Craig Leach, MBA's Linkedin Analytics

Hiring the right people is tough. I've been on both sides of the table, I know how challenging it can be to find that perfect fit. I've noticed a lot of companies struggle to hang onto their top talent. Whether it's keeping your superstars engaged or finding the right newcomers to join your team, the search can feel endless. And on the flip side, I've seen so many talented people feeling lost, unsure of where their skills could shine the most. If hiring wasn't such a headache the right people would find the right roles, and everyone would be set up for success from the start. That's the kind of world I'm passionate about creating. I've spent years shaping teams and helping companies and candidates connect in meaningful ways. So if you're a hiring manager struggling to retain your top performers, or a job seeker feeling like you're just sending resumes into the void, let's chat. I'm always happy to share strategies for making hiring and job-seeking smoother and more rewarding. Shoot me a message, or comment below with the biggest hiring/job-search challenge you're facing right now. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

I want to share a new approach we've developed to transform how companies find talent. Most recruitment is built on unpredictable cycles - a placement here, an offer there, and the constant hustle for the next client. It's exhausting for everyone involved. That's why we've created our AI Talent Partner program - where we stop selling candidates and start implementing systems that deliver consistent results. When clients partner with us, they're not just getting "recruitment help" - they're gaining ownership of a complete talent acquisition process that: • Builds pipelines without relying on job boards • Provides real-time insights without the cost of a full TA team • Sources candidates 24/7 without human intervention The results speak for themselves. Our clients typically maintain their partnerships for 12-24+ months because once they experience this approach, there's no going back to traditional methods. This shift transforms our role from "vendor" to essential infrastructure - we become part of how they operate and grow. If you're tired of unpredictable recruitment cycles and want to explore a more sustainable approach to finding talent, let's connect. I'd love to share how our AI Talent Partner program might benefit your organization. #AIRecruitment #TalentAcquisition #HRTech #FutureOfWork #Recruiting

I'm tired of seeing the "Open to Work" badge on your LinkedIn Profile. High School and college athletes make social media posts announcing their status of "Recruitment still open", "Final Five", "Committed!" and my favorite, "Entering the Transfer Portal" "After talking with my family and coaches, I have decided to enter the transfer portal. While I appreciate the relationships and opportunities provided by State University, I will be looking for the next opportunity to further my education and athletic skills. Respect my decision" I would never leave LinkedIn.

I've seen it several times—how mishandling resignations and terminations can really cost a company. It’s often a small moment, but the impact is huge. Letting someone leave without proper respect or communication can damage your reputation more than you realize. Candidates and employees talk. Word gets around very fast. And that can make future hiring, your brand, even your bottom line, take a hit. Imagine losing a top performer and then giving them the cold shoulder. Trust erodes. Morale drops. It’s a cycle that’s hard to break. But I’ve also seen that if you handle these moments with transparency and kindness, you can turn them into an opportunity. It shows you value people—even when they’re moving on. That protects your reputation. It keeps the trust of your remaining team. In my experience, how you manage endings can be almost as important as how you build your team. A respectful exit can open doors for future relationships—and even new opportunities. What’s your take?

Today I want to share some hard truths I've learned about recruiting that changed how I do my job. As recruiters, we need to think like business owners. Our job isn't just filling positions - it's protecting the company while finding amazing talent! When managers come to me asking to hire someone new, I don't just say yes. I first ask: "Can your team work more efficiently?" I've learned that great companies are built on great people - the WHO matters more than the WHAT. A good WHO will figure out the WHAT! My real value comes from: 1. Protecting the company by questioning if we really need to hire 2. Finding, developing and keeping top talent I only push for higher compensation when we have trouble attracting or keeping valuable people. If someone's so good that replacing them would be a huge loss, that's when we need to pay more. The best companies don't have retention problems because they build high-performance cultures. What's your approach to recruiting? Are you solving real problems or just going through the motions? Let me know in the comments!

I've heard many stories from talented people stuck in unhealthy work environments. Many stay too long because they doubt their own feelings or don't want to seem "difficult." Sound familiar? You're not alone. I see candidates who tell themselves they're "too sensitive" or "not team players" when really, they're in toxic situations. They trade well-being for a paycheck and false security. Here are 5 red flags I recommend watching for: 1️⃣ You're only praised when you overextend yourself - staying late, skipping lunch, answering emails 24/7. Healthy workplaces value balance and outcomes. 2️⃣ Feedback seems vague or keeps changing. You hear "be more strategic" without examples, or expectations shift without warning. This leaves you constantly second-guessing yourself. 3️⃣ You can't be yourself at work. You self-censor, hesitate to share ideas, and focus more on managing how you're seen than doing great work. Over time, this kills your confidence. 4️⃣ When you raise concerns, you're told YOU are the problem. Being dismissed as "too sensitive" or "overreacting" is actually gaslighting - and toxic people use this to create self-doubt. 5️⃣ You're regularly excluded from key conversations or decisions about your own projects. This kind of invisibility sends a clear message that you're not in the inner circle. Toxicity can be quiet - showing up as ambiguity, exclusion, and slow emotional erosion. But the damage is very real. What are you trading for your paycheck? Who are you becoming in this culture? You deserve better. And as a recruiter, I can tell you there ARE healthy workplaces out there. Sources:

Struggling to Execute Your Strategic Plan? You Need the Right Leadership Team. Many companies spend significant time and resources developing strategic plans. But despite the best intentions, most struggle when it comes to executing that strategy. Studies show that 60-80% of strategic plans fail due to poor execution. Without proper leadership to drive execution, even the best strategy will fall flat. With the right leadership team in place, executing your strategic plan becomes much more achievable. You need executives who can connect the dots between strategy and operations, motivate and align people around strategic objectives, and course-correct when needed. The right leaders will cascade strategy throughout the organization and ensure flawless execution. So how do you build a leadership team capable of driving strategy execution? It starts with assessing your current executive bench strength. Look for leaders with a track record of executing change and experience leading cross-functional initiatives. Bring in executives from outside your company who have successfully driven large-scale strategic plans. Invest in developing internal high-potentials to take on greater leadership roles. With the right team in place, executing your strategy will no longer be a struggle. You'll have the leadership and expertise needed to turn your strategic vision into reality. The key is surrounding yourself with executives who excel at strategic execution. Take the time to build a robust leadership team, and executing your strategy will go from challenge to achievement.

Here’s what most people get wrong about HR: it’s not ping pong tables or making employees happy. The real role of HR is to protect the company—just like every other function does. If you want to think and act like an owner, realize your only customer is the company itself, and your responsibility is to keep it healthy and moving forward. That means making tough calls, having real conversations, and not falling for surface-level initiatives that don’t actually drive value. If you get this, you end up in the circle of trust among leadership—because you “get it.” Don’t focus on empty perks. Focus on what actually makes the business stronger. That’s how you win.

In business for yourself, but not by yourself.

A seamless hiring process isn’t just about ticking boxes—it’s about creating a strategic advantage. When leadership intentionally champions talent acquisition, it sets a tone that resonates throughout the organization. It’s not enough to delegate hiring to HR; executives must make it their strategic priority. Companies that do this consistently see not only better candidate fit but also enhanced team cohesion and long-term growth. What’s your approach to involving leadership in hiring? Are they walking the talk or just giving lip service? Elevate the conversation—your next game-changing hire might depend on it.

People have lamented the lack of 'loyalty to companies' or 'job hopping' over the last few years that the pandemic created. But this recent round of layoffs and RIF's is showing more and more that people were right to be transactional in their career movements. Companies don't care about you. You're a number. And if those numbers stop making sense to the company, whether that's your fault or not, you're out. This will leave people feeling differently. People will be less trusting when they join companies. They will be emotionally distant. It is going to take a lot for folks to go 'all in' on a company again. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice..." Am I the only person that thinks this way?

Sometimes, the hardest part of the job search isn’t the waiting—it’s the doubt that creeps in when progress feels slow. If you're still out there, still applying, still waiting for that yes—you're not alone. Long searches test your patience, but they also build resilience. Every no gets you closer to the right yes. Every setback is a lesson in perseverance. Keep pushing. Keep learning. Your next opportunity is out there, and it’s worth every moment of the wait. Sometimes, success isn’t about how fast you get there—it's about how stubborn you are to keep moving forward.

💼 I've placed hundreds of executives. 💡 I've also seen the aftermath of poor offboarding: damaging the culture, spooking the team, and slowing future hiring. But intentional offboarding? 💪 It sends a powerful message. Recently, a client offboarded a VP gracefully—real severance, public endorsement, warm intros. In six weeks, she landed a better role, and the team felt secure with the leadership's handling. Offboarding isn't just a transaction. It reflects your values. As a recruiter, I notice. So do candidates. Do it well, and you won't just protect your brand—you'll enhance it. ✨

Don't go behind a recruiters back and apply for the job directly after you've spoken with them. It's crazy I have to say this, but it still happens. Two of my favorite stories in recruitment over the last couple of years have come because of this... 1 - Working with an animal health company that I'd done a lot of work with on a super tough executive search. I sent over a weekly report of the candidates I'd spoken with, who wasn't interested etc. "Craig, this guy who you spoke with who said he wasn't interested, when did you speak with him" "Tuesday" "Oh he applied on Wednesday" Some small talk goes ahead, I try and make some excuses for candidate etc. Client says: "They knew what they were doing, I am cancelling the interview. This tells me exactly who they are as a person. I don't want anyone with that character on my team" 2 - Working on a VP Operations role. Reach out to a candidate, they tell me they aren't interested, fairly rude and dismissive etc. *Ping* Email - Application received. As luck would have it, I have an internal email for the client, and receive all applications. I reach out the candidate to ask what the situation is.... "Oh I set up an automated script for me to apply to all jobs that fit a certain criteria, but let's talk." Sure, for something that was posted 2 months ago, and was 5 minutes after we spoke. Trying to squeeze people out of a living is a huge character flaw; there are no excuses.

Why I Choose to Remain a Solo Recruiter People often ask why I don't grow my executive search practice. I intenionally stay small. Just me. What if "enough" is the ultimate form of success? I've discovered that once my needs are met, expansion doesn't increase my happiness. It just adds complexity. The most valuable asset isn't revenue. It's freedom. Freedom to: Select which leadership searches I take on. Decline opportunities that don't energize me. Connect deeply with the executives in my network. Pursue relationships and ideas that genuinely interest me. When you optimize for growth, you're frequently sacrificing your autonomy for it. When you optimize for autonomy, sometimes your revenue is more modest. But what's the purpose of creating a recruiting firm that leaves you feeling depleted? The C-suite leaders I work with understand this intimately. They've navigated the same tensions between scale and satisfaction. They recognize when a boutique approach delivers superior results. Since I'm not racing to fill quotas, I can be brutally honest about fit. I can spend weeks truly understanding an organization's culture. I can say no to searches where I don't have the right network. The executives I place appreciate that I know them as people, not profiles. That I remember their career aspirations from conversations years ago. That I call only when something is genuinely right. The objective isn't to build the largest search practice. It's to build a practice that seamlessly integrates with your life. Define achievement on your own terms, not by industry standards. That's the life I've crafted. I partner with a select network of 200+ senior leaders who value authentic relationships over transactional recruitment.

I’ve placed hundreds of executives. I’ve also seen what happens when a company lets one go poorly. It damages the culture. Spooks the team. Slows future hiring. But when a company offboards with intention? It sends a powerful message. One of my clients recently let a VP go. They gave her a real severance, endorsed her publicly, and made warm intros. Within six weeks, she had a better-fitting role—and their team felt safer knowing how leadership handled it. Letting someone go isn’t just a transaction. It’s a reflection of your values. As a recruiter, I notice. So do candidates. Do it well, and you won’t just protect your brand—you’ll enhance it.