Every week, I hear some version of the same question, usually from a frustrated recruiter or hiring manager. Why am I being ghosted? Why can't I find the right candidate? What am I doing wrong? The answer people reach for is AI. Better AI screening, AI follow-up sequences, AI for outreach. AI, AI, AI.
I want to offer a different answer by telling you a story.
This week I bought my first new car, a Mercedes-Benz, and I have wanted one since I was a little girl eating 69-cent bean burritos (that's actually what they cost back then!) from Taco Bell because that is what we could afford. This has been a dream for over twenty years.
I submitted an inquiry online, and within an hour, a person called me. When I scheduled my test drive, the salesperson asked what I wanted, sure, but then she asked me why, and I told her the truth.
When I came to pick up the car, there was a red carpet, a bow on the hood, and a sign with my name on it, along with a personalized letter. "...Today, that little girl with big dreams is driving home in her first-ever Mercedes-Benz, bought all by yourself."
No AI tool did that. That was a real person named Fiona who asked me one real question and remembered the answer.
That got me thinking about how I treat people throughout the recruiting process. Not unlike me when I make a placement, she earns a commission on that sale. Most of us reading this get paid too, whether it is a salary, a bonus, a commission, or some mix of all three. We have skin in the game the same way she does, so why did I have a better experience buying a car than most candidates have changing their entire career, which is — by most accounts — a far bigger deal than a car?
Here is what I think we can learn from it.
1. Speed is respect
It took a human an hour to call me after one online inquiry. Candidates wait days for a response, and then we act surprised when they take the other offer.
2. Ask why, not just what
Anyone can ask what someone wants, but she was also after the why. Not the "where do you plan on driving it," but why do you want this vehicle specifically? We ask candidates about salary range and location repeatedly, and we rarely ask why now, why this move, why this matters enough to take the call. If you have ever been my candidate, you know one of my first questions is: "What made you say yes to meeting with me today?"
3. Hold onto what they tell you
The why cannot end at the first conversation. It has to show up again in how you talk about the role later, because a note from week one that nobody opens again does nothing for anyone. We actually have a section in our pitch notes to clients called "motivators" to identify whether this is the right fit for both parties.
4. Help with the parts that are not technically your job
Even though it was not her job, she helped me call my insurance and make sure everything was all set for "delivery day." This is the stuffy part, but she understood it was still part of my experience. Candidates deal with background checks, references, paperwork, and sometimes relocation. It might be someone else's job, but why shouldn't we help them through it?
5. The moment of yes deserves its own special moment
As recruiters, we spend so much time on sourcing and screening, but then send the offer over email with a DocuSign link. The day someone says yes is one of the biggest days of the process for them, so treat it that way.
We have the same incentive to get this right that she did. The only thing standing between us and that red carpet moment is whether we are willing to keep the human in recruiting. This is my (re)commitment to doing so here at 24 Hour Search.
Kristin Taylor is the Founder and Managing Member of 24 Hour Search, an executive search and talent advisory firm serving commercial real estate, professional services, and growth-oriented owners and operators. She partners with leadership teams on Director-through-C-suite hiring, with a focus on reducing the risk of a high-stakes leadership hire.
Connect with Kristin on LinkedIn or reach her at kristin@24hoursearch.com.