A job postings rarely tells the full story.
When candidates browse a jobs page—ours or anyone else’s—it’s easy to assume that what’s written is exactly what the hiring manager wants. In reality, a job posting is usually just a snapshot. Often it’s more of a templated description, designed to meet compliance and internal policy requirements, not to capture the nuance of how the hiring decision will actually be made.
That’s why candidates should treat every posting as an invitation to start a conversation, not as a complete, final specification.
What Happens Before a Job Is Ever Posted
Our process: When a new search comes in, the first step usually isn’t posting the job—it’s looking at people we already know.
We start with:
Candidates they’ve spoken with before.
People we’ve worked with in the past.
Talent we already understand well in terms of strengths, gaps, and career drivers.
That’s not favoritism; it’s efficiency and risk management. Clients expect us to move quickly with talent we know and trust.
So when someone asks, “I saw that role on your site—why didn’t you contact me?” the answer is sometimes simple oversight. But more often, it’s because we already know how the client thinks, what the “must-haves” really are, and—just as important—what will be an automatic “no, ”even if the posting looks like a match on paper.
The Unwritten Requirements You’ll Never See
There is always a “shadow job description” that never appears online. For example, a hiring leader may:
Want someone from a very specific competitor or segment list—but can’t publish that.
Be unwilling to consider frequent job changes, regardless of explanation.
Expect in-office presence even though the posting says “hybrid” or “flexible.”
Be open to adjacent backgrounds even though the posting reads very narrowly.
For instance, a Business Development role with an E&S carrier might be accurately described online, yet the real differentiator could be experience in a very particular slice of the market or distribution model. That nuance only comes from direct conversations with the decision-makers, not from the public posting.
Why Reaching Out Helps You
When you contact a recruiter about a posted role, you’re not just saying, “I want this job.” You’re giving yourself access to context you can’t get from the posting alone.
A good recruiter can help you answer questions like:
Is this role realistically in your strike zone—or a longshot?
Are there unseen obstacles (location, comp, progression, culture) you should know about?
Is there another role—posted or unposted—that actually fits you better?
Should you apply now, wait for a different version of the role, or pivot your search slightly?
Even if the answer is, “This one isn’t right,” that conversation still has value. It helps the recruiter understand your story, priorities, and non-negotiables—which often pays off when the next opportunity appears.
The Bottom Line for Candidates and Hiring Managers
Job postings are useful, but they are not the whole picture. They’re summaries, not strategy. They describe what the company is prepared to say publicly—not all of what will drive the final hiring decision.
So if you see something that interests you, don’t rely solely on the text of the posting. Inquire. Ask questions. Start the conversation.
As a candidate, at worst you gain clarity; at best you gain an advocate who can present your story in a way an online application never will.
As a hiring leader, partnering closely with your recruiter to articulate the “real” requirements—those you can’t or don’t put in the posting—dramatically improves fit and reduces mis-hires.
That is what effective recruiting should do: bridge the gap between the posted description and the real-world needs of both the hiring manager and the candidate.