Formula 1 drivers who get too comfortable in the driver’s seat lose their edge and, potentially, the urge to win – and recruiters face the same danger.

That was the message from Serco Group chief executive Chris Hyman at the Recruitment Society on 21 September.

“Put yourself on the edge, but be sure to put a safety net in place,” Hyman said.

South African-born Hyman races cars as a hobby, and applies lessons from the racetrack to his day job of running the global support services company of 41,000 employees. Boasting £1.637bn annual turnover, Serco has 3% annual attrition, with 20% attrition per job.

Core to the company’s continuing success is how its workforce sticks to governing principles and values such as promising only “what we can do”, Hyman said. If problems occur, “we put it right. No surprises”, he added.

In recruiting its own workforce, Serco bosses ensure that the values and principles are made known to the candidates, who are typically interviewed by “a few” people, Hyman said. Interviewers are encouraged to steer clear of standard questions, to better learn more about the individuals.

His final message of the evening kept to a racing theme. “Strive to be the best,” he said. “But never believe that you are.”