Literacy vs. AI: Why your AI will break if your new hire doesn't understand data relevance.
• The Tom Graber Story: How a "weird" first impression led to one of the best hires in Josh’s 35-year career.
• Merit vs. Familiarity: Practical steps to override your brain's hiring bias.

Featured Opportunity: We are currently hiring for a Salesforce Marketing/Data Cloud Pro (Chicago/Hybrid). View details at thesalesforcerecruiter.com.

Connect with the Show:

• YouTube: Joshforce Channel
• Web: thesalesforcerecruiter.com