Episode 330

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Published on:

19th Oct 2025

330: Does Experience Always Mean a Better Hire?

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

We’ve all been told that the safest hire is the one with the most experience. 

But here’s the truth: experience doesn’t guarantee IMPACT. 

In this episode, I challenge the old belief that more experience automatically makes a better hire. I share a story from a PMO leader who kept meeting senior candidates with impressive résumés—people who loved their methodology but couldn’t flex with modern, collaborative ways of working. Some wouldn’t move forward without every document perfectly approved. Others resisted iterative planning altogether. 

Sound familiar? Experience is valuable, but mindset wins every time. 

 

What You'll Learn:  

✅ Why the “more experience, better hire” belief breaks down 

✅ The real pros and cons of hiring experienced PMs 

✅ The strengths and gaps of junior and mid-level PMs 

✅ The traits to hire for, including the IMPACT Driver mindset and outcome focus 

✅ Interview questions that reveal adaptability, judgment, and value-driven thinking 

 

👉 Press play to learn how to hire for the future, not the past. 

 

P.S. Ready to lead where strategy happens? The IMPACT Accelerator Mastermind gives you the coaching, tools, and community you need to stop operating like a support function and start driving the business outcomes your executives are counting on. Click here to learn more! 🚀

Thanks for taking the time to check out the podcast!

I welcome your feedback and insights! 

I’d love to know what you think and if you love it, please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast player. Please leave a comment below to share your thoughts. See you online!

Warmly,

Laura Barnard

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About the Podcast

PMO Strategies
with Laura Barnard
In this podcast, PMO leaders and those wanting to capitalize on the best of project management to deliver the organization’s strategy will uncover the hidden secrets of the best PMOs, learn the game-changing techniques that transform any PMO into a value-driven IMPACT Engine, and explore the best ways for the PMO to become an integral part of the fabric and future of an organization. After spending two and a half decades helping organizations deliver change, with 15 of those years in the shoes of PMO leader inside organizations, Laura strongly believes that there is more to making an IMPACT than templates, tools, and process. She’ll show you how to make the shifts necessary to become a business-focused PMO that will become an invaluable organizational asset. With her guests and insights, we explore the sticky situations and tough challenges PMO leaders face, from sorting through all of the “noise” about what the PMO “should” do to finding the best ways for your PMO to make an IMPACT. Listen in, and you can discover how to shift your focus from outputs to outcomes, fundamentally changing the game for your PMO and personal success.

About your host

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Laura Barnard