The truth is, hiring leaders don’t lose people to competitors — they lose them to better conversations.
Here’s what I mean.
Most leaders think they’re fighting against pay scales, perks, or headcount freezes. They’re not.
They’re fighting for attention — and attention goes to whoever tells the most compelling story.
The competitor didn’t “steal” your person. They simply listened better. They painted a vision that felt bigger, bolder, and more personal. They spoke about growth, impact, purpose — not just duties, tasks, and KPIs.
The facts are? Top performers don’t leave companies. They leave conversations that don’t move them anymore.
If your interviews sound like interrogations… If your job ads read like job descriptions instead of invitations… If your message to the market is “we’re hiring” instead of “here’s what we stand for”… Then you’re not losing people — you’re handing them away.
Great hiring isn’t about the transaction. It’s about transformation. It’s about helping good people see how they could become great — with you.
At Campbell Rochford, that’s our obsession. Turning good to great by engineering better conversations between ambitious leaders and high-impact talent.
Because the difficult in this world is easy. The impossible? Just takes a little longer.
So if you’re tired of watching your best people drift toward “competitors,” start asking a different question:
What story are we telling — and is it powerful enough to make them stay?