Recruitment

In the early 1970s, Herb Kelleher made a decision that would transform the airline industry. While other airlines were focused on rigid professionalism and technical expertise, the co-founder of Southwest Airlines had a different idea: hire for attitude, train for skill.

It was a radical notion at the time. Instead of prioritising years of aviation experience or formal qualifications, Southwest looked for people who naturally aligned with their values. They wanted team members who would bring enthusiasm, flexibility and genuine warmth to every interaction.

Their hiring process reflected this philosophy. Rather than traditional interviews focused on technical skills, Southwest created group sessions where they watched how candidates interacted and approached challenges. They weren’t looking for the most experienced airline professionals. They were looking for people who would naturally thrive in their culture.

The results? While other airlines struggled with customer satisfaction and employee turnover, Southwest built one of the most distinctive and successful cultures in aviation history. They didn’t achieve this by changing people – they achieved it by selecting people who were already a natural fit.

This brings me to a rather uncomfortable truth about building your systems culture … Perhaps the easiest way to get your team to follow systemised processes is to fire everyone who isn’t immediately on board and hire new people who are motivated, accountable and love following processes. Simple … Haha … But obviously that isn’t an option … Or is it …? Haha … No, it’s definitely not …

But hidden in that uncomfortable joke is a profound truth. What’s the easiest way to motivate people? Hire motivated people. What’s the easiest way to get people to follow systems? Hire people who like following systems.

Of course you can’t replace your entire team. You’ll continue working with your existing staff, providing all the support, training and encouragement they need to embrace the new systems culture. But alongside this, by being more deliberate about who you bring into your organisation moving forward, you can make the entire cultural transformation easier. Instead of constantly pushing against resistance, you can select people who will naturally align with your systematic approach.

This is about working with whoever handles your recruitment, whether that’s a hiring manager, HR team or external recruiter, to gradually embed these principles into your hiring process. We’ll focus on a few key areas: your position description, your job ad and your interview process. Remember that your position description is an internal performance blueprint while your job ad is an external magnet for attracting the right candidates.

Update your position descriptions¶

All good recruitment processes begin by getting crystal clear on what you’re looking for. After all, how can you find the right person if you haven’t clearly defined what “right” looks like? Working with whoever handles your recruitment, you’re going to weave systems thinking and systems language into your position descriptions. Here are some examples.

Marketing coordinator — Before: “Responsible for managing social media accounts, creating marketing materials and coordinating events.” After: “Responsible for managing social media accounts using the approved social media management system and following documented content creation and posting procedures. Creates marketing materials using established templates and brand guidelines. Coordinates events by following the documented event-planning process, which includes checklists, timelines and vendor-management procedures.”

Project manager — Before: “Responsible for overseeing projects, managing budgets and coordinating with team members.” After: “Responsible for developing and maintaining our project management software platform, ensuring all projects adhere to standardised processes for initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and closure. Uses documented templates for project proposals, status reports and risk management plans.” This description isn’t just listing responsibilities, it’s showing candidates exactly how they’ll manage projects in your organisation.

Customer service representative — Before: “Responsible for answering customer enquiries via phone and email, resolving complaints and processing returns.” After: “Responsible for delivering exceptional customer experiences by following our proven customer service systems … following documented scripts and procedures for common scenarios, using our ticket management system to track and escalate issues, and contributing to our knowledge base by documenting new solutions.” It shows candidates that success in this role means embracing systematic approaches.

A practical tip: AI tools like ChatGPT are amazing at helping you transform traditional position descriptions into systems-focused ones. Simply feed it your existing description and ask it to rewrite it with an emphasis on systems, processes and documented procedures. You’re creating a powerful filter that attracts people who will thrive in your systematic environment while gently deterring those who prefer a more freestyle approach.

Update your job ads¶

Your job ad is often a candidate’s first glimpse into your company culture. Most job ads read like a generic wish list. We’re going to craft ads that speak directly to people who love structure, processes and systematic approaches.

Instead of writing this	Try writing this	What it signals
”Excellent organisational skills"	"Proven ability to develop and maintain efficient systems and processes”	We value systematic approaches
”Strong attention to detail"	"Meticulous approach to documentation and process improvement”	We care about quality and continuous improvement
”Ability to work independently"	"Thrives in a structured environment with clearly defined roles and responsibilities”	We have clear systems in place
”Problem-solving skills"	"Ability to analyse processes and implement systematic solutions”	We solve problems through systems
”Team player"	"Contributes to and follows team systems and processes”	We work together systematically

You might even include actual examples of your systems in the job ad, with a link to preview the relevant documentation. This shows candidates exactly how work gets done and naturally attracts people who get excited about well-documented processes. “Won’t this scare away candidates?” That’s exactly the point. We want to attract people who think Finally! A company that has its act together! while gently deterring those who’d struggle in a systems-driven environment. Find more position descriptions and job ads at SystemsChampion.com/resources.

Update your interview process¶

The key is to add questions, wherever possible, that help reveal systems-driven candidates. Your job ad has already filtered for systems-minded candidates; these questions ensure those who make it through truly align. There are three types of questions that are particularly effective.

• Behavioural questions reveal natural tendencies toward systemisation by exploring past experiences. For example: “Tell me about a time you created a checklist or system to improve your work. What prompted you to do it, and what were the results?” (Listen for: initiative in creating structure, focus on efficiency, measurable improvements.)
• Hypothetical scenarios help you understand how candidates would handle situations they’ll face. For example: “Imagine you’ve just inherited a process that isn’t well-documented. How would you approach understanding and improving it?” (Listen for: systematic approach to learning, improvement mindset.)
• Direct culture questions. Don’t be afraid to ask straightforwardly: “Our company is deeply committed to systems and processes. What appeals to you about working in this kind of environment?” (Listen for: genuine enthusiasm, previous positive experiences with systems.)

These questions aren’t just about assessment – they’re sending a clear message about your company culture, helping candidates self-select for fit.

A powerful shift¶

By proactively weaving systemisation into your recruitment process, you’re investing in the future success of your business. This approach attracts candidates naturally aligned with a systems-driven environment, leading to faster onboarding and greater team cohesion. As you continue to develop this approach, fast forward in your mind’s eye and try to see how the work you’re doing today is going to impact the business over the next decade. The pay-off is larger than you realise.