Crisis Isn’t a Discount Code: Why Your HR Needs More Heart Than Hustle

And why now is the time to do better, not cheaper.

You might think it’s a great time to find people.

Redundancies have shaken industries. Talented professionals — the kind who once seemed out of reach — are suddenly available. On paper, it might feel like a golden opportunity. A buyer’s market, right?

A chance to scoop up top talent for less?

Here’s why that mindset is not only outdated — it’s dangerous.

Let’s rewind.

Remember those early days when you felt the fire in your chest that pushed you to start your business? Maybe you were sick of how things were done. Maybe you believed you could do it better — for yourself, your industry, your community.

You had a vision.

You knew the value of what you were creating.

You believed in it enough to risk stability, comfort, maybe even your sanity, to bring it to life.

So let me ask you this:

Do you still believe it’s valuable?

If yes — and I hope the answer is yes — then why wouldn’t you want the best people to help you take it further?

Why would you try to cut corners on the one thing that will make or break your next chapter: your team?

You can't outsource passion, but you can hire people who care.

Your commitment is unique — it’s your baby, your story. No one else can replicate that.

But what you can do is bring in people who share your values. Who feel inspired by your mission. Who want to build with you, not just show up for a payslip.

If you're serious about building something meaningful, then it's not just about finding someone who can do the job — it’s about creating the space where they want to do their best work.

That requires understanding them.

It requires your HR support — whether that’s a team, a consultant, or your own process — to ask the deeper questions:

• Who are you building this business for?

• What kind of people do you want to work alongside?

• What do they need to thrive?

Don’t forget what you’ve already mastered.

You probably spent hours researching your competitors.

Testing your product. Crafting your story.

Agonising over brand colours, fonts, tone of voice.

So why treat people — your most powerful asset — with any less care?

If you approach hiring like bargain hunting, you're not building a business. You’re patching a team.

And patched-up teams don’t scale. They don’t innovate. They survive… for a while.

Eventually, they break.

What’s your team worth?

This is a crisis of trust. People are wary. They've been burned.

They're not just looking for a payslip — they're looking for meaning, security, and leadership they can believe in.

If you're just chasing talent for a discount, you're not building trust — you're repeating the cycle that’s already failed.

Instead, take this moment as your chance to stand out.

Be the business that asks better questions.

Be the employer that sees people, not roles.

Build a culture where passion meets purpose — where your vision is mirrored by the people around you.

Because fruit-picking tools won’t catch whales.

And your team isn’t just a resource — it’s the core of your business jam.