Why the Best Candidates Don’t Always Show Up on Resumes

We all know the drill: post a job, scan the resumes, and hope the perfect candidate jumps off the page. But here’s the truth no one likes to admit — the best person for the job often never submits a resume.

They’re not looking.

They’re building. Solving. Leading. Delivering…

And if you rely solely on resumes, you’ll never meet them.

So, what are you missing when you rely only on resumes?

Context. A resume shows where someone was — not always why they were there, or what they were really doing. Some of the best leaders I’ve placed didn’t have flashy job titles, but they were the glue that kept a team together or the quiet mind behind major process shifts.
Growth mindset. You can’t always spot a learner from a resume. But give me 15 minutes with someone who moved from night shift to manager without ever asking for permission, and I’ll show you someone worth betting on.
The ‘non-linear’ path. Some of the strongest candidates didn’t climb ladders — they built them. Maybe they left a brand-name company for a mission-driven startup. Maybe they stepped away from the workforce and came back sharper than ever. A resume won’t tell you why. That takes a conversation.
The undervalued. There’s an entire population of high performers stuck in environments that don’t reflect their capability. Poor management, outdated org structures, or lack of mentorship — it all shows up as “average” on paper. But in the right hands? These candidates fly.

My Take:

Resumes are a starting point, not a decision-making tool. If you’re hiring and only looking at paper, you’re likely missing your best option.

That’s why I don’t wait for the “perfect resume” to land in my inbox — I go find the right people.

What does this mean for hiring teams?

If you want to attract transformational talent, you have to be willing to go beyond keywords and timelines. That’s where I come in.

Every week, I talk to people before they hit the job market. I dig into who they are, what they want next, and where they thrive — and that’s often where the magic happens.

If you’re hiring and you only want what a resume shows, you might miss the person who can truly move the needle.

Let’s make sure you don’t.