Standing Out When Great Talent Has Choices

Years ago, recruiting felt more one-directional. We posted an opportunity, candidates applied, and much of the conversation centered on whether they had the experience we were looking for.

That has changed.

Today, particularly when recruiting accomplished General Managers and department heads, some of the most talented candidates are asking just as many questions of us as we are asking of them. And they should be.

They are considering where they will spend a significant part of their lives. They may be moving a family, leaving a club they care about, giving up professional relationships built over years, or taking a calculated risk on the next chapter of their career.

When we remember what is actually at stake for the person sitting across the table, recruiting becomes much more human.

And in a tight market, that matters. 

Plenty of Applicants Does Not Always Mean Plenty of Candidates

We sometimes measure the strength of a recruiting market by the number of applications received.

But a full inbox does not necessarily mean we have a deep candidate pool.

The talent clubs are competing for is often more specific: leaders with operational knowledge, emotional intelligence, financial acumen, cultural awareness, sound judgment, and the ability to develop people. Add the experience required for a particular club, geography, compensation range, and leadership challenge, and the pool becomes smaller quickly.

This is where standing out matters, but perhaps not in the way we traditionally think.

We do not necessarily need to sell harder.

We need to give the right people compelling reasons to see themselves here.

Candidates Notice More Than the Job Description

By the time an experienced candidate reaches an interview, they have usually researched the club.

What they cannot learn from the website is what it feels like to work there.

They are paying attention to the conversations around them.

Does the General Manager speak respectfully about the team? Do Board members appear aligned about the role? Can people explain where the club is headed? Is there clarity about why the position is open? Does the club seem genuinely interested in developing its leaders?

And sometimes the questions are more personal.

Can my family build a life here? Will I have the authority to do the job I am being hired to do? Is this an organization where I can continue growing? Are the expectations realistic?

These are not signs that a candidate is difficult or insufficiently committed.

They are signs that someone is taking an important career decision seriously.

The Interview Is Already Part of the Employee Experience

We sometimes think onboarding begins after an offer is accepted.

In many ways, the employee experience begins during recruiting.

Imagine arriving for an interview and waiting alone for 25 minutes because no one is ready. Then one Board member describes the position one way while another describes something quite different. The candidate leaves, sends a thank-you note, and hears nothing for two weeks.

None of those moments alone is catastrophic.

Together, they tell a story.

Now imagine the opposite. Someone knows the candidate is arriving. The schedule is thoughtful. Interviewers have read the resume. Conversations feel prepared but natural. The candidate meets people who can speak honestly about both the strengths and challenges of the organization. Before leaving, they understand what happens next.

That tells a story too.

The recruiting process is often a candidate's first real experience of our culture. We have an opportunity to make sure the experience reflects who we genuinely are.

Move With Purpose, Not Panic

A tight market does not mean rushing an important hire.

Hiring too quickly can be every bit as costly as moving too slowly.

What candidates appreciate is momentum.

They appreciate knowing the process. They value timely communication, even when the update is simply, "We are still working through the next step and expect to reconnect Friday."

Silence creates uncertainty. Communication creates confidence.

There is a meaningful difference between a deliberate search and a slow one. Deliberate searches have purpose behind the pace.

Don't Sell the Perfect Club

This may be one of the most important lessons in recruiting.

We do not need to convince candidates that everything is perfect.

No club is.

Perhaps the Board and management are working toward stronger alignment. Maybe Food & Beverage needs rebuilding. There may be an ambitious capital plan ahead, a leadership team that needs development, or a culture ready for renewed energy.

For the right candidate, those realities may not be deterrents.

They may be the reason the opportunity is interesting.

Experienced leaders generally understand that meaningful roles come with challenges. What becomes difficult is discovering those challenges six months after accepting a position that was presented very differently.

Standing out does not mean presenting a perfect club. It means presenting an honest opportunity.

That honesty also gives both sides permission to decide that the fit is not right. A candidate withdrawing for the right reasons is far better than an executive accepting for the wrong ones.

Remember the Person Behind the Resume

Executive search involves assessments, compensation studies, interviews, references, questionnaires, and candidate comparisons. Those tools are valuable.

But somewhere in the process, it is worth remembering that we are asking another human being to imagine a different life.

Warmth matters.

So does curiosity.

Ask what they want from their next chapter. Learn what matters to their family. Understand what they hope to develop professionally. Talk about what success could look like together rather than only what the club expects them to accomplish.

That does not make the search less rigorous.

It makes it more thoughtful.

Looking Ahead

The clubs that stand out in a competitive market are not always those with the highest compensation, newest clubhouse, or longest list of benefits.

Often, they are the clubs that know who they are.

They communicate clearly. They respect candidates' time. They are candid about their opportunities and challenges. Their Board and management understand what they are looking for, and the recruiting process feels consistent with the culture they describe.

The goal is not to persuade a talented person to say yes.

It is to reach the end of the process with both the club and the candidate believing, with equal confidence, that this is where the next chapter should begin.

Because the best searches are not won. 

They are matched.

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About the Author: Paige Frazier