Pedigree looks shiny on paper, but does it move the needle? We sit down with executive search leader Travis Hahn to unpack why big-name resumes often disappoint, and how defining outcomes, culture, and decision rights before you recruit leads to hires who actually deliver. From building trustworthy role profiles to reaching passive candidates who aren’t scrolling job boards, we dig into the practical steps leaders can take to raise the bar on both recruiting and retention.

Travis explains how a third-party perspective challenges title-driven thinking and surfaces the real work a role must do at your company’s specific stage. We explore the builder’s mindset—consistency, transparency, and a willingness to go beyond the job description—and how to spot it in interviews. Culture emerges as the true currency: when leaders grant ownership and share credit, teams move faster and stick around. You’ll hear success stories that took time and trust to compound, plus candid reflections on when “hire slow, fire fast” applies and when patience saves a future star.

• defining roles with outcomes, KPIs, and decision rights
• avoiding pedigree bias and testing for real impact
• recruiting passive leaders through trust and patience
• hire slow, fire fast but with context and care
• culture as currency for retention and speed
• builder’s mindset, ownership, and clear communication
• lessons from unreasonable hospitality on simple, human moments
• AI as an efficiency tool, not a replacement for judgment
• success stories that show compounding trust over time
• next steps for integrated human capital services

We also tackle the AI question head-on. Automation can sharpen operations and sourcing, but human judgment remains essential for confidential, high-stakes leadership searches. With AI amplifying noise in the applicant pool, curated pipelines and authentic conversations matter more than ever. Along the way, Travis pulls leadership lessons from golf and hospitality, showing how simple, human gestures—clarity, inclusion, and respect—create experiences people remember and cultures they choose to stay in.

If you’re a founder or mid-market leader tired of expensive mis-hires and constant churn, this conversation offers a clear path forward: define the work, avoid pedigree traps, recruit builders, and keep your promises. Subscribe, share with someone wrestling with their next leadership hire, and leave a review telling us your biggest hiring challenge—we’ll tackle it in a future episode.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 Travis Hann:👇
➡️ 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 (primary): https://www.linkedin.com/in/travis-hann/
➡️ 𝐖𝐞𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞: https://penderhowe.com/en/

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