"It's getting the right person that's the challenge"
About this Quote
Schieffer’s subtext is a critique of modern credential worship. In journalism especially, “right” isn’t just technical competence. It’s temperament: curiosity without cruelty, skepticism without cynicism, speed without sloppiness. The phrase implies that most systems are built to find the wrong proxies - pedigree, polish, connections - because those are legible and defensible. The “right person” is harder because the relevant qualities are often inconvenient, unquantifiable, and revealed only under pressure.
Context matters: Schieffer came up in an era when trust was a newsroom’s currency and a broadcaster’s authority was inseparable from perceived steadiness. In that world, one misfit hire can distort an entire editorial culture; one strong hire can anchor it. The line also carries an implicit warning to leaders: if your organization keeps cycling through “good on paper” talent, the problem may not be the labor market. It may be your definition of “right,” or your willingness to recognize it when it doesn’t look like the last person you hired.
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Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Schieffer, Bob. (2026, January 17). It's getting the right person that's the challenge. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/its-getting-the-right-person-thats-the-challenge-44415/
Chicago Style
Schieffer, Bob. "It's getting the right person that's the challenge." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/its-getting-the-right-person-thats-the-challenge-44415/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"It's getting the right person that's the challenge." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/its-getting-the-right-person-thats-the-challenge-44415/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.












