Hiring is hard. Full stop.
And when you really think about it, once you’ve landed your first few customers and can no longer do everything yourself, hiring is probably the single most under-appreciated decision you’ll make for the future of your business.
Get it right and find a future star, and it has the potential to put your business on a completely new trajectory.
But get it wrong and the time, cost, emotional load, impact on customers, and flow-on effects to other team members can be genuinely debilitating.
Last year, our team was involved in hiring eight new team members. And if I’m being honest, I was categorically underwhelmed by how little effort most candidates put into trying to stand out.
In one recent recruitment campaign, we received over 320 applications. Fewer than five candidates did anything creative or thoughtful to elevate themselves above the competition. The successful candidates didn’t come from those five, but I regularly hear people discuss how hard it is to find their next role, but everyone just follows the process and the herd. It’s never been easier to standout.
At the same time, I was speaking with a client who was struggling to hire for a critical role, one that was meant to create serious leverage for their business over the next 5–10 years. They were frustrated, stuck, and convinced the right people just weren’t out there.
I asked if I could see their job ad and their Big Picture document.
Both were pretty average.
But more importantly, they did a poor job of telling the backstory of what is actually an amazing business. These owners are killing it. They’ve got a fascinating journey, strong points of culture, and a very clear picture of what they want to build.
None of that was coming through in what they had put into the market.
That experience got me thinking.
We’re often quick to be critical of candidates for not standing out, or the lack of applicants we get, but if we run a critical lens over our own hiring process, are we doing enough to attract the best and brightest in the first place?
I tested this thinking with several other clients who were recruiting at the time, and the story was much the same. Which tells me this isn’t a one-off problem, it’s a pattern.
And it’s one we can absolutely fix.
As Bruza always says:
“How does the universe know what to give us if we don’t tell it?”
In this multi-part series, we’ll start by talking about how to put your best foot forward before you even post a job advert. And it all begins with two key steps: creating a Talent Map and a Big Picture document.
Step One: The Talent Map
Before you rush into writing a job ad, it’s important to get crystal clear on what you’re looking for. That’s where the Talent Map comes in. Spend about 30 minutes mapping out your company’s DNA, your culture, and the specific competencies and success factors you need. Think of it as understanding exactly who will thrive in your business environment and what kind of goals you’re aiming for in the next couple of years. By doing this, you’re setting a solid foundation and ensuring you know exactly what kind of talent you need to attract.
Wade has done a great teach on this topic. Give it a watch for a refresh.
Step Two: The Big Picture Document
Once you’ve got the Talent Map in place, it’s time to create the Big Picture Document (BPD). This is a one-page game changer that goes beyond a standard position description. It outlines the common goals for the role, the key performance indicators (KPIs), and the critical drivers that will help someone succeed in that role. In other words, you’re giving candidates a clear picture of what success looks like and what’s expected of them. This level of clarity not only helps you attract the right people but also sets them up for success from day one.
TIP: Our team has to write the BPD before we even think about creating the advertisement. If you do this well it forms 50% of what should be in your advertisement.
Again watch Wade teach you the basics of your next Big Picture Document. There are templates on the client portal – If you’re hiring take it to your next coaching session and get your coach to review your first draft.
By taking these two steps before you even post a job advert, you’re ensuring that your hiring process stands out in a crowded market.
Full transparency – here’s a recent example of one of our recent job advertisements
In the next part of this series, we’ll dive into how to run effective interviews and select the right candidates. And finally, we’ll wrap up with best practices for onboarding your new team members seamlessly.
So, here’s to a fantastic 2026 and to building an amazing team!
Stay tuned for next week’s post, as always hope it was helpful!
Cheers,
Darren Gloster
CEO – Australia & New Zealand
Entrepreneurial Business School
