"First-Hand vs Second-Hand Decisions in Recruitment"

Both employers and candidates make life-changing decisions without ever hearing the full story.

Having sat between employers and candidates for many years, one pattern stands out. Both employers and candidates make life-changing decisions without ever hearing the full story.

I’ve lost count of how many times a hiring manager has looked at a CV and said, “This candidate is too jumpy.” Then I explain that most of those positions were fixed-term contracts or project-based roles. Suddenly the exact same CV receives a completely different reaction. Nothing changed. Not the resume. Not the candidate. Not their experience. The only thing that changed was the context.

I’ve seen the opposite happen just as often. A candidate says, “I’ve heard mixed things about that company.” When I ask where they heard it from, the answer is usually something like, “A friend worked there.” Or, “I read a few reviews online.” Again, nothing has been verified. Yet a decision has already been made.

The interesting part is this. Both the employer and the candidate are doing exactly the same thing. They’re making a first-hand decision based on second-hand information.

I’m not suggesting every employer should interview every applicant. Or every candidate should accept every interview. But if a resume is technically strong, why not spend 45 minutes understanding the reasons behind those career moves? You might discover the candidate spent years working on fixed-term contracts. Or perhaps they changed jobs for the same reasons many of us did earlier in our careers.

I’ve come to realise that the best hiring decisions — and the best career decisions — are rarely made because someone had all the answers. They’re made because someone was willing to replace assumptions with conversations. And in my experience, that simple shift changes far more outcomes than most people realise.

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I have spent 15 years on the hiring side of the table. I have interviewed thousands of candidates and seen exactly what works and what does not. Book a session and I will give you direct, honest advice based on your specific situation.