If every resume you’re receiving is garbage, take a hard look at how you’re running the search. Here are five fact or false questions I hear from hiring managers all the time.

If I want the best resumes, I need multiple recruiters.

False. You need a recruiter who will commit to the search. An exclusive, as scary as that sounds, could be your best approach.

“If your recruiters think that everybody has the order, guess what, nobody really works it.” Laurie O’Hanna, former Korn Ferry International RPO Project Leader

All recruiters are the same.

False. Many recruiters are just passing through the business. Select a recruiter who has stood the test of time, I’d say 5 to 10 years minimum.

If I really want great talent, I need an internal team to handle 100% of my recruiting.

False. Companies with the best internal recruiting teams still call on outside recruiters.

Recruiters know how to sell my position.

Partly true. Recruiters are typically great salespeople, but you know your company better than they do. Give your recruiter a list of reasons someone should work there, and take the time to explain why YOU chose to work there and what the culture is like.

Recruiters call me all the time. I’ll just work with whoever calls next.

False. Or at a minimum, a bad idea. Be more strategic. Ask around about who the best recruiter is and call them. You’ll get less garbage on your next search and be happier with the results.

This article first ran on my LinkedIn in January 2017. You can read the original, and follow me for more, here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/all-resumes-garbage-joe-pelayo.

I’m Joe Pelayo, an executive recruiter for 40 years and founder of Joseph Michaels International here in Dallas. We recruit for roles with base pay from 75K to 2 million, and one call to me reaches our network of 700 recruiters. Right now we have 1,633 open jobs.

Let’s Talk

Tired of sorting through resumes that miss the mark? Let’s talk about your search.

Call me at 1-800-786-1099 or email info@josephmichaels.com.

Joseph Michaels International, 13355 Noel Road Suite 1360, Dallas, TX 75240