Ive been teaching leaders to recruit and select people for 25 years. Since my first real job in human resources, Ive been passionate about this initial step in the talent value chainhiring the right peoplewhich makes developing the right skill sets so much easier. Hiring the right person sets the foundation for every talent activity that follows. Get the foundation wrongpick the wrong personand you will be living with it for a long time. As the head of learning and leadership development, Ive been in the unenviable position of having responsibility for training all the right people that others hiredturning a sows ear into a silk purse is just as hard as it soundsand it is terribly expensive.