From Rugby Pitches to Recruitment Success: Lawrence Rayner on Resilience, Growth & Getting Comfortable with the Uncomfortable
Welcome back to TheMorePeople Podcast, where we explore the ever-evolving world of recruitment, career opportunities, and the human stories behind hiring success. In this episode, host Richard Hanwell sits down with a very special guest: MorePeople’s very own Lawrence Rayner.
Lawrence’s journey into recruitment is anything but typical and it’s precisely that journey that has helped shape his success.
From Physio Dreams to Professional Rugby
Lawrence originally set his sights on a career in sports science and physiotherapy, completing both undergraduate and postgraduate studies. But before long, life had other plans. Instead of treating athletes, he became one, playing professional rugby for three years across Plymouth and Nottingham.
“I lived the dream,” Lawrence reflects. “But like sport often goes, it didn’t last forever.”
After rugby, he explored recruitment, attracted by the competitive edge it shares with sports, but initially didn’t find the right fit. A detour into the NHS followed, where he ended up managing a GP surgery. Eventually, a conversation with a mutual connection brought him to MorePeople, where he’s now celebrating five years.
Sport, Recruitment & Controlling the Controllables
Lawrence draws powerful parallels between elite sport and recruitment. Chief among them? The mantra: control the controllables.
“You can't always control the outcome, but you can control your effort,” he says. “If you dedicate yourself to the process, the results will follow.”
It’s this mindset that he instils in his team, focusing on self-improvement, day-by-day progress, and putting everything into the “pitch” of recruitment. Much like his rugby days, success comes from being deliberate, competitive, and resilient.
The Changing Face of Recruitment
Over the past five years, Lawrence has seen seismic shifts in recruitment, from the chaos of COVID and mass restructuring to the current wave of AI transformation.
“There was panic at first. But then companies started rebuilding,” he recalls. “We’re in a cyclical industry, but what stands out is the resilience, especially in the food sector.”
With food being an essential industry, it adapted and thrived, even under pressure. Whether through hybrid work, innovative NPD strategies, or strategic hiring, the sector constantly evolved. Something Lawrence has loved being a part of.
Building Teams & Developing Talent
Now leading and developing his own recruitment team, Lawrence has a clear idea of what makes someone thrive in the role:
Resilience in the face of setbacks.
Curiosity and coachability, always striving to improve.
Comfort with discomfort, embracing those awkward first calls or challenging conversations.
A hunger for feedback, especially the constructive kind.
“I wouldn't even pick up the phone to order a takeaway when I was younger,” Lawrence admits. “But recruitment forced me to push past that.”
He stresses that personal growth comes when you seek out uncomfortable situations and then grow through them.
Advice to His Younger Self
Now 30, Lawrence reflects on what he’d tell his 24-year-old self:
“Stop worrying so much. Get in the room. Speak up. Say what you think. You grow by doing what scares you.”
Final Thoughts
Lawrence Rayner’s journey is a reminder that your background doesn’t define your future, mindset does. Whether you’re coming from sport, healthcare, or another industry entirely, recruitment rewards those who are self-aware, driven, and open to learning.
