The Power of Doing Less in Recruiting
Everyone wants to be everything to everyone. That’s the first mistake most recruiters make. They cast wide nets, work every job order that comes their way, and wonder why they’re always exhausted but never excellent.
I’ve been watching the recruiting industry for years, and I’m convinced we have it backwards. We’re told to diversify, to hedge our bets, to never turn down an opportunity. But what if the path to success isn’t about doing more, but about doing less?
Think about the best restaurants you know. They usually have small menus. They’ve picked their lane and they own it. They’re not trying to serve Italian food AND sushi AND burgers. They do one thing remarkably well.
The same principle applies to recruiting. Going “an inch wide and a mile deep” isn’t just a clever phrase – it’s the difference between being another recruiter in the crowd and becoming the go-to expert in your field.
When you specialize deeply in one area, everything gets easier. Your content becomes sharper because you’re writing about what you truly know. Your outreach gets better responses because you speak the language of your niche. Your network becomes more valuable because you’re connected to the right people, not just more people.
But here’s the part that scares people: you have to say no. No to the random job order that could make a quick buck. No to the candidate who isn’t quite in your sweet spot. No to the tools and technologies that everyone else is using just because they’re using them.
Instead, build systems that support depth:
- Use just enough technology to manage your process (an ATS, an email tool, maybe a contact finder)
- Create content that shows your expertise, not your ability to rewrite general advice
- Qualify clients based on relationship potential, not just immediate needs
- Treat candidates like long-term investments, not transactions
The magic happens when you stop trying to play everyone else’s game. When you focus deeply enough, you create a flywheel effect. Your content attracts the right clients. The right clients give you better searches. Better searches lead to better candidates. Better candidates lead to more successful placements. And successful placements lead to more content and referrals.
It’s counter-intuitive in an industry that celebrates hustle and volume. But the best businesses aren’t built on doing more things – they’re built on doing the right things remarkably well.
The choice is yours: you can be another recruiter fighting for attention in a crowded market, or you can be THE recruiter in your specific space. Just remember, you can’t be both.