Hiring teams often discuss quality of hire after a new employee joins. They review performance, retention, manager satisfaction, and time to productivity. Those measures matter, but they arrive late. By then, the organization has already written the job description, searched the market, screened applicants, interviewed finalists, and made an offer. The earlier question is more useful: Did the hiring team define the right target before anyone started sourcing? That question has become harder as roles and skills change. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 found that employers expect 39% of workers’ core skills to change by 2030. It