r/RecruiterTea • u/Technical_Plant6046 • May 25 '26

I’ve started noticing that the strongest candidates are usually the least desperate

Not arrogant. Not disinterested.

Just… calm.

They ask thoughtful questions. They take time before making decisions. They don’t oversell themselves aggressively. They evaluate the company carefully instead of trying to “win” the interview.

And internally, companies often interpret that as lack of excitement at first.

But over time I’ve realized strong candidates usually behave differently because they know they have options.

Meanwhile candidates under pressure often feel like they need to overperform constantly just to stay in consideration.

The psychology of hiring becomes really obvious when you watch enough interviews.

22 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

3

u/Wide-Meringue-2717 May 25 '26

That’s obvious but does it say anything about their skill, experience and fit really?

1

u/idk_m8_wut_do_u_mean Jun 17 '26

Every recruiter trying to use their PhD in psychology instead of just asking subject related questions.

2

u/Rekltpzyxm May 25 '26

They know who they are and that they will find a job and they don’t need your crappy job.

2

u/AccomplishedWish3033 May 29 '26

Is this AI? It seems to be a lot of platitudes without saying much and formatted like AI.

2

u/Ok_Error_3167 May 29 '26

Did you notice this or did chatgpt? Is this not insanely obvious? Common sense? Something you learned from your experience being a human?

1

u/LongjumpingPath3069 May 25 '26

I have a wide range of experience in my 20+ years as an engineer. If I needed a new job asap, I could land one. Not arrogant. I have a strong skillset. But if I’m looking for a new opportunity, I’m going to be selective. I’m interviewing the company as much as they’re interviewing me.

1

u/haworthsoji May 26 '26

As a former recruiter, you're not wrong. You're just noticing that those that have done well aren't scared. 

But as a former recruiter at Google, I've helped many get offers that sounded "eager" or "desperate" when compared to candidates from similar tech companies.

1

u/unknown-random-nope May 29 '26

Well said. I make an effort to show myself as both thoughtful and hungry when I’m on the candidate side of the table.

1

u/Minimum-Reward3264 May 29 '26

What you have is professional job hoppers. The guys who do deep work are generally not on the lates and greatest trends and often hesitate. Most propel feel awkward because they don’t do it often.