The Hire That Makes—Or Breaks—Your Client’s Business

Severin Sorensen
May 30
3 min read

As executive coaches, we’re often asked to help leaders think bigger, move faster, and lead better. But there’s one decision that can quietly derail everything—or accelerate progress faster than any quarterly goal.

Their next hire.

Not just any hire.

A Difference Maker—the kind of person who changes team dynamics, unblocks momentum, and amplifies leadership impact.

Or, on the flip side: a bad hire who quietly drains morale, distracts leadership attention, and reverses cultural progress.

Why Talent Is One of the Most Undervalued Coaching Frontiers

In the C-suite, hiring is often viewed as HR’s domain. But as a coach, you know better.

Strategic talent decisions are leadership decisions.

And they’re a ripe opportunity for executive coaching to drive outsized value.

What separates organizations that soar from those that stall? Not just strategy. Not just capital. People.

And not just top performers—but people who change the game. Difference Makers—those rare individuals whose impact ripples far beyond their job description, elevating the entire organization.

The Hidden Cost of Avoiding the Talent Conversation

When leaders don’t have a talent philosophy—or treat hiring as a transactional process—there are quiet but devastating consequences.

“A single bad hire can initiate a negative spiral that drains productivity, erodes morale, and costs hundreds of thousands of dollars—even before severance.” — Bad Hires vs. Difference Makers

As a coach, help clients see the real cost:

$30K–$120K in turnover and replacement
30% drop in team productivity
20+ hours of manager time lost per review cycle
Toxicity that drives out your top talent

Bad hires aren’t isolated mistakes. They’re systemic risks—financially, culturally, and operationally.

Coaching Leaders Toward Difference Makers & Talent Multipliers

Now imagine the opposite scenario: your client hires a true Difference Maker—someone who’s not just skilled, but curious, driven, emotionally intelligent, and a multiplier of others.

“Top performers can be up to 800% more productive than average—and boost nearby team output by 15%, translating to $1M+ in added profit.”

They don’t just do more. They elevate everyone around them.

Help your clients understand the ROI of great hiring:

$2.50 return for every $1 invested in human capital
+28% higher returns for firms that track human capital ROI
+$50K annual profit uplift per stellar hire
125% productivity boost from engaged, inspired employees

“Multiplier leaders unlock over 90% of their team’s intelligence—while Diminishers get less than half.”

The right hire can expand what your client is capable of achieving—without them working harder.

This is the leverage coaches should be unlocking.

Coaching Application: How to Guide Clients Through Strategic Hiring

Here’s how you can help leaders turn hiring into a competitive advantage: help clients see that it’s time to treat human capital as capital—not overhead, not a cost center, and not just another process.

Help Them Identify Their “Difference Maker” Profile: Go beyond skills and experience. Coach them to define the energy, mindset, and relational dynamics they want from key roles. What kind of person lifts their team?
Audit Their Talent Strategy: Many leaders don’t have one. Use coaching sessions to ask: What is your hiring process really optimizing for? Who makes hiring decisions—and how do they assess fit? What causes mis-hires in your organization?
Introduce Science-Backed Tools: Recommend tools that evaluate energy, grit, EQ, and curiosity—not just resumes. Systems like The Talent Palette, TriMetrix DNA, or structured behavioral interviews can elevate talent outcomes.
Invest Where It Counts: $1,500 per employee in development equates to 24% higher profits. High performers thrive on challenge, feedback, and growth.
Coach Around “Good Enough”: Settling for average often happens when leaders are tired or under pressure. That’s when coaching is most valuable. Challenge their tolerance for “safe” hires. Help them re-anchor to long-term value. Every time a company settles for average, they could be losing $50,000—or more.

Are You Coaching at the Talent Level?

Many coaches focus on vision, execution, and mindset. But talent is where those things become real—or not.

Ask your clients: Are you intentionally designing your hiring process to attract and identify multipliers? Or, are you hoping someone amazing shows up—and won’t disrupt the culture?

You don’t need to become a hiring expert. But as a coach, you can guide the questions, elevate the standards, and hold the line on excellence.

Final Thought: Coaching Multiplier Leaders Starts with Talent Conversations

Your clients are under pressure to deliver results, adapt to change, and lead with clarity.

The best thing you can do? Help them make one great hire.

Because the right person doesn’t just fill a role—they amplify your client’s leadership and accelerate their organization’s growth.

You coach the leader. That leader shapes the team. The team determines the outcomes.

Start where the leverage is: Who’s being hired.