One of the most interesting things about delivering in-person Hire Great People workshops and masterclasses over the last few years has been hearing the recurring themes leaders take away from the methodology.
Despite working across very different organisations and sectors, many leaders described similar frustrations around recruitment, such as:
- relying too heavily on CVs and interviews
- struggling to assess character properly
- inconsistent hiring decisions
- difficulty attracting the right people
- strong candidates who ultimately prove to be the wrong long-term fit
What tended to resonate most strongly in the workshops was not simply the idea of recruiting on character, but how practical and applicable the methodology feels in real organisational settings.
Leaders often rethink what “good recruitment” actually looks like
One of the biggest themes leaders consistently talk about is how Hire Great People challenges traditional thinking around recruitment.
Melanie Ross, CFO at pubX, described the methodology as helping leaders think “much more outside the traditional thoughts of recruiting via CVs and interviews”.
Similarly, Hannah McMahon, People and Culture Manager at ARC Inspirations, explained that the methodology challenged her thinking “in a way that other courses haven’t done before”.
That broader shift in mindset is a major part of the Hire Great People methodology itself.
Rather than simply focusing on qualifications or interview performance, organisations are encouraged to think much more intentionally about:
- behaviours
- mindset
- cultural fit
- long-term potential
- the characteristics that genuinely drive success internally
Recruitment becomes more intentional and structured
Another recurring theme from leaders is how the methodology helps organisations become much more intentional about recruitment overall.
Martin Beanland, Head of Service at Plowden Facilities Limited, explained that the sessions helped create “an intentional mindset” around recruitment and prompted the organisation to define the specific character traits most important within the business.
That idea of defining what “great” actually looks like internally is something many organisations often overlook.
As Simon Hartley, Founder of Be World Class, shares during the Hire Great People programme, world-class organisations tend to be very clear on:
- what behaviours matter
- what standards they value
- how people are expected to work together
- which characteristics genuinely succeed within their environment
The methodology is designed to help all organisations build recruitment processes around those things much more consistently.
Leaders also talked about the practical application of the methodology
One of the strongest pieces of feedback leaders regularly give is how practical and usable the methodology feels in reality.
Rob Burgess, Senior Director of Talent Acquisition at adidas, described the methodology as “genuinely meaningful content that’s backed with tangible examples and not just theory”. He also highlighted the focus on character as “the real unlock” for his team.
That practical application has always been an important part of how Headstar and Simon Hartley developed Hire Great People.
The methodology has been refined over several years through recruiting on character workshops, leadership events, practical implementation inside organisations and ongoing real-world feedback from business leaders
The focus was always on building something practical that organisations could genuinely apply within their own teams.
Why those recurring themes led to Hire Great People
Over time, the same conversations and recruitment frustrations continued appearing across leadership workshops, client discussions and practical implementation work.
That eventually led Headstar and Simon Hartley to develop Hire Great People – a CPD-accredited online programme designed to help organisations build a more intentional and consistent approach to recruitment.
The programme focuses on helping organisations:
- define the characteristics that genuinely drive success
- attract the right people more intentionally
- assess behaviours and long-term fit more effectively
- reduce poor hiring decisions
- build stronger, higher-performing teams over time
What’s included in the Hire Great People programme:
• Three live group coaching sessions with Simon Hartley
• 45+ bite-size video lessons with a comprehensive interactive workbook
• 14.25 hours of recognised CPD learning
• Signed copy of Simon Hartley’s best-selling book, Hire Great People
More importantly, the programme is designed to help organisations:
• Improve hiring success rates by recruiting more intentionally around character
• Reduce the cost, disruption and frustration of poor hiring decisions
• Build stronger cultures and higher-performing teams
• Create a more consistent and repeatable recruitment process
50% introductory discount currently available using code: HireGreatPeople50
Learn more here: www.headstar.co.uk/great
And check out the video below to hear more testimonials from past participants of the Hire Great People programme.
