Scout Tonya Tumath on Why “This Hire Wasn’t the Most Obvious, But He Was Exactly What They Needed”
- Tonya Tumath
- Jul 17
- 3 min read
A role defined by high turnover until the right hire brought lasting leadership and renewed morale.
Here’s how Scout Tonya Tumath’s people-first approach helped a growing manufacturing company find a leader who brought more than just qualifications – he brought trust, energy, and long-term impact.
The Challenge: A Role with High Turnover and Low Morale
A manufacturing company was expanding quickly, but one department couldn’t keep up. Supervisors on the production floor were burning out, and new hires weren’t sticking. Turnover was high, morale was low, and the leadership team was frustrated. They had tried filling the role multiple times using a traditional checklist of experience and qualifications, but the results kept falling short.
That’s when they brought in Tonya.
The Approach: Reframing the Role, Rebuilding the Process
Tonya didn’t just take the job description and run with it. She paused to ask the bigger questions:
What’s really going on here?
What kind of leadership is this team craving?
And what would it take for someone to not just survive in this role, but thrive?
She worked closely with the company’s leadership to redefine the role not just by what needed to get done, but by who this team needed. It became clear that technical skills weren’t the missing piece. The gap was in emotional intelligence, communication, and the ability to navigate day-to-day tension with empathy and presence.
With that clarity, Tonya redesigned the recruiting strategy from the ground up. Sourcing changed. Interview questions changed. And perhaps most importantly, finalists were invited to walk the floor and meet the team because a culture fit couldn’t be judged in a conference room.
The Result: A “Nontraditional” Candidate Who Made All the Difference
The candidate they ultimately hired may not have been the most obvious choice on paper, but his strengths quickly came through in person. When he walked the floor, everything clicked. He connected with the team, asked thoughtful questions, and immediately earned trust.
Tonya describes him as “the cultural glue.”
Within months, retention improved. Tensions eased. Productivity went up because people felt heard and supported. This hire didn’t just fill a gap, he raised the bar.
The Takeaway: Recruiting That’s Built to Stick
For Tonya, the experience reinforced a core belief:
Great recruiting is part art, part science.
It’s about more than credentials, resumes, and checkboxes. It’s about slowing down to understand the people, the purpose, and the potential behind every placement.
If this story resonates, you’re not alone. So many of the challenges companies face aren’t about talent shortages, they’re about misalignment. And sometimes, a small shift in how you define the role can lead to a big shift in the results you see.
Want to explore how we can support your next hire? Connect with Tonya here.
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Tonya Tumath is a talent strategist with 20+ years of experience building high-performing teams across executive, IT, finance, operations, and data roles. Known for her people-first, results-driven approach, she helps companies make thoughtful, lasting hires that align with their mission and growth goals. When she’s not matching great people with great opportunities, Tonya shares glimpses of her life as a digital creator!
Connect with Tonya on LinkedIn or reach out directly at tonya@therevelsearch.com.
The Revel Coach™ Blog is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not mental health, financial, business or legal advice. The information presented here is not intended to diagnose, treat, heal, cure or prevent any medical, mental or emotional condition. The information presented here is not a guarantee that you will obtain any results or earn any money using our content.
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