Why The Human Touch Still Matters in Recruitment

When our Managing Director Tavis Shearer sat down recently to discuss what makes recruitment work, his message was simple: it’s about listening and understanding what people really need, not just matching keywords on a job description.

In an age where AI and automation are prevalent in recruitment, we’ve found that the most successful placements still come down to old-fashioned human understanding. Sometimes, a client doesn’t have a perfectly crafted job description – and that’s okay. What they do have is a clear sense of the person they need and the problem they’re trying to solve.

Reading Between the Lines

During our years in recruitment, we’ve learned that what’s written on paper isn’t always what’s needed in practice. A recent conversation with a technology client highlighted this perfectly. They came to us with what seemed like a straightforward role, but through conversation, we discovered they needed someone with stronger skills who was qualified for something that wasn’t mentioned in their initial brief.

Getting it Right

Are we perfect? Of course not. No recruitment company is, and anyone who claims otherwise probably has a bridge to sell you. What we do promise is to keep working until we get it right. When we miss the mark (because, yes, it happens), we own it. We go back to the drawing board, learn from the feedback, and try again.

The Reality of Recruitment

Here’s something recruiters don’t often admit: sometimes we get it wrong. But we’ve found that being honest about our misses has actually led to some of our strongest client relationships. It’s not about being right 100% of the time—it’s about being committed to finding the right solution, even if it takes a few attempts.

Learning from Experience

One of our most valuable lessons has been that requirements evolve. A client might start looking for one thing and realise through the recruitment process that they actually need something quite different. By staying flexible and really listening to the changing needs, we’ve often helped clients find not just what they asked for but what they actually needed.

Moving Forward

The recruitment industry is changing quickly, with new technologies and methods evolving all the time. But at its heart, successful recruitment still comes down to understanding people – both the clients who need talent and the candidates looking for their next opportunity.

We don’t always get it right on the first try, but we’ll always be honest and keep working until we do. At the end of the day, it’s not about making a quick placement—it’s about making the right one.

In a progressively automated world, maybe that’s the real recruitment difference – being human enough to listen, honest enough to admit when we’re wrong, and committed enough to keep going until we get it right.

 

Why The Human Touch Still Matters in Recruitment

 

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