Hiring and Onboarding with Purpose: Planting the Right People in Your Business

Enterprise Stewardship
1 day ago
3 min read

“Spend 90% of your time hiring and 10% firing.”

Jesus often compared the Kingdom of God to a vineyard where careful planting leads to abundant fruit. In the same way, the success of your business depends on the people you plant.

At Enterprise Stewardship, we believe hiring and onboarding are not HR functions. They’re leadership disciplines. The quality of your team determines the health of your culture, the strength of your execution, and the depth of your impact for the Kingdom.

When you hire with purpose, you’re not just filling positions. You’re cultivating people who will help your business bear fruit that lasts.

Hiring Is Discipleship: Finding People Who Align with Your Purpose

Your business doesn’t exist for growth alone. It exists to steward purpose.

Hiring apart from that purpose is like planting seeds in rocky soil—some may sprout, but few will thrive. That’s why world-class hiring starts with three essential questions:

Do they align with our Purpose?
Do they embrace our Principles?
Will they help us fulfill our Promises—to God, our team, our customers, and our community?

When your purpose and values are clear, they act as a filter. The right people are drawn in; the wrong ones will self-select out. And that’s exactly how it should be.

Hiring well isn’t just good business. It’s holy work.

“The vineyard will only produce with great plants. We must plant the best.”

Best Hiring Practices: What Great Businesses Do Differently

Here’s what we’ve seen in high-impact companies that hire and develop exceptional teams:

1. Start with Purpose.

Every candidate interaction—from the job posting to the final interview—should reflect your mission. Lead with transparency. Let candidates see who you are and why you exist.

2. Use a Job Scorecard.

Trade vague job descriptions for clarity. A strong Job Scorecard includes:

Key responsibilities
Cultural attributes
Measurable outcomes
Required experience and competencies

3. Recruit Strategically.

Fish in the right pond with the right bait. Know where your ideal candidates are and what language will attract purpose-driven performers. Equip your hiring team to spot alignment early.

4. Screen for the 5 C’s.

Evaluate each candidate for:

Character – Are they trustworthy and principled?
Connection – Do they fit relationally and culturally?
Competence – Can they do the job with excellence?
Commitment – Will they stay and grow with you?
Capacity – Can they handle the challenges ahead?

5. Go Deep on References.

Don’t just check boxes. Ask meaningful questions.

What was their biggest contribution?
Would you hire them again?
What blind spots should we know about?

6. Hire Slow, Fire Fast.

Patience pays dividends. Take time to discern. If more than 10% of applicants are making it through, your bar might be too low.

Onboarding: More Than Orientation

Once you’ve planted the right person, onboarding is how you cultivate them. The first 90 days will set the tone for their entire journey with you. Orientation shows them the logistics. Onboarding embeds them in the mission.

Best Onboarding Practices:

Make day one memorable. Welcome them like family.
Create a 90-day plan. Help them grow roots before expecting fruit.
Teach culture early. Reinforce your Purpose, Principles, and Promises.
Introduce senior leadership. Help them connect the dots between their role and the vision.
Prepare in advance. Equip managers with a pre-start checklist.
Stay connected. Check in weekly for the first month, then monthly.
Measure progress. Track metrics like turnover, acceptance rates, and time-to-hire to identify what’s working.

Hiring and Onboarding as Kingdom Work

Your people are not just employees. They are image bearers of God, entrusted to your leadership.

Hiring and onboarding with excellence isn’t just about building a better business. It’s about stewarding lives and cultivating transformation.

You’re not filling seats. You’re growing a vineyard. And when you plant with purpose, tend with care, and lead with prayerful intention, your team and your business will flourish for the glory of God.

Next Step: Turn Purpose Into Practice

If you’re ready to assess how well your business aligns around purpose, people, and performance, take the next step.

Take the High Impact Business Assessment to discover your organization’s strengths and opportunities—and learn how to grow with clarity, conviction, and Kingdom impact.