Sahil Bloom recently wrote about “The Eject Button Mentality,” and it immediately made me think of hiring.

He referenced a Harvard study by Daniel Gilbert and Jane Ebert where students had to choose one photo to keep. One group was told the decision was final. Another group was told they could change their mind later.

The surprising result?

The group with the final decision was happier.

The group with the option to swap kept second-guessing.

That is hiring in a nutshell.

We think more choice will make us more confident. More résumés. More interviews. More time. More “just one more candidate.”

But too much choice can keep us stuck in comparison mode.

Then, after the hire, buyer’s remorse kicks in.

“She’s good, but was the other candidate better?”

“He’s learning, but should he already know this?”

“Maybe we should have waited.”

And then the normal friction of onboarding starts. They ask questions. They make mistakes. They need repetition. They are not fully productive in week two.

Suddenly, the eject button appears.

Sometimes the hire really is wrong. Red flags matter. Poor effort matters. Lack of ability matters.

But often, employers eject too early. They mistake the normal discomfort of onboarding for proof that they made the wrong decision.

Hiring is not the finish line. It is the handoff.

Once you hire someone, they still need structure, training, examples, feedback, and time to learn how your company does things.

My advice?

Once you make the hire, actually make the hire.

Stop comparing them to the imaginary perfect candidate who never applied. Stop re-opening the search in your head while the new person is still learning the job.

Give them clear expectations.

Do GSR with them each week.

Teach them about the learning curve dip.

And the hiring manager is likely facing the learning curve as well. If you’re not used to onboarding someone, you too might be taking a plunge down the “informed pessimism” chasm.

Sahil mentions that the eject button exists for a reason. Use it if the plane is truly going down.

But don’t press it just because there is turbulence.

Sometimes the hard part after the hire is not a sign that you chose wrong.

Sometimes it is just the beginning of making the hire work.