Why Recruiting Isn't Just "Finding Candidates"

Today we’ll dive into one of my biggest pet peeves in the recruiting business.

Too many recruiters are falling into what I call the "surface-level trap" – taking candidates at face value without diving deeper into their true motivations and circumstances. This oversight isn't just costing us time; it's damaging our reputation with clients and undermining our effectiveness as strategic hiring partners.

Let me share two recent conversations that perfectly illustrate this problem, and more importantly, what we can learn from them to become more effective recruiters.

The Fundamentals Most Recruiters Miss

Before we dive in, let's establish something crucial: successful recruiting isn't just about finding qualified candidates. That's the easy part. The real challenge – and what separates average recruiters from exceptional ones – is finding qualified candidates who will:

1. Accept the offer

2. Actually show up on day one

3. Stick around long enough to make the placement worthwhile

This distinction is everything. It's the difference between playing checkers and chess in our industry.

The golden rule I've developed over years of placements is simple but powerful: Think objectively and put yourself in your candidate's shoes. Would you make this move if you were in their exact situation? If the answer isn't a clear "yes," you probably shouldn't proceed.

Case Study #1: The Software Engineer at $70/hour

A recruiter friend was working on a role for a large F500 company. The position paid $70/hour—a decent rate for many but significantly below the $90-$100/hour range his candidate had targeted in the past. Despite the mismatch, the recruiter called his candidate, who surprisingly said, “Sure, go ahead and submit me.”

The recruiter thought, “If he’s interested, he’ll accept the offer if it comes.” Spoiler alert: he didn’t.

When the candidate declined the offer, the recruiter was stunned. Why would he go through the motions just to say no? The answer: practice and options.

This candidate wasn’t serious about the role. He was leveraging the process to sharpen his interview skills, compare offers, or potentially use the offer as a bargaining chip elsewhere. It’s a classic move in a down market.

Here’s what I told the recruiter:

• Put yourself in the candidate’s shoes. If you were out of work in a tough market, wouldn’t you explore every opportunity?

• Now, imagine you’ve landed an offer that pays $40K more. Would you even consider this $70/hour role? Of course not.

The light bulb went on for him. It’s not enough for someone to say they’re interested; you have to evaluate why they’re interested and if the offer is truly competitive for them.

Case Study #2: The NYC Commuter Conundrum

Another recruiter reached out to me about a software engineer role in New York City. The position required the candidate to be onsite three days a week. He found a seemingly perfect candidate, but there was one glaring issue: the candidate had never commuted to NYC before.

This person had spent their entire career driving 30 minutes to work. Taking the job would require a daily journey involving:

• Driving to a bus or train station.

• Taking public transportation to Penn Station or Port Authority.

• Navigating NYC subways to the office.

Despite these red flags, the recruiter heard the magic words, “I’m interested,” and pushed the candidate through the process.

By the final round, which was onsite, the candidate pulled out. His reasoning? “I need at least $50K more to make this worth it.”

The recruiter was blindsided. But when I asked a simple question, the issue became crystal clear:

Me: “When was the last time this candidate went to NYC?”
Recruiter: “Uh, I think he said he and his wife went to a play a few years back.”

Let’s break this down:

• The candidate is completely passive.

• He’s never commuted to NYC for work.

• The job pays only $20K more than his current role.

• He doesn’t need this job.

Are we really surprised he walked away? No. This situation was doomed from the start because the recruiter failed to think objectively about whether the role was a realistic move for this candidate.

The Deeper Lesson: Beyond Surface-Level Recruiting

These situations highlight a fundamental truth about our profession: surface-level recruiting is a losing strategy. We need to think like investigators, not order-takers. Every "sure" or "I'm interested" needs to be examined under a microscope.

Here's what exceptional recruiters do differently:

1. They Dig Deeper into Motivations

Don't just ask if a candidate is interested. Ask why they would make this move. What would they gain? What would they lose? Make them paint the picture for you.

2. They Consider the Total Life Impact

A job change isn't just about the role and salary. It's about commute, work-life balance, family impact, and dozens of other factors. Map out the complete picture.

3. They Think Long-Term

Good recruiters fill roles. Great recruiters build relationships and reputations. Every time you present a candidate who's likely to decline, you're damaging your credibility with your client.

4. They're Not Afraid to Say No

Sometimes the best move is to tell a candidate, "I don't think this is the right move for you." Yes, you might lose a potential placement, but you'll gain something more valuable: trust and respect.

Your Call to Action

Here's what I want you to do this week:

Take your current pipeline and review each candidate with these questions:

1. If I were in their exact situation, would I make this move?

2. What major life changes would this role require?

3. Have I properly investigated their true motivations?

4. Am I pushing this forward because it's right, or because it's easy?

Be brutally honest with yourself. If you can't confidently answer these questions, you have more work to do.

Remember: Our job isn't to fill roles – it's to create successful, lasting placements that benefit both our candidates and clients. Anything less is just going through the motions.

Share your insights and experiences in the comments below. What red flags have you learned to spot? How do you validate genuine interest versus surface-level engagement?

Let's raise the bar together.