Can't Find the Right Candidate?

Three months of searching. HR keeps sending candidates. None of them fit. Whose fault is it?

Before you blame recruitment, let's look at something uncomfortable: the gap between what you said and what you actually meant.

The Typical Hiring Journey (From Your Perspective)

Step	What happens	How you feel
1	You tell HR you need someone	"Finally getting started"
2	You send a brief or old JD	"That should be enough"
3	You wait	"Hope this is quick"
4	First 5 candidates arrive	"Let's see..."
5	None of them fit	"What are they sending me?"
6	Recruiter asks "What's missing?"	"I don't know, but not this"
7	Repeat	Frustration grows

"I'll Know It When I See It"

This phrase is the enemy of effective hiring. You probably do know what you want — intuitively. But intuition doesn't transfer well through email.

The recruiter can't see inside your head. They can't know:

• That "good communicator" means someone who pushes back diplomatically
• That "team player" means someone like Sarah from marketing, not like Tom from ops
• That the real problem is you need someone who can handle ambiguity
• That the last hire failed because they couldn't work independently

"We've hired three people for this role in two years. None of them worked out. Maybe we should look at how we're defining the role in the first place?"

What You Said vs. What You Meant

What you said	What you actually meant
"Someone experienced"	"Someone who's seen our specific problems before"
"Team player"	"Someone who speaks up when they disagree but doesn't make drama"
"Self-starter"	"Someone who finishes projects even when they hit obstacles"
"Good culture fit"	"Someone like Petra — fast, independent, brings solutions"

Why It's Hard to Articulate

You're not bad at communicating. This is genuinely difficult:

• You've never had to put your intuitive knowledge into words
• Some requirements only become clear when you see the wrong person
• The role has evolved in your head but not on paper
• You assume things that aren't obvious to outsiders

Your Team Knows More Than You Think

You're not the only one who knows what this role needs. Your team members have valuable input:

• They know the day-to-day collaboration requirements
• They saw what worked (and didn't) with the last person
• They understand the team dynamics that matter
• They might see skill gaps you've overlooked

Practical Tips for Better Briefs

Separate "what they need to do" from "who they need to be":

Skills (what they do)	Personality (who they are)
Which tools have they used?	How do they communicate?
What projects have they done?	How do they handle pressure?
What environment did they work in?	Introvert or extrovert?

Describe your team: Give the recruiter context about who this person will work with.

Speak in examples: Instead of "someone good," say "someone like Petra from marketing — fast, independent, comes with solutions."

Or: Let Someone Else Extract It

What if you didn't have to articulate all this yourself?

TalentByTeam uses AI to interview you, your team members, and even departing employees. The AI asks the follow-up questions that surface what you actually need — not just what you think you need.