Why Gut-Feel Recruitment Is Costing You Growth With Josh Rayner

In a market where margins are tight and expectations are rising, hiring on instinct is one of the most expensive habits an estate agency can have. Yet under pressure to fill roles fast, too many leaders still trust their gut and end up paying for it later.

In this episode of The Estate Agency X Podcast, Josh Rayner, Founder of Rayner Personnel and Inside Talent, reveals how to build a recruitment engine that’s smarter, faster, and built around culture, not chaos.

Most agency owners have been there: someone leaves, the pipeline’s busy, and urgency drives the next hire. But according to Josh, this reactive cycle creates costly churn. The fix starts with planning and profiling, defining what great looks like in each role before you ever advertise it.

He explains how psychometric tools and DISC-style profiling help identify who will perform and stay, rather than who simply interviews well. Add AI-powered screening and structured video interviews, and you start hiring for behaviours and cultural alignment instead of gut feeling.

Too many agencies talk about “values” without ever defining what they look like day to day. Josh shares how to articulate a culture that candidates can feel — one that attracts the right people and repels the wrong ones. This culture-first clarity becomes the filter for every job ad, interview, and onboarding plan.

Hiring right is only half the equation. Agencies that keep top performers do three things: create clear progression paths, offer recognition within the first year, and invest in continuous training. Those who don’t risk losing rising talent to brands that do.

Inside Talent’s platform helps agencies remove bias from job descriptions, auto-screen for skills, and shortlist candidates who actually fit the team. As new regulations raise the cost of poor hires, agencies using data, structure, and AI to recruit will win back time, money, and momentum.

It’s time to replace gut-feel recruitment with a culture-first system that drives growth, retention, and results.

🎧 Listen now to hear how Josh Rayner’s framework is helping agencies build high-performing teams that last.