A few years ago, WeWork became a surprising example of what happens when work grows faster than it is designed. At its peak, the company was expanding into new cities almost every week. Community managers, who were originally hired to host events and support members, suddenly found themselves juggling leasing conversations, handling operational issues, managing vendors, troubleshooting technology problems, and even acting as informal sales representatives. The title stayed the same, but the work multiplied.
Employees often described the role as “five jobs wearing one badge.” As responsibilities blurred, decision-making slowed, accountability became unclear, and operational consistency started to crack across locations. The lesson was simple but powerful. The company did not just scale fast. It scaled confusion. When work design fails to keep up with growth, even strong brands begin to feel the strain.
Stories like this appear often in fast-growing companies. Leaders assume they have a hiring problem when, in reality, the work itself has not been clearly designed. When roles expand faster than responsibilities are defined, hiring becomes guesswork rather than strategy.
If you speak with enough hiring managers, a familiar frustration emerges quickly.
“We cannot find the right people.”
It sounds like a talent shortage. It feels like a talent shortage. But in many cases, it is neither.
Across industries, organizations are investing more than ever in recruitment tools, job platforms, and hiring strategies. Yet the same roles remain open for months. Employees who do join often leave sooner than expected. Teams continue searching for “better candidates,” even after several hiring cycles.
According to research from McKinsey, 87 percent of organizations report skill gaps or expect them within a few years. Gallup’s workforce studies also show that employee engagement continues to struggle globally despite increased hiring activity.
This raises an uncomfortable question.
What if the issue is not the talent pool?
What if the issue is the work itself?
A few years ago, WeWork became a surprising example of what happens when work grows faster than it is designed. At its peak, the company was expanding into new cities almost every week. Community managers, who were originally hired to host events and support members, suddenly found themselves juggling leasing conversations, handling operational issues, managing vendors, troubleshooting technology problems, and even acting as informal sales representatives. The title stayed the same, but the work multiplied.
Employees often described the role as “five jobs wearing one badge.” As responsibilities blurred, decision-making slowed, accountability became unclear, and operational consistency started to crack across locations. The lesson was simple but powerful. The company did not just scale fast. It scaled confusion. When work design fails to keep up with growth, even strong brands begin to feel the strain.
Stories like this appear often in fast-growing companies. Leaders assume they have a hiring problem when, in reality, the work itself has not been clearly designed. When roles expand faster than responsibilities are defined, hiring becomes guesswork rather than strategy.
If you speak with enough hiring managers, a familiar frustration emerges quickly.
“We cannot find the right people.”
It sounds like a talent shortage. It feels like a talent shortage. But in many cases, it is neither.
Across industries, organizations are investing more than ever in recruitment tools, job platforms, and hiring strategies. Yet the same roles remain open for months. Employees who do join often leave sooner than expected. Teams continue searching for “better candidates,” even after several hiring cycles.
According to research from McKinsey, 87 percent of organizations report skill gaps or expect them within a few years. Gallup’s workforce studies also show that employee engagement continues to struggle globally despite increased hiring activity.
This raises an uncomfortable question.
What if the issue is not the talent pool?
What if the issue is the work itself?
A few years ago, WeWork became a surprising example of what happens when work grows faster than it is designed. At its peak, the company was expanding into new cities almost every week. Community managers, who were originally hired to host events and support members, suddenly found themselves juggling leasing conversations, handling operational issues, managing vendors, troubleshooting technology problems, and even acting as informal sales representatives. The title stayed the same, but the work multiplied.
Employees often described the role as “five jobs wearing one badge.” As responsibilities blurred, decision-making slowed, accountability became unclear, and operational consistency started to crack across locations. The lesson was simple but powerful. The company did not just scale fast. It scaled confusion. When work design fails to keep up with growth, even strong brands begin to feel the strain.
Stories like this appear often in fast-growing companies. Leaders assume they have a hiring problem when, in reality, the work itself has not been clearly designed. When roles expand faster than responsibilities are defined, hiring becomes guesswork rather than strategy.
If you speak with enough hiring managers, a familiar frustration emerges quickly.
“We cannot find the right people.”
It sounds like a talent shortage. It feels like a talent shortage. But in many cases, it is neither.
Across industries, organizations are investing more than ever in recruitment tools, job platforms, and hiring strategies. Yet the same roles remain open for months. Employees who do join often leave sooner than expected. Teams continue searching for “better candidates,” even after several hiring cycles.
According to research from McKinsey, 87 percent of organizations report skill gaps or expect them within a few years. Gallup’s workforce studies also show that employee engagement continues to struggle globally despite increased hiring activity.
This raises an uncomfortable question.
What if the issue is not the talent pool?
What if the issue is the work itself?
A few years ago, WeWork became a surprising example of what happens when work grows faster than it is designed. At its peak, the company was expanding into new cities almost every week. Community managers, who were originally hired to host events and support members, suddenly found themselves juggling leasing conversations, handling operational issues, managing vendors, troubleshooting technology problems, and even acting as informal sales representatives. The title stayed the same, but the work multiplied.
Employees often described the role as “five jobs wearing one badge.” As responsibilities blurred, decision-making slowed, accountability became unclear, and operational consistency started to crack across locations. The lesson was simple but powerful. The company did not just scale fast. It scaled confusion. When work design fails to keep up with growth, even strong brands begin to feel the strain.
Stories like this appear often in fast-growing companies. Leaders assume they have a hiring problem when, in reality, the work itself has not been clearly designed. When roles expand faster than responsibilities are defined, hiring becomes guesswork rather than strategy.
If you speak with enough hiring managers, a familiar frustration emerges quickly.
“We cannot find the right people.”
It sounds like a talent shortage. It feels like a talent shortage. But in many cases, it is neither.
Across industries, organizations are investing more than ever in recruitment tools, job platforms, and hiring strategies. Yet the same roles remain open for months. Employees who do join often leave sooner than expected. Teams continue searching for “better candidates,” even after several hiring cycles.
According to research from McKinsey, 87 percent of organizations report skill gaps or expect them within a few years. Gallup’s workforce studies also show that employee engagement continues to struggle globally despite increased hiring activity.
This raises an uncomfortable question.
What if the issue is not the talent pool?
What if the issue is the work itself?
