In today’s world of work, hiring the right people is one of the most important decisions a business can make. However, the recruitment process is often surrounded by advice that isn’t always accurate. These myths can cloud judgment, slow things down, and get in the way of building high-performing teams.
At Roundpeg Talent, we’re here to bust some of the most common myths and help hiring managers cut through the noise so that recruitment can be simpler, sharper and more effective.
Myth #1: The longer a CV is, the better
At the end of the day, we’re working with human beings, each with different career journeys and educational backgrounds. A longer CV doesn’t necessarily mean a better candidate, and it can actually make it harder to identify the relevant experience that really matters for the role.
For graduate or early-career candidates, a shorter CV is completely appropriate. For more seasoned professionals, the trick is to include relevant experience without overloading the document. There’s no need to elaborate on a role from ten years ago. Mentioning the job title, company and period of employment is more than enough, save the detail for more recent experience.
As Talent Specialists, we believe a CV is a reflection of the person behind it. It should be short, precise and relevant. Ideally, keep it to around three pages and let the content speak to the candidate’s strengths, not the page count.
Myth #2: Recruiters only care about money
At Roundpeg, we share a common vision, we understand that we’re in the business of people, and people need to feel valued, prioritised and understood.
When we work with clients and candidates, we approach every interaction as a partnership. Clear communication and care are at the centre of everything we do. We care about our candidates just as much as we care about our clients.
Placing someone in a role isn’t just about “making the sale”. It’s about finding the right person to join a company where their values align and they can learn, grow and contribute meaningfully to the business’s goals. That’s what a great placement looks like to us.
Myth #3: Past salaries are a reliable indicator of future worth
A candidate’s previous salary isn’t always a good reference point. In fact, it can often be misleading.
High-paid candidates may be earning more simply because of the company they work for, not necessarily because they are more capable. Similarly, there are many candidates who have been significantly underpaid, despite performing exceptionally well.
Salary should be one part of a holistic view of the candidate, not the deciding factor. The most reliable benchmark is what the market is currently paying for the role, combined with the value and experience the candidate brings to your team.
Myth #4: The more CVs you receive, the better the talent pool
Our job as Talent Specialists is to make hiring easier for our clients, not harder. That means curating a thoughtful shortlist, not overwhelming hiring managers with volume.
We carefully screen candidates to understand both their competencies and cultural fit. A shortlist of three to five strong candidates is usually more than enough to help you make a confident hiring decision.
Adding more CVs to the mix doesn’t necessarily improve the talent pool. In fact, it often makes it harder to differentiate and slows the process down. We focus on quality over quantity, every time.
Myth #5: The more interviews and assessments, the better
The recruitment process shouldn’t be the stumbling block. Interviews are important, but they’re there to help you learn more about the person behind the CV and not to create hurdles.
There’s no need for candidates to go through three or more interviews, plus multiple assessments. This can lead to interview fatigue, where great candidates start to disengage and lose interest. It can also damage your employer brand.
A quick, seamless and focused process leaves a far better impression. The goal is to make the right hire and not drag the process out unnecessarily.
Now that we’ve shed some light on these common recruitment myths, we hope your hiring journey feels a little clearer.
Whether you’re scaling a team or looking for that one key hire, our job at Roundpeg Talent is to make the process smarter, more human, and a lot less stressful. If you’re ready to rethink how you hire, we’re here to help.
