BAG · A Recruiting Cadence

Begin with your Win! Recruiting Cadence

Recruit people whose traits match your system — not people whose talent distracts from it.

Five beliefs for building a connected system of people who can consistently execute under pressure.

“It’s not about picking the best players, Craig. It’s about choosing the right ones.” — Herb Brooks

My view is simple

Most organizations recruit backwards.

Recruiting is not about collecting impressive people. It’s about building a connected system of people who can consistently execute under pressure.

The five beliefs

Begin with your Win — define it before you go find it.

Tap a belief below to load its discipline. Each one is a checkpoint — knowing yourself, recruiting traits, testing pressure, building team, holding the line.

Tap a belief above to load its recruiting discipline.

The discipline — tap each to open

What you are listening for

Pressure exposes character faster than talent.

Self-Awareness
Do they own mistakes without spinning them?
You see the character
Composure
Do they stay steady when things go wrong?
You see the emotional control
Coachability
Do they ask questions back — or just answer?
You see the curiosity
Alignment
Do their answers fit how we actually operate?
You see the system fit
👍 Your Trait & Fit Criteria
Identity+Standards=Clarity
Know who you are and how you operate before evaluating who fits.
Traits+Fit=Repeatable Execution
Talent is what you see. Traits are what shows up every day under pressure.
Recruit for how you operate — not who excites the room.

Don’t recruit the best person. Recruit the best person for how you operate.

How to use the cadence

  1. Begin with your Win — define what success looks like in your system before evaluating anyone.
  2. Recruit traits, not talent — pressure exposes character faster than ability.
  3. Test behavior under adversity — handle criticism, own mistakes, stay steady.
  4. Build the team, not collect names — strengthen the structure, don’t excite the room.
  5. Hold the line — never recruit from fear, never lower the standard.

The bottom line

  • You are not picking the best players — you are choosing the right ones.
  • You are not hiring talent — you are eliminating it.
  • The system communicates the process. The culture becomes the byproduct.
  • Bad teams buy headlines. Good teams build systems.