From Skeptic to Advocate: Why Leaders Change Their Mind About Disciplined Recruiting

Some of the most powerful endorsements don’t come from lifelong fans. They come from skeptics who were convinced otherwise.

That’s exactly what happened when Crestwood Construction decided to work with us.

Why Leaders Are Skeptical

For many leaders, recruiting firms trigger frustration:

• Annoying calls and emails.
• Shallow promises.
• Resumes without context.

Crestwood’s leaders were no exception. As Tad Herrington admitted, “My experience with recruiters has been… annoying phone calls and emails that drove me crazy.” When the idea of partnering with a recruiter was first raised, his guard was up.

What Changed Their Mind

What moved Crestwood from doubt to buy-in wasn’t a sales pitch. It was structure.

From the very first meeting, the difference became clear:

• Discovery first. “They brought in some teammates that worked with us closely to go through all of our requirements and dig deep into the psyche of what it means to be a Crestwood superintendent”.
• A disciplined process. Tad explained, “Through the presentation that they had provided during that initial meeting, I realized that this was a lot more than what I had ever thought it was. And at the end of that meeting, I had already changed my mind. I was all in.”
• Shared accountability. Crestwood had to do the work of evaluating interviews independently: “After each interview, there was this requirement that Marshall and I not talk to each other… I quickly realized that because it would taint the opinion. After the interviews were recorded, Ambassador Group sent us back a summary of what we both said, where we were aligned and where we differed. It sparked a lot of conversation.”

A Lesson

Most leaders underestimate how much discipline it takes to reduce hiring risk. They assume the right candidate will reveal themselves quickly, or that a recruiter can magically deliver talent without demanding much engagement.

But Crestwood’s experience reveals the opposite:

• Discipline converts skeptics. Tad admitted, “Initially, being a skeptic of the whole recruiting process, I would say that from the beginning the openness and the straightforwardness… really changed my mind. It made a difference.”
• Skepticism can be healthy—if it pushes you to demand structure. Crestwood didn’t lower their standards; they discovered a process that met them.
• Trust comes from rigor. As Marshall Williams put it, “The support and management provided by Ambassador Group was tremendous every step of the way… going through a process this rigorous, there’s true buy-in.”

Hiring isn’t won by charm or shortcuts. It’s won by structure, discipline, and mutual respect.

That’s how skeptics become advocates.