Whatever Happened to the Telephone?
After more than four decades in executive recruiting, I’ve watched our industry go through one technological revolution after another. We went from Rolodexes, directories and handwritten notes to databases, email, LinkedIn, texting, video interviews and now artificial intelligence. Most of those changes have made us better and faster. But somewhere along the way, I wonder if we forgot about one of the most effective recruiting tools ever invented: the telephone.
Today, it is easy to send 50, 100 or even 500 messages without having a single real conversation. We email. We text. We send LinkedIn messages. We automate follow-ups. We let AI help us identify prospects and compose outreach. But are we actually recruiting? Finding a candidate is not the same as recruiting a candidate.
A successful executive who isn’t actively looking for another job may ignore an email. A LinkedIn message may sit unread. An automated message may look exactly like the other dozen messages that arrived that day. But a good recruiter on the telephone can do something technology still struggles to duplicate: have a conversation.
We can hear hesitation. We can ask why. We can recognize enthusiasm. We can uncover concerns. We can learn what would cause someone who wasn’t looking yesterday to consider making a career change today. The same applies to clients. A 15-minute conversation with a hiring manager can sometimes tell you more about a search than a four-page job description. Technology is an extraordinary tool, and I use it.
AI will become an increasingly important part of recruiting as well. But technology should help us get to the conversation. It shouldn’t replace the conversation. Recruiting has always been a relationship business. And relationships are built by people talking to people.
So maybe before sending that next automated message, try something old-fashioned. Pick up the telephone. You might be surprised who answers.
