In this episode, I share one of the most powerful strategies for retaining your best people—reverse recruiting. If you want to keep top talent, you need to know their dreams and consistently help them move toward those goals. I’ll walk you through a framework to uncover what truly matters to your team and how to use that knowledge to create long-term retention.

• [00:00] Introduction – The concept of reverse recruiting and why retention starts with leadership.
• [01:00] Why Top Performers Are Hard to Keep – The best talent is always being recruited, and they won’t stay unless they see a future with you.
• [02:30] The Power of Dream-Based Recruiting – How asking recruits about their long-term goals creates trust and connection.
• [04:00] People Stop Dreaming—Leaders Must Reignite It – The reality that most professionals stop thinking big, and how you can help them start again.
• [06:00] Asking the Right Questions – How to uncover a recruit’s personal and professional goals with a simple two-question framework.
• [08:30] Why Most Leaders Miss This Opportunity – Many managers focus on company goals rather than individual dreams, leading to disengagement.
• [10:00] The Power of Context in Dream-Based Recruiting – How helping recruits see their 10-year future shifts their mindset.
• [12:30] Creating Buy-In and Loyalty – Why recruits stay with leaders who actively support their personal and professional growth.
• [14:00] Why Continuous Engagement Matters – How resurfacing a recruit’s dreams over time strengthens their commitment to your team.
• [16:30] Retaining Talent in a Competitive Market – The reality that salary alone won’t keep your best people—you need to offer more.
• [19:00] Final Thoughts & Actionable Takeaway – A challenge to start practicing dream-based recruiting with your current team.

1. Retention Starts with Leadership – Your top performers will stay if they believe you care about their long-term success.
2. Reverse Recruiting Works – The best way to keep talent is by recruiting them to their own dreams—within your organization.
3. Dreams Create Motivation – People stop dreaming as they settle into careers. Great leaders help reignite their vision.
4. The Right Questions Unlock Loyalty – Asking where someone wants to be personally and professionally in 10 years builds deep connection.
5. Continuous Engagement Builds Retention – Leaders who consistently revisit a recruit’s dreams foster loyalty and long-term commitment.

Retention isn’t about offering the highest salary—it’s about helping people achieve their dreams. If you become the leader who champions your team’s goals, you’ll not only retain your top performers but also create an environment where they thrive. Start today by asking your current team about their long-term dreams, and use that insight to strengthen your leadership and recruiting efforts.

Want to improve your retention strategy? Subscribe to my weekly email at 4crecruiting.com or schedule a coaching session at bookrichardnow.com. Let’s build a leadership framework that keeps your top talent engaged and committed.

In this episode, I address a growing problem in recruiting—lazy, spam-driven outreach that damages your brand and repels top talent. Too many recruiters and recruiting leaders rely on generic, mass-messaging tactics, thinking they’re taking a shortcut to success. Instead, they’re burning bridges, losing credibility, and making it harder for great leaders to reach the right recruits. If you want to recruit effectively in today’s world, you need a better strategy.

• [00:00] Introduction – The problem with spam recruiting messages and why they don’t work.
• [01:30] The Worst Offenders: Real Examples of Bad Recruiting Messages – Reading actual spam messages recruiters send (without naming names).
• [04:00] How Bad Messaging Hurts Your Brand – Why recruits see these messages as red flags and ignore them.
• [05:30] The Role of Data and Tech in Recruiting – How automation, CRMs, and mass messaging are making recruiters lazy.
• [07:00] The Impact on the Market – How an oversaturated, spam-heavy recruiting environment makes it harder to have real conversations.
• [08:30] Why Good Strategy Always Wins – Using targeted, research-based outreach instead of generic, bulk messaging.
• [10:00] How to Personalize Your Recruiting – The power of specific, affirming messaging that feels personal and relevant.
• [12:00] The Importance of Building Relationships First – Why leading with connection, rather than trying to “close,” leads to long-term success.
• [14:30] Case Study: A Recruiting Leader’s Failed Mass Messaging Campaign – How a leader lost over 50% of their contacts by relying on spam tactics.
• [17:00] The Right Way to Use Tech and Data – How to leverage automation without sacrificing authenticity.
• [19:00] The Complex Sale Approach – Why recruiting is more like selling high-ticket software than selling a simple product.
• [21:30] Final Thoughts – If you wouldn’t recruit yourself with your current strategy, it’s time to change it.

1. Spam Recruiting Is Killing Your Brand – Mass, generic messages tell recruits you aren’t a leader worth following.
2. Automation Shouldn’t Replace Strategy – Using data and tech correctly requires intentionality, not shortcuts.
3. Personalization Wins – A well-researched, affirming message will always get better responses than a mass text.
4. Recruiting Is a Complex Sale – Treat it like one by taking time to nurture relationships instead of pushing for immediate results.
5. The Best Leaders Build Trust First – Recruits follow leaders who invest in meaningful connections, not quick sales tactics.

Lazy recruiting isn’t just ineffective—it’s actively hurting your ability to attract top talent. If you want to win in today’s recruiting landscape, you need to slow down, use data strategically, and focus on personalized, relationship-driven outreach. The leaders who do this won’t just succeed—they’ll dominate.

If you’re ready to transform your recruiting approach, subscribe to my weekly email at 4crecruiting.com or schedule a coaching session at bookrichardnow.com. Let’s build a recruiting system that actually works.

In this episode, I tackle a controversial topic—how recruiting leaders, internal recruiters, and external recruiters should (and shouldn’t) work together. Many recruiting leaders struggle with hiring support that truly works for their team. I break down why external recruiters often miss the mark, why internal recruiters tend to focus on the company over the leader, and the best way to structure a recruiting system that actually delivers results.

• [00:00] Introduction – Addressing the common challenges leaders face when working with recruiters.
• [01:00] The Role of External and Internal Recruiters – Why they often prioritize the company’s value proposition over the leader’s value.
• [02:30] The Problem with the Traditional Approach – How recruiters tend to “sell” an opportunity rather than build relationships.
• [04:00] The Best Way to Build a Recruiting System – Why recruiting leaders must take ownership of the process and be the key voice in attracting talent.
• [05:30] The Attractive Leader Framework – How leaders who define their vision, core values, and beliefs become recruiting magnets.
• [07:00] The Ideal Role of a Recruiter – Why a recruiter should act as a "dialer" who researches, initiates contact, and connects talent to the leader.
• [08:30] The Importance of Research in Recruiting – How recruiters should filter candidates through a core value lens before outreach.
• [09:30] How to Win More Recruits – The key to using an integrity-driven phone script to build real relationships.
• [10:30] Structuring a Recruiting Conversation That Works – Why leaders, not recruiters, should drive the conversation once a connection is made.

1. Recruiting Leaders Must Own the Process – The best results come when leaders take an active role in attracting talent.
2. External and Internal Recruiters Often Miss the Mark – They tend to lead with company value instead of leadership value.
3. The Attractive Leader Framework Works – Leaders with clear vision, values, and storytelling ability attract talent naturally.
4. Recruiters Should Be Connectors, Not Closers – Their primary role should be research and introductions, not leading the conversation.
5. Relationship First, Recruiting Second – The best recruiting conversations are based on genuine relationships, not a hard sell.

The most effective recruiting system is one where leaders drive the process. By structuring a system where recruiters act as connectors, and leaders take the lead in conversations, you create an approach that builds trust, attracts top talent, and delivers real results. If you’re a recruiting leader, it’s time to step up and take ownership of your recruiting efforts.

Want to build a recruiting system that actually works? Subscribe to my weekly email at 4crecruiting.com or book a coaching session at bookrichardnow.com. Let’s create a process that helps you win top talent consistently.