You've built from the ground up. You've onboarded rookies, coached them, created a strong culture. But now you're ready to level up. In this episode of Recruiting Conversations, I walk you through the shift from building internally to attracting experienced Loan Officers—and how to do it without sacrificing the heart of your leadership.

This isn't just a strategy change. It's an identity shift. And done right, it can unlock faster growth, deeper impact, and a higher-performing team.

Episode Breakdown

[00:00] Introduction – The moment many leaders face: is it time to pivot from rookies to experienced LOs? [01:00] Why Make the Shift?

• Rookies take time and energy to develop

• Experienced LOs bring speed, diversity, and leverage [02:30] Three Reasons to Recruit Experienced Talent

1. Speed to scale

2. Pipeline diversification

3. Leadership leverage [03:30] Step 1: Reposition Your Brand

• Audit your LinkedIn, content, testimonials, and language

• Shift from "we build new LOs" to "we help producers scale" [04:30] Step 2: Reframe Your Value Proposition

• Speak to the pain points of seasoned LOs

• Emphasize efficiency, clarity, autonomy, and support [05:30] Script Example – Use language that shows understanding, not hype: "We help producers remove friction and scale sustainably." [06:00] Step 3: Reinforce With Social Proof

• Share success stories from experienced LOs who joined and thrived

• Video testimonials and before-after stories are key [07:00] Step 4: Shift How You Lead

• Move from teaching to partnering

• Let go of control and lead peers, not students

• Provide clarity without micromanagement [08:00] Step 5: Audit Your Infrastructure

• Onboarding, comp plans, CRM, support systems

• Experienced LOs won't tolerate friction—clean it up first [09:00] Final Challenge

• Reevaluate your brand message

• Update your scripts and digital presence

• Start one new conversation with a seasoned producer this week

Key Takeaways

• You Don't Have to Choose Between Rookies and Veterans – A healthy pipeline has both

• Experienced LOs Are Looking for Leadership, Not Management – Speak to their need for autonomy, not instruction

• Reposition Your Messaging – If your brand only speaks to rookies, experienced talent won't even consider you

• Systems Win Trust – If your operations aren't tight, you won't keep top producers

• You're Ready for This – You've built something real. Now it's time to invite others to run with you

Attracting experienced talent doesn't require hype or flash. It requires maturity, clarity, and a leadership brand that speaks to their reality.

Want help repositioning your recruiting system to attract experienced producers? Subscribe to my weekly email at 4crecruiting.com, or book a strategy session at bookrichardnow.com. Let's help you scale the right way.