Every great hire starts with the right fit.
This guide helps you connect the pieces others overlook.
How to Hire the Right Person
(When Nothing Else Has Worked)
Struggling to hire the right person even after months of effort? This guide shows why the right candidate still isn’t surfacing, what top talent actually wants, and how to fix the friction points blocking your hire.
Why Hiring Feels Harder Than It Should
You’re not alone. If you’re feeling stuck, frustrated, or unsure why the right candidate hasn’t surfaced yet — even after job postings, referrals, and maybe even working with another recruiter — you’re not the problem. But something in your process is.
Hiring the right person shouldn’t feel like a gamble. Yet for many energy, chemical, and industrial companies, the search drags on. Promising candidates drop off. Stakeholders aren’t aligned. And what started as a straightforward hire becomes a stalled initiative.
At TLR Search, we help clients untangle these moments — not just by surfacing stronger candidates, but by bringing clarity to what’s missing.
Want to understand where hiring often breaks down and how to avoid common missteps that cost time and talent? Even experienced hiring managers fall into these five common traps, as well as a few hidden ones that can cost time and traction.
🧠 Read: Avoid Common Hiring Mistakes: Tips for Hiring Managers and Executives →
This guide walks you through the friction points we see most often — and how to fix them so your next hire sticks.
Where Hiring Breaks Down (That No One Tells You About)
Even when the role is clear and compensation is competitive, we often see:
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The role isn’t fully defined. You’re hiring for a title, but the business outcome hasn’t been named.
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Leaders aren’t aligned. There’s urgency, but not agreement on what success looks like.
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The job description repels more than it attracts. It’s a checklist, not a clear story.
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Candidates disengage midstream. Interview processes lack structure or feel chaotic.
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You're fishing in the wrong pool. The talent you’re targeting doesn’t align with what the role actually requires.
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Each one of these is fixable — and the earlier you surface them, the better your odds of making the hire that moves the needle.
What Top Candidates Really Want From Your Hiring Experience
The best people aren’t just evaluating the offer. They’re evaluating your process, clarity, and team alignment. Here’s what they look for — and sense quickly:
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A clear purpose for the role. What’s the outcome, not just the title?
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Aligned leadership. Do they hear a unified message across interviews?
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Structured but human process. No ghosting. No vague steps. No chaos.
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Room to contribute. Can they actually make an impact, or are they inheriting a mess?
Hiring isn’t just about evaluation anymore. It’s about engagement, and the best candidates want to know they’re joining a company that’s ready for them.
🧭 Learn the #1 mindset shift that attracts top candidates →
It’s not about perks. It’s about clarity, alignment, and what your hiring process says about your team.
When to Consider Outside Help
You don’t always need a recruiter. But when the hire supports a new initiative, business pivot, or leadership transition, the stakes are too high to get it wrong.
It might be time to bring in help if:
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You’ve been trying to hire for over 6 weeks with no traction
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The role is tied to growth, acquisition, or restructuring
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Your team can’t align on the scope or the ideal candidate
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You’re only seeing candidates who are either underwhelming or overqualified
At TLR Search, we guide clients through this kind of clarity before the search even starts — and that changes everything.
🔍Hiring Stalled? How a Retained Recruiter Can Help Move Things Forward →
Not getting the traction you need? Discover how a strategic partner helps you reset, align, and make the right hire faster.
What to Look for in a Search Partner
If you do bring in a search firm, make sure they’re not just promising a stack of resumes. Look for someone who:
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Asks the hard questions before sourcing begins
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Understands your business model, not just your industry buzzwords
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Surfaces alignment gaps early so you don’t lose time midstream
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Knows how to reach hard-to-engage candidates and build trust fast
Whether or not you work with us, this is the lens we recommend when evaluating who should help with your next hire.
🧠 Before You Choose a Search Firm, Ask These Questions →
Don’t just look at the pitch. Learn what to ask, what their answers reveal, and how to find a partner who aligns with your goals, not just one who promises resumes.
Before You Start the Next Interview… Pause
Hiring the right person isn’t about luck.
It’s about getting clear, aligned, and intentional before the search begins.
And if you're feeling stuck?
We’ve helped companies realign mid-search, restart smarter, and hire people who changed everything.
Need help applying this in your industry?
Explore how we recruit for:
🔹 Energy
🔹 Chemical
📩 Not sure what’s holding things back? Let’s take a look together →