How do I stay consistent with recruiting activity when frustrated with growth or team alignment?
Recruiting Conversations
Let’s be real—there are seasons in leadership where things just don’t click. You’ve been putting in the work, the systems are in place, but the results are slow. Or maybe your team isn’t rowing in the same direction. It’s frustrating, and it can mess with your motivation to keep recruiting. In this episode of Recruiting Conversations, I dive into what it takes to stay consistent even when growth feels stagnant or your team isn’t aligned. This isn’t about hype—it’s about discipline, clarity, and belief. I’ll share strategies to detach from your emotional state, lead...
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You’re Only in Town for 72 Hours? Here’s How to Maximize Every Recruiting Moment
Recruiting Conversations
If you’ve ever traveled for a leadership meeting or a branch visit and found yourself thinking, “I should’ve made more of that trip,” this episode is for you. I’m breaking down the five-step playbook I coach to leaders who want to turn quick trips into serious recruiting momentum. When you're only in town for 24, 48, or 72 hours, it's easy to let opportunity slip by. But with the right system in place, you can walk away with conversations that move the needle—and position you as a leader worth following. Episode Breakdown [00:00] Introduction – Why most leaders miss recruiting...
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Tired of the Check-In Call? Here’s How to Follow Up and Bring Real Value
Recruiting Conversations
In this episode of Recruiting Conversations, I'm breaking down one of the biggest pain points in recruiting: what do you say when a recruit isn’t ready to move, and you’re stuck between disappearing or sounding like “just checking in”? The answer: show up with value. Here's how to pivot from awkward follow-up calls to intentional touchpoints that build real trust—and how to do it without creating content from scratch. You’ll learn how to become “the journalist,” how to lead with curiosity, and how to stand out in a sea of recruiters who are all saying the same thing. Episode...
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How to Get Recruits to Feel What It’s Like to Work With You
Recruiting Conversations
In this episode, I'm diving into the concept of an Experiential Recruiting Model—a strategy that allows recruits to get a firsthand experience of what it’s like to be on your team before they ever make the decision to join. I’ll break down why this approach works, how to create experiences that showcase your leadership, and simple yet powerful ways to differentiate yourself in a competitive recruiting environment. Episode Breakdown [00:00] Introduction – The challenge of recruiting while balancing multiple job responsibilities. [00:30] You Are the Product – Why recruiting success...
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How to Recruit in a Space with No Competition
Recruiting Conversations
In this episode, I challenge the traditional recruiting mindset and explain why cold leads are actually your greatest opportunity for long-term success. Too many recruiters focus solely on warm or hot leads—people actively looking for a job—when the real wins come from building relationships with cold leads before they’re ready to move. I’ll share why this approach works, how to develop a system for engaging cold leads, and the mindset shift needed to dominate recruiting. Episode Breakdown [00:00] Introduction – Why cold leads are an overlooked advantage in recruiting. [01:30] The...
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Most Recruiting Objections Are Just Smoke Screens
Recruiting Conversations
In this episode, I tackle one of the toughest parts of recruiting—handling objections and overcoming rejection. Every recruiting leader faces resistance, whether it’s on phone calls, emails, or social media outreach. But the best recruiters know that objections are just smoke screens. I’ll share the proven frameworks and mindset shifts you need to push past objections and build stronger relationships with recruits. Episode Breakdown [00:00] Introduction – Why overcoming objections is one of the most critical skills in recruiting. [01:00] Why Rejection Is Inevitable – Every recruiter...
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Your Top Performers Are Being Recruited—Here’s How to Keep Them
Recruiting Conversations
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. Episode Breakdown [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...
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If You Wouldn’t Respond to Your Own Recruiting, Change It
Recruiting Conversations
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. Episode Breakdown [00:00] Introduction – The problem with spam recruiting messages and why they don’t work. [01:30] The...
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Why Your Recruiting Team Isn't Delivering—And How to Change That
Recruiting Conversations
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. Episode Breakdown [00:00] Introduction – Addressing the common challenges leaders face when working with recruiters. [01:00] The Role of...
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Why Your Recruiting Conversations Aren’t Working (And How to Fix Them)
Recruiting Conversations
In this episode, I break down a powerful framework from Charles Duhigg’s book Super Communicators and apply it directly to recruiting. The best recruiters don’t lead with a sales pitch—they follow a natural flow of conversation: social, emotional, and decision-making. Understanding these three types of conversations will help you connect with recruits, build trust, and close more deals. Episode Breakdown [00:00] Introduction – Why communication is the #1 skill recruiting leaders need to master. [01:00] The Three Types of Conversations – Social, emotional, and...
info_outlineWelcome back to Recruiting Conversations! I’m Richard Milligan, and today we’re diving into three crucial questions every recruiting leader must ask to truly motivate recruits. These questions will help you connect with recruits on a deeper level and tap into their real motivations for making a change.
Episode Breakdown
00:00 - 01:00 - Richard introduces the topic, sharing a common struggle among recruiting leaders: motivating recruits to take the next step. He highlights the importance of understanding what really drives people to make a career change.
01:01 - 02:30 - Richard explains the mistake many leaders make: trying to recruit based solely on a company’s value proposition, which falls short because most people are satisfied where they are.
02:31 - 04:00 - The discussion shifts to the real barriers to change, like switching insurance, learning new systems, and adjusting to a new environment. Richard stresses that offering a slightly better opportunity isn’t enough to motivate most people.
04:01 - 05:00 - Richard introduces the concept of understanding a recruit’s "why"—their deeper motivation beyond compensation. This is where real recruiting happens.
05:01 - 06:30 - The first essential question: What do you want? Richard explains how asking this opens a conversation about both professional and personal goals.
06:31 - 08:00 - The second key question: Why is that important to you? Understanding why someone’s goals matter helps you connect on a more meaningful level and gain insight into their true motivations.
08:01 - 09:00 - The third critical question: Are you saying...? Richard emphasizes the importance of clarifying what recruits are saying to ensure you're truly understanding their goals and desires.
09:01 - 10:30 - Richard compares recruiting to mediation, where both parties have different needs and the goal is to find common ground. As a leader, your job is to demonstrate that you can help recruits achieve their personal and professional goals.
10:31 - 12:30 - Richard shares a story of a leader who kept a recruit’s dream front and center by creating a dream board and offering tangible reminders of their goal, reinforcing their commitment to that person’s success.
12:31 - 13:30 - Recruiting isn’t just about getting people onto your team. Leaders must follow through on their commitment to helping recruits achieve their goals, even after they’ve joined.
13:31 - 14:30 - Richard concludes with a call to lead from a place of authenticity and focus on what the recruit wants, rather than what the leader wants.
Key Takeaways
- Ask What They Want: Focus on a recruit’s professional and personal goals, not just their job role.
- Understand Why It Matters: Dig deeper by asking why those goals are important, and connect with their true motivation.
- Clarify with 'Are You Saying?': Reconfirm what the recruit is telling you to ensure full understanding and alignment.
Recruiting becomes easier when you truly understand what drives people. By asking these three questions, you position yourself as a leader who cares about your recruits’ success, making it easier to attract and retain top talent.
- Subscribe to my weekly email at 4crecruiting.com.
- Need help crafting your recruiting system? Book a session with me at bookrichardnow.com.
#MotivatingRecruits #RecruitingQuestions #UnderstandingMotivation #RichardMilligan #RecruitingLeadership