I placed a candidate recently. On paper, she looked too senior for the role. The hiring manager was worried she wouldn’t stick around long term. Too experienced. Too qualified. Why would she want this? But I’d spoken to her. Properly. Not a five-minute screening call. A real conversation.
I knew she was one of the strongest candidates I’d sent over. And one of the keenest. The environment genuinely excited her. The work itself lit her up when she talked about it. She wasn’t looking for a stepping stone. She was looking for somewhere she could actually thrive. So I pushed back. I told the hiring manager to give her a chance.
He did. She got the job.
A few weeks ago, I caught up with her for coffee. Afterwards, she sent me a WhatsApp saying it’s the happiest she’s been in a job.
That message meant everything.
The Pattern I’ve Seen Before
Here’s the bit that made me smile. That hiring manager? His boss is someone I also placed. About 10 years ago. Back then, the hiring manager for her role pushed back too. Said she didn’t have enough managerial experience on her CV. The experience was there, but it wasn’t presented in the way they expected. It didn’t tick the obvious boxes. But I’d taken the time to understand her background properly. I knew what she’d actually done. I knew how she led. I knew she was more than capable. So I pushed back. She got the job. And now she’s leading a huge team, including the hiring manager who just trusted me on this latest placement.
Two separate placements. Over a decade apart. Same pattern.
Why CVs Only Tell Part of the Story
CVs are useful. They give you a snapshot. But that’s all they are. They don’t capture motivation. They don’t show potential. They don’t explain context. Someone might look “too senior” because they’ve had big titles, but maybe they’re craving a different pace. Maybe they want to go deeper into the work rather than managing politics. Maybe they’ve burned out in a high-pressure environment and want something more sustainable. Someone might look “too junior” because their CV doesn’t reflect the leadership they’ve actually shown. Maybe they led projects without the title. Maybe they stepped up during a crisis. Maybe they’ve done the job, just not on paper. A CV is a document. It’s not a person. And when hiring decisions are made purely on what’s written on a page, good people get overlooked. Every single day.
What Good Recruitment Actually Looks Like
This is where a good recruiter comes in. Not one who just sends CVs and hopes for the best. Not one who treats recruitment like a numbers game. But one who actually knows their candidates. Who’s had the conversations. Who can say “trust me on this one” and mean it. That takes time. It takes effort. It takes genuine curiosity about who someone is beyond their job titles. It also takes courage. Pushing back on a hiring manager isn’t always comfortable. But if you’ve done the work, if you really know the candidate, sometimes that pushback is exactly what’s needed. The best hires I’ve made haven’t always been the obvious ones. They’ve been the ones where I’ve had to advocate. Where I’ve had to explain the context that a CV couldn’t capture.
For Hiring Managers
If you’re hiring, here’s my advice:
Trust your recruiter when they push back. If they’ve taken the time to really know a candidate, and they’re telling you there’s more to the story, listen. You don’t have to say yes to everyone, but at least have the conversation.
Look beyond the obvious. The “perfect” CV doesn’t always mean the perfect hire. Sometimes the best person for the role is the one who doesn’t fit the mould you expected.
Ask better questions. Instead of “do they have X years in Y role?”, ask “can they do the job? Will they thrive here? What’s driving them?”
For Recruiters
If you’re a recruiter reading this, take the time. It matters.
Get to know your candidates properly. Understand their motivations, their context, their story. Don’t just skim the CV and make assumptions.
Build the kind of relationships where clients actually trust you. Where you can push back with confidence, and they’ll listen.
That’s the difference between filling roles and changing careers.
The Bigger Picture
Those two placements, a decade apart, taught me something important. When you take the time to truly see someone, when you look beyond what’s written on a page, good things happen. People end up in roles where they thrive. Hiring managers get team members who exceed expectations. And sometimes, years later, those same people are in positions to give others the same chance they were given. That’s what good recruitment looks like.
Not transactions. Relationships.
Not assumptions. Conversations.
Not CVs. People.
If you’re hiring, find a recruiter who does that.
And if you’re a candidate who’s ever felt overlooked because your CV didn’t tell the whole story, keep going. The right opportunity, with the right people, will see you for who you really are.
