HIRE
Corporate Burnout = Your Recruiting Advantage
Large companies are cutting more daily. "Survivors" are burned out and realizing unlimited perks aren't worth the reality that they are just another number.
We're seeing top quality candidates now asking about opportunities before we even reach out. This is the time for small to mid-sized companies to capture top talent.
The Problem(s):
- You think you can't compete with corporate salaries and benefits
- You're waiting for them to apply
- You don't realize how many are one bad week (or a DM) away from quitting
- Your job posts are forgettable, outreach is weak, and process is lacking
The Fix:
- Lead with what big companies can't offer: ownership, impact, visibility, connection, a soul
- Reach out directly to people stuck in bloated orgs
- Move fast. High performers aren't sitting through 8 interviews over 2 months
- Stop underselling yourself. Small is a feature, not a bug
The best people are looking. You prob should too.
LEAD
AI Works. Many People Using It Don't.
We are all experimenting with AI now. Prompts for everything. Creating more content than we can ever review.
What hasn't changed: many people still can't execute their core roles. AI is magic, but the outputs are useless if your team doesn't know how to apply it in a way that actually drives results.
We've watched teams spend countless hours building the perfect AI tools/content/etc than actually getting their job done. This is just activity disguised as "progress".
Gut Check:
- Is your team using AI to move faster on things that matter or hiding behind activity?
- Are results improving or are there just more frameworks, tools, and content?
- Do your people know how to deliver or are they just the AI messenger?
AI is a multiplier. If you're not being a leader and focusing your team on what actually drives value, you're just multiplying the mess.
GROW
Busy Doesn't Mean Productive. Prove It.
We've never met a team that isn't "slammed" or "buried" or "breaking." We all fall into this trap. But what is actually getting done?
Every time we run a workload review, the same thing happens. A few people carry the team. The rest stay (VERY) busy. Measure it and you'll see.
Workload and capacity planning is simple…once you get past the awkward conversation. Which is exactly why most skip it.
The Fix:
- Simple list of duties per role
- Actual time spent daily, weekly, monthly
- Align expectations, train up, or repurpose
The uncomfortable truth: if it takes me 3 hours to do something someone else could do in 15 minutes, I might not be the right person for the job.
Clear = Kind.