White Paper:
What Top Mortgage Talent Tells us They Want— And What Actually Makes Them Move
Introduction
To effectively attract top talent in the mortgage industry, it's essential to understand and articulate what professionals truly desire in their careers. Based on over 15 years of recruiting experience, working with hundreds of leaders, and representing over $100BB in recruited production, we've identified five pivotal elements that drive career decisions. You can use these insights in your next recruiting conversation to find out what your candidate wants and be prepared to offer tailored solutions that help them achieve their aspirations with less time, more certainty, and minimal pain.
Interested in growth and want more?
If you'd like help turning this into unique value propositions you can use tomorrow, opt in to my 5-part micro-video series. In under 10 minutes per session, I’ll help you define and articulate your value propositions for each pillar—so they’re specific, provable, and land with meaning.
→ Opt in for the 5-Part “Define & Articulate Your VPs” Series
Text LEVER to 720-817-6777
Talent Demands Vision
Recruiting isn’t about selling comp plans or shiny tools. It’s about vision—coaching talent to see a more clear and compelling future for themselves, and showing them that by joining you, they can actually get what they want in less time, with less suffering, and more certainty that the desired outcome will become a reality.
The challenge? Knowing what that is. Most managers spray and pray—pitching every tool in the toolbox and hoping something sticks. The great recruiters know half the battle is uncovering what matters most to that candidate and then building a vision around it.
In this White Paper are the Top Five things talent really wants—in their words—and the one dominant lever that moves them all.
When you connect vision to these five, and especially when you demonstrate the leadership that proves the path, you take someone from “I’m happy where I’m at” to “When can I start?”
The Five Value Propositions that Get Talent to Move
1. Financial Growth and Stability
Talent wants to increase their income and achieve a foundation of financial stability. Connect your offer to their ambition for growth and personal aspirations, showing them how your opportunity can lead to a more secure and fulfilling life.
2. Exceptional Client Experience
Talent takes pride in delivering a high-quality experience from start to finish. This is for two main reasons. The first, we hear again and again, is that they can only sell what they believe in. If ops/leadership breaks trust, confidence dies, and the ability to sell dies with it. The second, a client experience to be proud of is the key to growing a sustainable referral and repeat based business. Highlight how your organization ensures a consistently excellent client experience, instilling a deep pride in their work and confidence that they will have a platform they can sell and grow through.
3. Freedom to Focus
Get out of the weeds; into the work and life that actually matters.Talent seeks the autonomy to concentrate on meaningful pursuits, both professionally and personally. Demonstrate how your environment liberates them from draining tasks, enabling a focus on business growth and personal well-being.
4. Significance and Belonging
Not just their volume—they matter here. Candidates desire to feel valued and part of a community. Illustrate how your team recognizes their contributions and provides a sense of belonging, fostering loyalty and a shared commitment to success.
5. Leadership and Growth
Talent wants to feel seen, believed in, chosen, and COACHED to grow. They are drawn to environments that see and invest in their potential. Emphasize your leadership's commitment to their personal and professional development, offering a clear path for growth.
Application in Recruiting
When engaging with potential candidates, use these five pillars to uncover their specific desires and aspirations. By understanding what truly motivates them, you can effectively communicate how your organization provides the means to achieve their goals with less effort, more certainty, and less pain compared to their current situation.
Remember, the key to influence is matching your offer to their deepest wants and needs. Be prepared to articulate how your opportunity aligns with their personal and professional aspirations, and watch your ability to attract top talent soar.
The Top 5 Stated Reasons Talent Leaves (with underlying cause + fix)
Understanding why talent departs is just as critical as knowing what attracts them. Often, the reasons people leave are direct opposites of what they seek. Here's a breakdown of the most common "push" factors and how to address them, mirroring the value propositions:
1. Toxic/Uncaring Leadership (Opposite of Leadership & Growth)
What they say: "No one cares about my business. This place is political."
Reality: Culture and leadership predict attrition far more than pay.
Fix: Install regular manager 1:1s, ensure decision transparency, embed values with real consequences, and actively remove talent-blocking behaviors.
2. No Career Growth/Development (Opposite of Leadership & Growth)
What they say: "I’ve plateaued here. There’s no path for growth."
Reality: Investment in development is a top stay/leave driver; less than 50% of U.S. employees received training in 2024. We hear again and again from leaders that they don't believe their LOs want to be coached. It's just not true.
Fix: Implement visible career ladders, fund ongoing training, conduct monthly skill sprints, and create measurable advancement opportunities.
3. Inconsistent or Uncompetitive Earning (Opposite of Financial Growth & Stability)
What they say: "I''m not competitive here/ I don't have the resources to grow."
Reality: While pay matters, it often becomes a primary concern AFTER leadership or culture gaps emerge. Of greater concern is the feeling that comp strategy is intentional and provides the opportunity they need to achieve their goals in business and life.
Fix: Ensure transparent compensation structures and support a clear return on investment (ROI) model. Stabilize volume with robust systems and maintain pricing discipline through economic cycles.
4. Lack of Recognition / Feeling Invisible (Opposite of Significance & Belonging)
What they say: "No one will miss me if I'm gone. My production maybe. But not me."
Reality: Recognition efforts have declined, yet timely, meaningful praise strongly correlates with lower intent to quit. Recognition is a currency of its own.
Fix: Implement weekly shout-outs, encourage peer recognition, and provide private notes tied to specific positive behaviors.
5. Operational Chaos (turn-times, product gaps, pricing whiplash) (Opposite of Freedom to Focus & Exceptional Client Experience)
What they say: "I don't have confidence to sell and won't sell what I don't believe in."
Reality (industry-specific): Since 2023, lenders who failed to adapt pricing and operations have lost ground. With originators exiting the industry, empowering the top 40% with reliable operations is make-or-break. https://www.stratmorgroup.com/lenders-and-vendors-must-pay-to-play/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Fix: Establish clear escalation lanes, aim for high clean file rates, offer a realistic product set, and implement pricing guardrails.
How to Apply when Recruiting: A Guide to Uncovering Desires
When engaging with potential candidates, use these targeted questions to uncover their specific desires and aspirations. By understanding what truly motivates them, you can effectively communicate how your organization provides the means to achieve their goals with less effort, more certainty, and reduced pain compared to their current situation.
Remember, the key to influence is matching your offer to their deepest wants and needs. Be prepared to articulate how your opportunity aligns with their personal and professional aspirations, and watch your ability to attract top talent soar.
Uncovering Financial Aspirations:
"What if your best month was your new minimum—what changes first for you?"
"What exact monthly floor (loans or net) lets you breathe and feel the freedom to focus on your future?"
"By Day 90, what 2–3 signals demonstrate we ended feast/famine?"
"Where has consistency broken before—lead flow, conversion, ops, or time theft?"
"If we add "x" funded/month reliably, what does that fund at home or on your team?"
"What would make this feel real on your calendar next week?"
"If an extra "$10k–$15k" showed up reliably every month, where does it go and why does that matter?"
"What’s your current net versus what you want it to be?"
"What are the two to three biggest blockers between you and that net target?"
"Which lever would move your net fastest—pricing discipline, lead generation, or better support?"
"If we tied your margin to the things you shared you want, are you comfortable selling at that margin?"
Understanding Operational Confidence:
"Walk me through a typical month managing your pipeline—where do issues tend to come up?"
"What do you have to manage or handle yourself in order to make sure the client experience is excellent? What of those activities could or should be delegated to someone else?"
"Which two or three things most often create fallout or delays?"
"If we fix those two issues, how many loans/month does that add?"
"Where would you reinvest that lift—LOA, marketing, or your time?"
"Where did you have to over-promise or apologize in the last 90 days?"
"What three metrics would restore your confidence: turn time, clean approvals %, post-close referrals?"
"If every file ran five-star, how would your agent conversations change next week?"
“What do you need to personally own to create excellence for clients, and what can be trusted to your team?”
“Which parts of client care energize you and make the biggest difference—and which could you delegate without loss of quality?”
“If your only job was to deliver the highest-value moments to clients, what would you keep on your plate, and what would you hand off?”
Identifying Needs for Freedom and Focus:
“What are the top five activities that take your time each week, and roughly what percentage of your time goes to each?”
“How many of those activities line up with what you believe you should be spending your time on to drive growth?”
"What’s stealing the most energy every week that isn’t your job?"
"If we redesigned your week, what two non-negotiable growth blocks would you protect?"
"For you to create the kind of business you want, what must be on your calendar—and what must be off your plate?"
"If I give you back 10 quality hours a week, where do you put them—growth or life?"
"What would your ideal Friday feel like when the rhythm is right?"
"What do you handle today that a strong LOA or processor should own?"
"If we hired or redeployed one role, which tasks vanish first?"
"What are the consequences to the rest of your business and life when you’re stuck in the weeds?"
Gauging Significance and Belonging:
"When did you feel most valued at work—and least valued? What changed?"
"What cadence of coaching and 1:1s would help you achieve your goals?"
“Do you feel like you’re truly part of a team at "x", or more like an individual going it alone?”
“When challenges come up, do you feel you have people in the company who are in it with you and actively help you overcome?”
“How much stronger is your business because of the people you work alongside?”
“When you think about collaboration here, what’s been the most valuable lesson you’ve gained in the past year?”
“How much do you feel your peers are helping you sharpen your edge and push your business forward?”
“What do you lose by not learning from others around you?”
“What’s the cost to your growth if you try to figure everything out on your own?”
“How much opportunity do you think slips by when you’re not actively learning from peers?”
“What’s the cost to your business if you’re not leveraging the experience of others?”
“How much faster could your business grow if you consistently learned from your colleagues?”
“What edge do you give up by not seeking out others’ insights and best practices?”
"Where do politics or indifference drain you now—and what would “clean” look like?"
Exploring Leadership and Growth Potential:
"Think of your best leader— what did they do weekly that actually moved you toward your goals?"
"What one skill or result do you want to grow in the next 90 days?"
"How will you measure that our coaching works?"
"If we work together to deliver those results, what becomes possible by the next quarter?"
"What to you makes life worth living?"
"What handful of things would make mortgage a great career?"
"What would make you feel like you have more than just a career but a business that is valuable and worth owning?"
"How, in your view, would a leader help you achieve that?"
The Dream: Build Business by Building People
Own a self-managing, high-margin branch that hires from an exclusive producer relationship pipeline, delivers predictable purchase volume, and lets you spend your time on growth—not firefighting. Imagine running a branch that practically runs itself, a high-margin operation where your focus shifts from day-to-day troubleshooting to strategic expansion. This isn't just a dream; it's a tangible reality built on a foundation of exclusive talent and consistent, predictable business.
We empower you to build a self-managing branch by providing access to a unique pipeline of top-tier producers. These aren't just hires; they're relationships, meticulously cultivated to ensure a steady influx of high-performing individuals. This exclusive access eliminates the constant scramble for talent, allowing you to build a team that is not only skilled but also deeply invested in the branch's success.
The result is a consistent, predictable volume of purchase business. No more unpredictable fluctuations or last-minute scrambles to hit targets. Our approach ensures a steady flow of high-quality transactions, providing you with the financial stability and clarity necessary to plan for long-term growth.
With the operational headaches minimized and a reliable revenue stream established, your time is freed up to concentrate on what truly matters: growth. Instead of getting bogged down in "firefighting"—solving daily crises and micro-managing processes—you can dedicate your energy to strategic initiatives, market expansion, and cultivating key relationships that will propel your branch to new heights. This is about transforming your role from a reactive manager to a proactive visionary, one who drives the future of your business.
- Joe
Joe Arroyo, Chief Growth Partner
Interested in growth and want more?
If you'd like help turning this into unique value propositions you can use tomorrow, opt in to my 5-part micro-video series. In under 10 minutes per session, I’ll help you define and articulate your value propositions for each pillar—so they’re specific, provable, and land with meaning.
→ Opt in for the 5-Part “Define & Articulate Your VPs” Series
Text LEVER to 720-817-6777