Why the recruitment process is broken (and what actually gets you hired)

There’s a big problem with the way we hire people right now.

And if you’re job hunting, it’s probably costing you opportunities without you even realising.

I saw it play out firsthand last year when I hired my assistant, Cami.

A very normal hiring process

I put an ad on LinkedIn for a new assistant.

Even though I’m a career coach, it had been a while since I’d hired someone, so it was interesting to be back on the other side of the process.

Within a few hours, applications started rolling in. By the end, around 400 people had applied.

Because I was planning to train my assistant from scratch, there wasn’t a rigid skill set I was looking for. I wanted experience, but I was genuinely open to people from different backgrounds.

So I did what most hiring managers do.

I leaned on LinkedIn’s algorithm.

I reviewed the candidates LinkedIn suggested were the “best fit”, shortlisted a handful, and booked short screening interviews.

So far, so normal.

What the algorithm missed

Out of those 400 applications, only one person sent me a direct message on LinkedIn.

Just one.

And that person wasn’t on the list of candidates the algorithm suggested to me.

Her message wasn’t generic. It wasn’t “Hey, I’ve applied for the role.”

It was thoughtful and personalised. She told me she enjoyed my content and liked my business.

And I remember thinking, that says a lot.

Not about her CV. Not about her keywords. About her interest, her drive, and her willingness to put herself forward.

So I decided to interview her based on no other reason than the fact she’d taken the time to reach out.

Why humans still hire humans

When I got into the interviews, she was a fantastic candidate.

In the end, it came down to her and one other person. They were both strong. There really wasn’t much between them.

But I chose Cami.

Because that small, simple action told me something the algorithm never could.

And it was the right decision. Cami has been one of the best decisions I’ve made since starting my business. She’s phenomenal and such an important part of what we do.

My advice

This story isn’t really about hiring an assistant.

It’s about how broken the recruitment process is.

Anyone can apply for any job, so hiring managers are overwhelmed. They rely on algorithms to make decisions for them. But I’ve found those algorithms very rarely surface the best people.

AI and technology are incredible. I use them every day.

But the best hiring decisions are still made by human beings.

So yes, apply online.

But don’t stop there.

Find ways to connect with humans. Personalise your outreach. Put your hand up. Make it easier for someone to see you as a person, not an application.

It won’t work every time.

But it only has to work once.

If you want to learn how to get in front of hiring managers and navigate this broken system, the Creative Career Level Up might be the right support for you.

Check out more details, including testimonials, on our website here

Or use the link below to find out whether the Creative Career Level Up is the right fit for you.