Featuring Kasim Aslam on the Time to Thrive Podcast

This episode of the Time to Thrive podcast features Kasim Aslam—a hiring expert, serial entrepreneur, and bestselling author—who’s built multiple 7- and 8-figure businesses. If you’ve ever struggled with hiring (and let’s be honest—what business owner hasn’t?), this conversation will rewire the way you think about finding and retaining top-tier talent.

Here are the key takeaways from the conversation and how you can start applying them to your business today.

Stop Hiring Like People Are Commodities

Kasim opens with a truth bomb: most businesses are taught to hire like people are interchangeable. Need a graphic designer? Just grab one off the shelf. But that’s a mistake.

People are not commodities—they’re miracles. And treating them as interchangeable parts is why most hiring systems fail. Instead, you need to recognize the unique value, creativity, and potential that each person brings to the table.

Key takeaway: Hire like you're recruiting a miracle, not filling a slot.

The Pareto Principle: Find the Few Who Deliver the Most

Kasim’s hiring philosophy is based on the Pareto Principle—also known as the 80/20 rule. In every business, about 20% of employees do 80% of the work. That’s your Pareto Talent, and your job as a leader is to identify and hire them.

In fact, if you zoom in, the numbers get more extreme: a single top performer can often deliver more than 10x the output of an average employee. So the cost of hiring the wrong person isn’t just inefficiency—it’s lost growth.

Key takeaway: You don’t need a huge team. You need the right people doing the right work at the right time.

Use “Flytraps” to Weed Out the Wrong People

Forget traditional interviews and resumes. Kasim outlines a framework that uses simple but powerful filters—he calls them “flytraps”—to find out who can actually do the work.

Examples include:

• Instructions buried in job posts to test attention to detail

• Paid trial projects to test real-world skills

• Intentionally broken login links to test problem-solving and follow-up

These steps help you assess not just skill, but integrity, initiative, and resourcefulness—things that rarely show up in an interview.

Key takeaway: Hiring filters should be practical, not performative. Skip the talk—test their action.

When to Hire: Always Stay Ahead of Capacity

One of Kasim’s most actionable tips? Never wait until you’re desperate to hire. By then, you’re too reactive. Instead, hire when you’re at 70–80% capacity, not 100%. And whenever possible, hire in pairs to improve onboarding and performance through healthy competition and camaraderie.

Key takeaway: Build the team before you need them. Growth will catch up.

Don’t Micromanage—Delegate Projects, Not Tasks

High-performers want autonomy. Kasim stresses the importance of delegating projects—not just a pile of tasks. True A-players want ownership, not busy work. Give them space, set clear expectations, and watch them exceed them.

Key takeaway: Give responsibility, not just assignments. Let your talent run.

Pay More, Get More

This might surprise some entrepreneurs: to attract A-players, you need to pay more than the “market rate.” That doesn’t just mean money—it includes flexibility, meaningful work, and a culture that values contribution. But the payoff? Exponential output and long-term loyalty.

Key takeaway: Pay 10% more than the high watermark and get 10x the performance.

Embrace Global Talent

Kasim also encourages entrepreneurs to look beyond borders. Talent is global—and many highly skilled professionals in emerging markets are not only grateful for the opportunity, but often outperform domestic hires in terms of attitude, reliability, and ROI.

Key takeaway: Think internationally. Global hiring opens the door to extraordinary, untapped potential.

Hiring is one of the hardest—and most important—skills for any entrepreneur. Kasim’s system isn’t just about filling roles; it’s about building a company of miracles. When you stop hiring by instinct and start hiring by system, you don’t just grow your team—you free yourself to grow your business.