There’s a stubborn obsession with big-name companies. CEOs, boards, and hiring managers often think, “If they worked at Meta, Uber, or insert-big-name-tech-company-here, then they’ve got to be amazing.”
But great talent isn’t restricted to the big-brand crowd, and over-relying on those names might be costing you better hires.
Signal or noise? The obsession with big-name logos
Here’s this idea in recruiting that if someone has worked at Uber, Meta, or another big-name company, they must be the best fit for the job. But in my experience, that’s often just noise. It doesn’t necessarily mean they were the driving force behind that company’s success or growth.
Here’s an example: an engineer at a small, lesser-known company might be making $180,000 a year. The moment they get hired at Meta, their salary jumps to $230,000. Suddenly, with Meta on their resume, they start getting job offers for $250,000. Why? It’s not because their skills improved overnight—it’s because of the brand name attached to them. They haven’t changed as a candidate, but their perceived value has skyrocketed.
And that’s the problem.
Hiring managers often see a big-name logo and think, “I’ve found my star.” They stop asking the tough questions. They don’t dig into what that person actually contributed in their previous roles. Did they help grow the company, or were they just along for the ride? Without asking the right questions, you might end up overpaying for someone who wasn’t truly responsible for the success they’re taking credit for.
The best talent doesn’t have to wear a famous logo
They didn’t have Uber’s massive resources, and maybe they didn’t expand into as many markets. But the few markets they did enter? That was all them. They hustled, strategized, and did the work. In fact, they likely did it better than someone at Uber because they had to be scrappier, more resourceful, and more creative with fewer resources.
But too often, that candidate gets overlooked simply because they don’t have the shiny Uber logo on their resume. And that’s a big missed opportunity.
Top-tier talent isn’t confined to places like Meta or Uber. Candidates from smaller companies can bring just as much, if not more, value.
They’ve had to do more with less, and they’ve developed a resilience and creativity that you won’t always find in candidates from big-name companies.
It’s time to shift the hiring mindset
Here’s where the real change needs to happen: CEOs and boards need to realize that top-tier talent exists outside of these big-name companies. It’s about shifting the mindset from “I want someone from Meta” to “I want someone who can bring real value to my organization, regardless of where they’ve worked.”
I get it — there’s pressure from boards and investors to hire people from big brands. They want the security of a well-known name. But CEOs have more leeway than they think. They can push back. They can say, “Actually, I’ve found someone even better, and here’s why.”
If you keep limiting your search to big-name candidates, you’re missing out on people who’ve been fighting tougher battles at smaller companies. The reality is that many of the candidates from these lesser-known companies could outperform the big-name hires, but you won’t know it if you don’t give them a chance. And convincing your board or investors to broaden their perspective is a key part of that shift.
Get rid of the blinders, shift away from the prestige bias, and recognize real talent — no matter where it comes from.
