Unlocking Team Potential: The Impact of New Recruits on Business Success

Let’s get brutally honest: the difference between coasting along and absolutely smashing your goals often comes down to the people you bring into your team.

If you’re a founder, entrepreneur, or manager, I know you’ve had those moments: a star recruit lifts the whole company—or, occasionally, the wrong hire sends morale crashing. In my relentless mission to run every day (that’s 4,292+ days and counting!) and hit that epic 40,075km milestone, raising £1 million for children’s charities, I’ve learnt first-hand that who you hire is everything.

Real Talk from Today’s Run

On day 1,759 of my Runpreneur Diary, I found myself facing the kind of situation every entrepreneur dreads: two valued teammates leaving within days. Ouch. As you can imagine, that left some big holes in our workflow—and a ton of added pressure on the rest of the team. But here’s the twist...

By sheer serendipity, we were onboarding a fresh new recruit at just the right moment. And after years—literally years—of all sorts of recruitment experiences (great, good, mediocre, regrettable), I had a feeling about this one.

This new team member not only ticked the ‘right person’ box—culture fit, values, attitude—which I ALWAYS prioritise, but also brought a fantastic skill set to hit the ground running. That’s rare. Usually, I find great values, but have to work on the skill match. Perfect fits? Gold dust.

The A-Player Formula: Culture + Skills = Magic

People always ask, “What’s the secret to recruiting A-players?” Here’s my formula:

1. Hire for Culture First: Protect your team and brand values above all.

2. Skills Matter—But Only If the Attitude’s Right: Ideally, find someone who brings BOTH to the table.

3. Three-Month Project Terms: I prefer project-based contracts to rigid probation periods, focusing on real outputs. After three months, it’s clear if someone deserves that pay rise and deeper investment.

But What If It Goes Wrong?

Sometimes, even well-intentioned, motivated hires struggle because they simply can’t do the job at the level needed. That can grind down their motivation—and your results. In the worst-case scenario, you risk turning a potential A-player into a B (or even a C), threatening both productivity and team morale.

Why New Energy Matters

When a new recruit delivers from day one, you’ll FEEL it. The team lifts. Ideas flow. People get excited again—just like I am about this new addition to my crew. Especially after recent departures, this fresh burst of energy is exactly what’s needed!

Whether you’re building a global movement or managing a local business, never underestimate the power of one great new hire. They just might be YOUR missing puzzle piece!

Join Me on My Mission

As I take on the ultra-marathon of all ultra-marathons—running every single day, aiming for 40,075km and £1,000,000 raised for children’s causes—I need the best team behind me. And so do you if you want to reach your boldest goals.

Let’s Do This Together

Have any questions about recruitment, culture fit, or building your A-team? Drop me a comment below—I respond to everyone. And remember, every new person we reach with the Runpreneur Challenge brings us closer to saving children’s lives. If you’ve found this post valuable, please share it—let’s build this mission together.

Stay positive, stay happy—see you on the next run!

Follow my journey beyond Day 4,292. Run the world, raise £1M for a cause that matters, and discover what happens when the right PEOPLE power your mission.