#73 – Don’t Be That Guy: You Suck at Hiring (Fletcher Wimbush – Discovered)

In this episode of Don’t Be That Guy on the BMK Vision Podcast, Josh Peterson sits down with Fletcher Wimbush of Discovered for a direct, practical conversation about the hiring mistakes that quietly sabotage MSP growth.

This is not a conversation about “posting a job and hoping.” It’s about why most MSPs drift into hiring reactively, why gut feel should be used to disqualify—not to decide—and how structured screening and early assessments prevent one of the most expensive leadership failures in the business: hiring someone you want to work instead of someone who actually will.

If you’re an MSP owner tired of hiring churn, overwhelmed by applicant volume, or stuck repeating the same people mistakes under pressure, this episode will feel uncomfortably familiar—in the best way.

Should MSP owners trust their gut when hiring?

Short answer: your gut is useful for “no” — but dangerous for “yes.”

The problem isn’t intuition. The problem is timing. Gut instinct is excellent at detecting misalignment early. It becomes unreliable the moment you’ve invested time, attention, and hope into a candidate. That’s when fatigue and optimism override evidence—and MSPs get burned.

The fix is not to remove humanity from hiring. It’s to install a system that protects you from yourself when pressure is highest.

• Use your gut to disqualify, not to hire
• Stop letting interview time create emotional commitment
• Let structured screening and assessments do the filtering early

The MSP problem this episode solves

Most MSPs don’t have a hiring system—they have a hiring emergency.

When capacity breaks, owners rush to post a role, get flooded with applicants, burn leadership hours sorting noise, and ultimately hire the “best available” instead of the “best fit.” Worse, many MSPs run assessments at the very end—when they’re already emotionally committed and least likely to act on red flags.

This episode addresses three patterns that repeatedly stall MSP growth:

• Being overwhelmed by applicant volume and wasting time on low-signal candidates
• Hiring based on resume confidence and chemistry instead of evidence
• Adding structure too late—then ignoring it when it matters

Assessment-first hiring: what “better” actually looks like

The reality for most MSPs is simple: if assessments come last, they won’t matter. By that point, leaders are tired, invested, and motivated to rationalize risk. The front end of hiring must do the hard work so interviews are reserved for candidates who’ve already earned the time.

Assessment-first hiring prioritizes what predicts success—not what feels impressive:

• Attitude + integrity (the non-negotiable entry ticket)
• People + communication (especially in client-facing technical roles)
• Aptitude (the ability to learn and adapt)
• Skills (important, but often teachable with the right foundation)

This shift is how MSPs stop hiring “talented problems” and start building stable, coachable teams that scale.

How to reduce 200 applicants to 4 real finalists

Applicant volume is not the problem—lack of filtration is.

Without structure, high volume becomes a morale drain and a leadership tax. With the right front-end design, it becomes an advantage. The approach discussed in this episode is repeatable and disciplined:

• Write a strong job post (garbage in, garbage out)
• Use screener questions to eliminate obvious mismatches automatically
• Run assessments before interviews for most MSP roles
• Move decisively through defined steps to keep strong candidates engaged
• Reserve deep interview time for candidates with consistent green signals

The goal isn’t more interviews. It’s fewer, better decisions—made earlier.

Hiring stability: why job-hopping is still a red flag

Stability still matters.

This isn’t a generational argument—it’s an operational one. MSP roles require ramp time, trust, and sustained execution under pressure. Candidates who’ve never stayed long enough to master anything represent risk, not flexibility.

Exceptions exist. But they should be intentional and evidence-based—not hope-based.

A practical MSP hiring checklist (to stop the chaos)

If your MSP wants to stop repeating the same hiring mistakes, this episode reinforces a few non-negotiables:

• Use screener questions to eliminate mismatches immediately
• Run attitude + integrity assessments early—not at the end
• Score interviews using structured, evidence-based questions
• Require reference checks with direct supervisors
• Continue recruiting after you hire to avoid future emergencies
• Move fast through a defined process (5–10 business days when possible)

This is the same execution discipline Bering McKinley reinforces through its consulting services and the Vision operating system—helping MSPs replace heroics with systems.

Episode highlights

• Why gut instinct should eliminate candidates—not hire them
• The hidden cost of running assessments too late
• What attitude and integrity testing actually reveals
• How to manage applicant volume without burning leadership time
• Why stability signals operational readiness
• How supervisor reference checks surface truth
• Why recruiting should never fully stop

About the guest: Fletcher Wimbush

Fletcher Wimbush is the founder of Discovered, a recruiting and hiring platform built to help small and mid-sized businesses hire with structure, consistency, and evidence. His work focuses on reducing turnover and removing bias through assessment-driven hiring systems.

Connect with Fletcher Wimbush on LinkedIn

Frequently asked questions

What is the biggest hiring mistake MSP owners make?
Hiring under pressure without a structured process—then trusting gut feel over evidence.

Should MSPs use personality tests when hiring?
Personality tests can be informative, but they should never outweigh attitude, integrity, communication, and aptitude.

When should MSPs run assessments?
Early—before interviews consume time and emotional energy.

How do MSPs handle large applicant volume efficiently?
By using screener questions and early assessments to identify the few candidates worth interviewing.

How do reference checks still matter if candidates choose them?
Prioritize direct supervisors and treat weak or missing references as a signal.

What does “always recruiting” actually mean?
Building honest, long-term relationships with high-potential candidates—even when no seat is immediately open.

Related resources from Bering McKinley

• MSP consulting services that help you lead, scale, and win
• Managed service provider consulting: your partner for MSP excellence

Want to continue the conversation?

If you’re an MSP owner ready to stop hiring reactively and start building a repeatable, disciplined recruiting system, explore the Vision operating system—or apply to be a guest on the podcast.

👉 Apply to be on the BMK Vision Podcast

👉 Learn more about Vision