The market is shifting. Again. Technology's evolving, buyer behavior is different, and if you're leading the same way you were even two years ago, you're likely behind. Innovation isn't optional anymore. It's the job.

In this episode of Recruiting Conversations, I'll break down what innovation actually looks like for a recruiting leader, and how to make it part of your weekly rhythm, not just an abstract idea.

[00:00] Introduction – The market will keep changing. Your job is to stay relevant in how you lead, recruit, and build
[01:00] Innovation Isn't About Being Trendy – It's about staying adaptable and asking better questions
[01:30] The Best Leaders Are Curious – They're learners, observers, and pattern spotters. They don't assume what worked last year will work this year
[02:00] 5 Ways to Stay Innovative

1. Stay Close to the Pain – Talk to your team, your recruits, your producers. Innovation starts where the friction is

2. Don't Protect Outdated Systems – What got you here won't get you there. Reevaluate your systems, your onboarding, your follow-up

3. Use Vision as Your Filter – Know what you're building. Let it guide what you change and what you keep

4. Learn Out Loud – Share what you're learning with your team. When they see you growing, they feel safe to do the same

5. Build a Rhythm for Experimentation – Innovation shouldn't be spontaneous. It should be structured. Run small tests. Audit your process. Pilot something new
   [04:00] Real-World Example – A leader struggling with social content ran one small test: short-form video with a tight script. It worked. Now it's a core part of their recruiting system
   [05:00] Final Word – Innovation doesn't mean reinvention. It means curiosity, clarity, and courage to adapt

• Innovation Is a Discipline, Not a Spark – The best leaders block time to audit, reflect, and experiment

• Curiosity Beats Control – You don't have to know everything. You just have to be open and responsive

• Vision Helps You Say No – When you know where you're going, you can say no to trends that don't serve the mission

• You Win With Small Experiments, Not Big Overhauls – Pilot something. Measure it. Refine it. That's the rhythm

• The Market Is Always Changing, And That's Your Edge – Most leaders resist change. Great leaders adapt to it

The future will keep evolving. The question is: will you evolve with it? The leaders who stay curious, stay close to the pain, and stay grounded in vision are the ones who will win 2026.

Comp plans are easy to talk about. Culture, leadership, growth? Not so much. And yet, it's the non-financial value that actually moves the needle when it comes to attracting aligned, long-term hires.

In this episode of Recruiting Conversations, I give you a clear, five-part framework to define, communicate, and personalize your non-financial value, so you can win recruits who care about more than just the paycheck.

[00:00] Setup – Why this question matters more than ever: "How do we communicate non-financial value effectively?"

[01:00] Step 1: Define What Sets You Apart – You can't communicate what you haven't clearly named

• Leadership style

• Support and growth systems

• Culture behaviors

• Flexibility, autonomy, mentorship, development

[02:00] Step 2: Get Specific – Vague phrases like "we care about our people" don't land. Say what support actually looks like

• 30/60/90 onboarding?

• Weekly 1-on-1s?

• Leadership development tracks?

[03:00] Step 3: Lead With It Early – Don't wait for someone to ask about comp before you start talking about culture

• "Most of the people who join our team do it because of how we lead and help people grow"

[04:00] Step 4: Use Storytelling to Bring It to Life

• Tell the story of a team member who overcame something with your support

• Share how someone grew into a leadership role

• Let the recruit feel what it's like to be on your team

[05:00] Step 5: Personalize the Conversation – Ask questions like:

• What's missing in your current environment?

• What kind of leader brings out your best?
  Then connect what you offer directly to what they care about

[06:00] Bonus Step: Show, Don't Just Tell

• Invite recruits to team meetings

• Share a behind-the-scenes video

• Let them talk to a current team member

• Create a simple tour of your onboarding process

• Vague Language Doesn't Attract Top Talent – Define your values, support systems, and culture in specific, shareable language

• Recruits Don't Buy Features. They Buy Feelings – Use story to make the value real and relatable

• Don't Wait for the Comp Question to Show Value – Lead with your differentiators

• Personalization Wins Trust – Listen first, then highlight what matters to them

• Experience Builds Belief – Let them see and feel your culture before they say yes

Your team's culture and leadership style may be the best-kept secret in your recruiting strategy. Let's change that. Lead with the value that actually keeps people, and you'll attract the right ones every time.

You've worked hard to build a strong culture. But now you're growing, and the real challenge begins: How do you protect what you've built while expanding across markets, teams, or time zones?

In this episode of Recruiting Conversations, I share the strategy for attracting and evaluating leaders who don't just fit your culture… they scale it. If you're recruiting high performers, future regionals, or anyone who will lead others, this is the playbook you need.

[00:00] Intro – What happens when one leadership hire changes everything? Why protecting culture during growth is mission-critical

[01:00] Culture Is Behavior, Not Perks – It's not happy hours or branding, it's how people show up, lead, solve problems, and handle pressure

[02:00] You're Not Hiring People. You're Scaling Behavior – That means recruiting needs to go beyond numbers and resumes

[02:30] The Big Mistake Most Leaders Make – They focus on what someone has done, not how they did it

[03:00] Step 1: Define Your Culture Clearly – Vague language can't be scaled. What do you value, protect, reward, and not tolerate?

[03:30] Step 2: Ask Culture-Based Questions

• How do you handle behavior issues?

• What kind of leadership brings out your best?

• How do you navigate conflict and accountability?

• What do you do with someone producing well but behaving poorly?

[04:00] Step 3: Watch How They Talk About Their Past Teams – Look for humility, ownership, and values-driven language

[04:30] Step 4: Attract the Right People With Vision – High-level leaders don't move for perks or comp, they move for alignment and purpose

[05:00] Step 5: Show What Growth Looks Like on Your Team – Not just volume growth, but people growth. Development. Mentorship. Room to lead

[05:30] Step 6: Remember You Only Need a Few – You don't need dozens. Just a handful of aligned leaders who carry vision and culture wherever they go

[06:00] Final Recap

1. Get clear on your culture in words and actions

2. Go deeper in your questions to uncover alignment

3. Make your brand and conversations reflect your values and vision

• Culture Is Scaled Through People, Not Posters – You need leaders who live what you believe

• Values Are More Important Than Volume – Great numbers with the wrong behavior will erode everything you've built

• Vague Culture Can't Be Recruited For – Define it. Speak it. Use it as a filter

• Ask Better Questions Early – Don't just vet performance. Vet alignment

• Vision Attracts Culture Carriers – When your brand communicates purpose and growth, the right people show up

If you want to scale what you've built, start recruiting people who already carry it.