If hiring and retention feel harder than ever, it’s because it is. The talent market is crowded, candidates are less engaged, and hiring teams are stretched thin. Too often, leaders double down on practices that once worked, even when the results say otherwise. The problem isn’t effort; it’s focus. To compete today, leaders must stop relying on outdated myths and start building strategies rooted in reality. Here are five of the most common myths and how to move past them.
The Reality: Posting is advertising, not recruiting. A posting only reaches the small percentage of people actively searching, and even then, many never finish applying. SHRM reports that 92% of online applications go unfinished, and with AI now auto-filling applications, many of the ones that do come through aren’t a true reflection of a candidate’s skills. Meanwhile, the best people, the ones already thriving in their roles, never see your posting at all.
How to Move Forward: Use postings as a support tool, not your primary engine. Build a process that identifies where talent lives, engages them directly, and keeps your opportunities visible. Recruiting is proactive and relationship-driven, not just a waiting game.
The Reality: The “best” applicant is only the best of those who happened to apply — not necessarily the strongest talent in the market. And resumes themselves are limited snapshots: often outdated, incomplete, and sometimes AI-generated. They don’t show motivation, growth, or transferable skills. The truth is, many of the strongest performers never even post one.
How to Move Forward: Don’t rely on who applied or what their resume says. Treat resumes as door-openers, not decision-makers. Build systems to identify high performers who aren’t actively looking, and use conversations to uncover skills, motivation, and potential. The right hire often comes from direct engagement, not a stack of applications.
The Reality: Technology is a powerful accelerator, but it isn’t a substitute for strategy or human connection. Job boards reach active seekers but not the top performers who aren’t looking. AI can screen resumes faster, but it can’t build trust or uncover motivation. Tools help, but they don’t engage people. Recruiters and hiring leaders do.
How to Move Forward: Use technology to enhance, not replace, your recruiting efforts. Let AI handle efficiency tasks but pair it with human-led outreach and genuine conversations. The strongest strategies combine the reach of tech with the relationships only people can build.
The Reality: Many organizations stop recruiting during hiring freezes or slowdowns, assuming they’ll just “pick things back up” later. But pausing recruiting leaves you starting from scratch when demand returns. By the time you’re ready to hire, competitors who stayed visible and continued building relationships already have the edge.
How to Move Forward: Keep pipelines warm and conversations active, even when you aren’t hiring at full speed. Staying present in the market ensures you’re top of mind when candidates are ready, and it means you won’t lose precious time rebuilding when hiring ramps up again.
The Reality: Activity isn’t the same as strategy. A true talent strategy covers the market broadly, nurtures a healthy funnel, improves quality of hire, and produces consistent results. That’s why 60% of companies still report difficulty filling roles despite claiming to have a “strategy.”
How to Move Forward: Look beyond activity. Measure outcomes like funnel strength, quality of hire, and retention. Audit your approach, identify gaps, and focus on building a repeatable system that works in any market.
Hiring will always bring challenges, but it doesn’t have to feel impossible. By letting go of outdated myths and embracing strategies built for today’s market, leaders can build stronger pipelines, make better hires, and create more resilient teams. The result is lasting: better outcomes, stronger performance, and a clear competitive edge.