The CV Is Not the Candidate Edit

A CV is a summary. Somewhere along the way, it became the verdict.

I have lost count of the number of times a candidate has been screened out on paper, only to walk into a room and completely change the impression within minutes. The career story on the page and the person telling it are not always the same thing.

Hiring decisions are increasingly being made before anyone has met anyone. Volumes are high, time is short, and a CV is the easiest filter available. I understand why. But easiest is not always best.

What a CV cannot tell you: how someone thinks under pressure. How they read a room. Whether they ask good questions. Whether they bring calm when things are uncertain or energy when a team needs a lift. Whether they would sit well with your people on a hard day.

Some of the most capable people I have placed over the years did not have tidy CVs. Career changes that looked sideways on paper. Gaps that needed context. Roles that did not carry obvious titles. In every case, the story made complete sense the moment they were given the chance to tell it.

The candidates who are most at risk of being overlooked on paper are often the ones with the most to offer in a room. Not always. But often enough to give you pause before you close the file.

The best hires I have seen started as a conversation, not a verdict on paper. Give the story a chance to be told. You might be surprised who was sitting just outside the shortlist.