​At the HR & Recruitment Reset Conference, hosted by MorePeople & Roythornes, Adam White shared his experience of being “hired right”, offering a candid, practical look at the recruitment journey from a candidate’s perspective.

Now nearly a year into his role as CEO at Roythornes, Adam reflected on the transition from a 16-year career at Barclays into leading a law firm. His message was clear: great hiring doesn’t happen by accident. It happens through preparation, transparency, and thoughtful onboarding.

Here are the key lessons he shared.

1. Preparation: The Foundation of a Successful Hire

Adam wasn’t actively looking for a new role. After 16 years in a large corporation, he had security, credibility, and knew how to navigate the system. Moving wasn’t a necessity, it had to feel right.

What he noticed at the start of the process made all the difference, and this was preparation.

Before interviews began, there were honest, in-depth conversations about:

• His experience and motivations

• Roythornes’ strategic direction

• Cultural realities

• The challenges of the role

Crucially, nothing was sugar-coated.

Too often, organisations soften the edges to secure interest. But if there are political complexities, cultural nuances, or legacy challenges, candidates need to know upfront. Once someone has emotionally committed, uncovering surprises later creates friction and doubt. Transparency at the beginning builds confidence and prevents misalignment.

2. The Interview Process: Transparency Over Perfection

The interview process at Roythornes was extensive, with five stages in total. Importantly, there was no rush. There was a future handover date, no urgency on either side, and time to reflect.

That lack of pressure made a difference.

Adam contrasted this with panic hiring, something many HR professionals will recognise. When organisations rush to fill a gap, quality often suffers.

One particularly telling moment came after his first board interview. A director later told him it felt like “love at first sight”, but the board deliberately chose to continue the full process rather than make a fast decision.

That discipline matters.

3. Showing the Real Culture

One standout stage involved meeting a group of partners. Adam was told he’d meet small groups informally. Instead, ten partners walked into the room at once.

Internally, he admits he was “crying inside.”

But in hindsight, it was perfect.

That moment reflected the true culture of the firm, collaborative, direct, and slightly chaotic in a very human way. Months later, he recognised that the experience mirrored daily reality.

That’s the point.

If the interview process feels overly polished and corporate, but day one is entirely different, trust erodes quickly. The recruitment journey should feel consistent with the lived experience of the organisation.

Don’t present a glossy brochure version of your culture. Present the real one.

3. The Emotional Gap: Offer to Start Date

Adam described one of the most overlooked parts of recruitment: the emotional period between accepting an offer and starting the role.

The adrenaline of interviews fades. Reality sets in.

You hand in your notice.

You leave a place you’ve spent 16 years building credibility.

You start questioning everything.

Is this the right time? What if something goes wrong? Should I just stay where I am?

This is the danger zone.

Adam emphasised how important proactive onboarding was during this phase. Roythornes didn’t disappear after the contract was signed. Instead, they:

• Met to review the contract openly and transparently

• Maintained regular communication

• Invited him to events

• Introduced him to members of the team

• Helped him feel part of the business before day one

This wasn’t pressure, it was reassurance.

That ongoing contact built trust. It reduced doubt. It made the move feel real and supported.

Recruitment isn’t finished when the contract is signed. In many ways, that’s when the most fragile part of the journey begins.

4. Practical Takeaways for Employers

Adam summarised his experience into three clear lessons.

Number one: Remove urgency where possible. Panic hires rarely work, if you can create time and space in the process, better decisions will follow.

Number two: Make the interview process authentically transparent. Give candidates insight into the real culture and challenges of the role. Don’t oversell or sanitise. The right candidates will lean in and the wrong ones will opt out early.

Number three: Don't neglect the gap between offer and day one. The period after resignation is emotionally volatile. Structured onboarding, regular contact, and visible commitment from leadership can make the difference between confidence and second thoughts.

As Adam perfectly put it, "It's not over until that first day, and even then, it's just the beginning".

Hiring Right Means Thinking Like the Candidate

For HR and recruitment professionals, it’s easy to focus on process, compliance, and timelines. Adam’s perspective is a powerful reminder that behind every hire is a person weighing risk, identity, loyalty, and ambition.

Hiring right isn’t just about assessment.

It’s about alignment, honesty, and what happens after the offer.

At MorePeople, these are exactly the conversations we believe matter, because getting it right doesn’t just fill a vacancy. It shapes the future of a business.