Written By Cari Borden

They say talent is the engine of success, but only if you give that engine fuel. Hire the right people, give them the right incentives, and your business will thrive. Hire the wrong people or fail to motivate even the right ones, and your business will struggle. It’s that simple. Yet so many leaders still underestimate how hiring and motivation intertwine to make or break a company.

Hiring Right Isn’t About Resumes—It’s About Alignment.
The “right people” aren’t just the ones who look good on paper, they’re the ones who share the organization’s purpose, values, and curiosity to grow. Skills can be taught; integrity and drive can’t.

• The Hidden Cost of Wrong Hires.
  A single bad hire can ripple through culture, eroding trust, burning out high performers, and turning collaboration into conflict. Leaders who treat hiring as a checkbox often pay for it in turnover, disengagement, and lost productivity.
• Motivation Is Not a Memo.
  Even the best hire will disengage if leadership doesn’t nurture motivation. People crave recognition, autonomy, and purpose. If your only incentive is a paycheck, you’re building a team that works for you, not with you.
• Leaders, Look in the Mirror.
  Before you point to performance issues, ask: have I equipped, empowered, and energized my team? A demotivated team is often a reflection of unclear leadership, not poor talent.

Closing Thought:
Hire with purpose, motivate with intention, and watch what happens when people don’t just show up to work, but show up for the mission.

CTA:
💡 Want to explore how leadership behaviors impact motivation? Visit LeadBoldly1.blog or find me on Fiverr for personalized coaching sessions on team engagement and leadership alignment.