The Best Candidate Wasn’t on a Job Board
The Best Candidate Wasn’t on a Job Board
A client of mine had a Project Manager position open. They’d done everything you’re supposed to do. They wrote a clear job description. They posted it. They waited.
Applications came in. The right person didn’t.
Four months later, the empty seat was costing them. Other people on the team were covering the work, deadlines were slipping, and everyone was tired. When a small team is missing one person, everyone feels it.
So I didn’t post the job again. I picked up the phone.
One call
I called a former colleague I’d stayed in touch with over the years. We didn’t talk often. A check-in here, congratulations there. There was never an ask behind it. It was just a relationship I cared about keeping.
This time, I did have an ask. I told him exactly what my client needed: the skills, the kind of team, and what success in the role would look like.
He thought for a moment and said, “I know someone.”
Same process, different starting point
The introduction got the candidate in the door. It didn’t get them the job.
They went through the same interviews and the same evaluation as every other candidate. A referral should earn someone a conversation, not a shortcut. That’s fair to everyone else who applied, and it protects the person who made the introduction.
They earned the offer. Today, they’re on my client’s team.
Why job postings miss great people
A job posting only reaches people who are actively looking. Many of the strongest candidates aren’t. They’re employed, doing good work, and not browsing job boards.
Those people don’t see your posting. But someone in your network knows them.
How to tap your own network
You don’t need a recruiter to start. Here’s what any small business or nonprofit can do:
Ask your team. Who would they love to work with again? Your best people usually know other good people.
Stay in touch with strong former employees and colleagues. Not only when you need something. Relationships you keep up are the ones that answer the phone.
Nonprofit leaders: tell your board and funders. They’re connected in ways your job posting isn’t.
Consider a referral bonus. Even a small one tells your team you value their help.
Keep the process fair. Every referral goes through the same steps as every other candidate.
When you need a bigger network
Sometimes your own network isn’t enough, or you don’t have time to work it while also running your business. That’s when it helps to bring in someone whose network is part of what they offer.
When you work with me, you get more than a job posting. You get the relationships I’ve built over my career, and the people those relationships can reach.
If you have a role that’s been open too long, or one you’re dreading trying to fill, contact me. Your next great hire might be one conversation away.
Deya Booker
Founder of Bloom & Beacon HR®
HR that protects your people and your mission.
