Junior Hires Can't Think On Their Own Anymore

People aren’t thinking anymore. Especially junior hires. And the scary part? They don’t even realize it.

We’ve become so obsessed with speed and output that we’ve forgotten how to think. We’re outsourcing our brains — not just to AI, but to every shortcut, template, and hack we can find.

I’m Deric — I’ve built multiple tech businesses from scratch, scaled them to $80K/month, and now I’m building in AI.

I’ve worked with hundreds of junior and senior hires. I’ve seen what works. And more importantly, I’ve seen what’s breaking — our ability to think deeply and clearly.

In this blog, we’ll explore why junior hires today are struggling with real, critical thinking — and how that impacts teams and businesses.

We’ll look at how our obsession with speed and shortcuts has led to over-optimization, ultimately killing creativity and deep reasoning.

You’ll also learn how to spot and hire true thinkers — not just people who follow instructions — and most importantly, I’ll walk you through a practical system you can use to train deep thinking back into your team and yourself.

1. The Death of Thinking in Junior Hires

I once asked a junior hire to compare two AI tools for writing cold emails.

Their response? “Tool A has more features. Tool B is more popular. So I picked Tool B.”

That’s it. No testing. No metrics. No reasoning.

And it’s not an isolated case. Juniors today are trained to find answers — not create them.

Why? Because our education system rewards memorization, not problem-solving. And tools like ChatGPT make it easier than ever to bypass real thinking.

If someone can’t explain why they’re doing what they’re doing, they’re not learning. They’re not growing. They’re just copying and pasting their way into mediocrity.

Worse, if this mindset spreads across your team, you’ll end up with a fast-moving assembly line that ships broken ideas — and doesn’t even know it.

2. The Danger of Over-Optimization

We live in a culture of hacks: swipe files, templates, prompt libraries, “top 10 growth tactics.”

But here’s the truth: when everyone uses the same tactics, none of them stand out.

Speed without thought is just noise. Optimization without understanding? It’s laziness in disguise.

That’s why I push my team — and myself — to ask the why behind every action. Every week, we use tools like Loom to record 3-minute videos explaining the thought process behind each decision.

It forces clarity. It builds the habit of reasoning. And it turns mindless tasks into intentional strategy.

3. Hire Thinkers, Not Doers

Too many companies hire like they’re assembling IKEA furniture: follow the SOP, don’t ask questions.

But great teams don’t run on instructions. They run on judgment.

In interviews, I don’t just look for skills. I test how people think. I’ll give them an open-ended challenge, like: “You’re launching a course. You have a $5K budget. What’s your plan?”

Then I watch.

Do they ask clarifying questions? Do they break it down from first principles — audience, cost per lead, value proposition? Or do they default to tactics like “Run Facebook Ads”?

Great hires don’t jump to solutions. They build them from the ground up.

According to McKinsey, companies that foster critical thinking outperform others in innovation and revenue growth. This isn’t fluff. It’s a business advantage.

4. Train Thinking Back Into Your Team

Most teams aren’t lacking talent — they’re lacking training in how to think. Critical thinking, judgment, and decision-making aren’t automatic skills, especially in a world where answers are easily outsourced to Google, ChatGPT, or templates.

That’s why you need to build a system that actively develops thinking in your team. Here’s how to do it:

1. Teach First Principles Thinking

Encourage your team to break problems down to their fundamental truths. Instead of asking “How do we get more leads?” reframe it to “How do we connect our message with a market that truly wants it?”

This shift opens new possibilities and reduces blind copying of competitors. Resources like Elon Musk interviews or The Great Mental Models help nurture this mindset.

2. Use Thought Loops: Why → What If → Then What

Train your team to forecast consequences by using simple mental loops. Ask: Why are we doing this? What if we didn’t? Then what would happen?

These questions force people to pause, reflect, and anticipate the ripple effects of their actions — a core habit of strategic thinkers.

3. Shadowing and Debriefing

Have junior employees shadow senior team members — not just to observe what is being done, but to understand why it’s done that way.

Afterward, have them explain it back. This builds “meta-cognition” — the ability to think about your own thinking — and helps them internalize judgment patterns.

4. Never Share SOPs Without Context

SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) are necessary, but dangerous when shared without context. Without understanding the reasoning behind a process, team members become robotic.

That’s why every SOP in my company includes a short video explaining why each step exists. This ensures they’re not just following directions — they’re absorbing the thinking behind them.

Thinking Is the Most Expensive — and Valuable — Skill

Yes, AI can write emails. It can generate ideas. But when your campaign flops and you’ve burned $10K on ads? That’s not AI’s fault. That’s on you.

You need thinkers. Not just prompt engineers.

So next time you give someone a task, ask: Can they explain why this matters?

If not, you’ve got work to do.

Final Thoughts

The core message is simple but powerful: thinking is becoming a lost skill, especially among junior hires — and it's costing companies more than they realize.

When people default to doing without understanding, creativity dies, innovation slows, and teams become reliant on shallow strategies.

Optimization, templates, and hacks may offer speed, but without critical thought behind them, they lead to mediocre results. Great hires don’t just follow instructions — they question them, refine them, and build better systems from the ground up.

And the good news? This kind of thinking can be trained. It just requires a deliberate culture that values clarity over speed and reasoning over routine.

In a world where answers are cheap and instant, asking the right questions is what separates good from great.

If you want to build a high-performing team, don’t settle for fast doers. Build and nurture real thinkers.