Performance-Based Hiring with Marc Morris, The Talmadge Group (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 908)
Marc Morris, the president of The Talmadge Group, joins host John Ray to discuss effective hiring practices. Marc explains how his firm has evolved from providing direct IT placements to offering consulting, project-based staffing, and leadership searches in executive, sales, and construction roles, effectively serving client needs since 1998. He breaks down Lou Adler’s performance-based hiring and the POWER approach, which includes building a performance profile, evaluating objectively, widening sourcing, managing interviewer bias, and treating recruiting as marketing. Marc also calls out the trap of “frictionless” click-to-apply systems that flood employers with the wrong candidates and mask quality.
Marc shares the single question he uses to engage passive candidates who are not on the market and why it works. He also discusses employer branding, culture, and the rationale behind the superiority of outstanding managers with measurable results over trendy perks. Case stories include scaling a startup from six to sixty and multi-year public-sector tech projects with the USDA and Defense Logistics Agency.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is produced by John Ray and North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, and is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
Key Takeaways from This Episode
- Hire for outcomes, not resumes. Define a performance profile with the 6–12 month results you need, then assess candidates based on those outcomes.
- Use the POWER approach: build the performance profile, set objective scorecards, widen sourcing, eliminate interviewer bias, and run recruiting like marketing.
- Kill “frictionless apply.” High volume from one-click portals hides signals and wastes management time.
- Treat recruiting as a campaign. Clarify the value proposition, target likely pools, and nurture passive talent.
- Ask one incisive opener with passive candidates: invite them to describe the work they would leave for, then map that to your performance profile.
- Upgrade interview quality. Fewer interviewers, structured questions tied to outcomes, and consistent scoring produce better decisions.
- Brand and culture matter, but great managers with clear expectations beat office perks.
- Measure success by time-to-productivity and retention against the performance profile, not just time-to-fill.
Topics Discussed in this Episode
00:00 Introduction and Welcome to North Fulton Business Radio
01:50 Guest Introduction: Marc Morris
01:59 The Talmadge Group: Services and Evolution
03:59 Hiring Challenges and Market Evolution
05:22 Technology’s Impact on Hiring
07:30 Performance-Based Hiring Explained
11:20 Employer Branding and Company Purpose
14:15 The Passive Candidate Strategy
23:24 Advice for Job Seekers
25:28 When to Call Marc Morris
26:53 Success Stories and Conclusion
31:12 Closing Remarks
Marc Morris, Founder and President, The Talmadge Group
Marc Morris, Founder and President of The Talmadge Group, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned staffing and consulting firm known for helping organizations build high-performing teams through Performance-Based Hiring. A U.S. Navy veteran and former Georgia state legislator, Marc brings decades of leadership, real-world recruiting experience, and a passion for helping people reach their full potential.
The Talmadge Group is a service-disabled veteran-owned staffing and consulting firm specializing in performance-based hiring and workforce solutions. Founded in 1998, the company partners with both commercial and government clients to deliver high-performing teams that drive measurable results.
Their approach goes beyond traditional recruiting—focusing on the alignment of people, process, and performance. By combining strategic talent acquisition with deep industry insight, they help organizations identify, attract, and retain professionals who make an immediate impact.
From technology and construction to executive leadership and government contracting, The Talmadge Group’s reputation is built on trust, precision, and a commitment to excellence in every placement.
Website | LinkedIn | Marc Morris LinkedIn | Facebook
Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio
Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, with over $17 billion in assets and more than 180 banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services offices throughout the region. All of Renasant’s success stems from each banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way to better understand the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.
Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter) | YouTube
Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio
Whether you’re a law firm, medical practice, or manufacturer, there’s one headline you don’t want to make: “Local Business Pays Thousands in Ransom After Cyberattack.” That’s where Beyond Computer Solutions comes in. They help organizations like yours stay out of the news and in business with managed IT and cybersecurity services designed for industries where compliance and reputation matter most.
Whether they serve as your complete IT department or simply support your internal team, they are well-versed in HIPAA, secure document access, written security policies, and other essential aspects that ensure your safety and well-being. Best of all, it starts with a complimentary security assessment.
Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube
About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray
With over 900 episodes and having featured over 1,400 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in our community like no one else. We are the undisputed “Voice of Business” in North Fulton!
The show invites a diverse range of business, non-profit, and community leaders to share their significant contributions to their markets, communities, and professions. There’s no discrimination based on company size, and there’s never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates businesses by sharing positive stories that traditional media ignore. Some media lean left. Some media lean right. We lean business.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. John and the team at North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, produce the show, and it is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
The studio address is 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.
You can find the complete archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.
John Ray also operates his own business advisory practice. John’s services include advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their value, their positioning and business development, and their pricing. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as consultants, coaches, attorneys, CPAs, accountants, bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.
John is the author of the five-star rated book, The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices, praised by readers for its practical insights on raising confidence, value, and prices.
