Are you ready to be the best at getting better?
Ali Braid, Assoc CIPD
Owner / L & D Consultant at The Recruitment Trainer. Trainer ? Learning Designer ?Facilitator of learning conversations? Speaker ? Helping recruitment businesses perform at their peak ?
Do you know Brad Stulberg? I follow him on insta and he is a whole heap of wisdom. He is a researcher, writer and coach on sustainable excellence. I read this post of his above a few weeks ago and just had to save it. Because isn't this really the most important thing, for all of us, to get better? Not to focus on the end goal but to focus on the journey of discovery.?
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I have been running my training consultancy for over 8 years and you know what - the more I embrace learning and facing head on what I DON'T know - the more success I experience. And by success I mean - I get to do more enjoyable work, with clients that I love working with AND I get to see my children, family and have a social life. So that's MY version of success. And of course your version might be different to mine. But ultimately - being successful and open to learning I believe - come hand in hand.
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So this is where this new version of my newsletter comes in.
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The 1% better letter.
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And every Friday I commit to you to share one thing that helps you get 1% better.
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The 1% Rule: Small Improvements, Big Wins for Recruiters
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In the recruitment industry, we often aim for quick wins: the big placement, hitting a target, or securing a lucrative retainer. But what if the key to long-term success wasn’t in chasing those major wins, but in making tiny improvements every day? That’s the power of getting 1% better—and it’s a game changer.
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Why 1% Matters in Recruitment
Recruitment is fast-paced, target-driven, and competitive. It’s easy to focus on big outcomes but as recruiters, we’re constantly juggling tasks: sourcing, interviewing, building relationships, and managing client expectations. In this environment, small, incremental improvements can have a huge impact on performance.
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The principle of getting 1% better comes from the idea that tiny, consistent improvements lead to compounded growth over time.
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The Science Behind 1% Improvement
The idea of improving by just 1% may seem trivial at first glance. After all, how much difference can such a tiny change make? Surprisingly, it’s the small changes compounded over time that lead to remarkable outcomes.
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James Clear, in his bestselling book Atomic Habits, highlights how consistent, incremental progress creates a snowball effect. Improving by 1% every day doesn't just add up—it compounds. If you improve by 1% every day for a year, you’ll be almost 37 times better at the end of that year.
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This principle of marginal gains was popularised by Sir Dave Brailsford, the former coach of the British Cycling team. He believed that if the team broke down everything they did into components and then improved each one by 1%, the cumulative gains would lead to significant overall improvement. Brailsford’s theory was tested, and the results were incredible: British Cycling went from mediocrity to dominating the world stage, winning multiple Tour de France titles and Olympic golds.
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Small Changes, Big Results in Recruitment
In recruitment, your daily actions—whether it’s sourcing candidates, networking, or pitching to clients—are all opportunities to improve. Here are a few areas where a 1% improvement can make a massive difference:
These micro-adjustments may not seem like much in the moment, but over time, they accumulate into big shifts in your effectiveness, productivity, and ultimately, your performance.
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Falling in Love with the Process
So the outcomes we are seeking are simply by-products of a consistent, well-executed process.
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By focusing on getting just 1% better in your processes—whether that’s how you manage your day, how you approach candidates, or how you pitch to clients—you create a pathway to consistent improvement. It’s not about perfection; it’s about progress.
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"Because if you make the ultimate goal getting better, the rest takes care of itself."
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So every Friday I commit to you, to share my 1% better and give you some ideas on what you can work on for your 1% for the following week.
You can sign up here:
Thanks for joining me and do let me know what 1% you are going to work on this week.
Ali
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