Why do relationships matter in executive recruiting? Because the best candidate rarely looks perfect on paper…
A little over a month ago, my firm, Carver Talent, took on a Director of Sales search for a television station in a Top 50 market.
Excellent station. Strong ownership. Incredible city. The kind of opportunity media sales leaders wait for.
During the intake conversation, the General Manager was crystal clear:
She wanted someone with previous Director of Sales or General Sales Manager experience.
And honestly? That made perfect sense.
Top 50 markets are high-pressure environments. Revenue expectations are aggressive. Leadership visibility is high. Mistakes are expensive. Most hiring managers naturally lean toward candidates who have already sat in the big chair before.
So that’s exactly what I delivered.
WIthin three days, I submitted three candidates with the background she requested:
- Proven DOS/GSM experience
- Strong track records
- Market credibility
- Digital chops
All solid candidates.
But then I submitted a fourth option.
A Local Sales Manager.
Technically a rung below the requested level.
No previous DOS title.
No GSM title.
No “perfect-on-paper” resume alignment.
But I knew something else.
I knew this person was a star.
Sometimes the Resume Isn’t the Whole Story
One of the biggest misconceptions in recruiting is that hiring is purely about checking boxes.
It isn’t.
Especially in media leadership.
The best hiring decisions often happen when someone looks beyond the title and recognizes trajectory, leadership presence, emotional intelligence, competitiveness, adaptability, and upside.
This candidate had all of it.
The kind of person who walks into a room and elevates it.
The kind of leader people naturally follow.
The kind of salesperson who doesn’t just hit numbers — they build culture.
And most importantly, I had the relationship equity and credibility with the client to say:
“You need to meet this person.”
That matters.
Because recruiting at a high level isn’t just forwarding resumes.
It’s advocacy.
Access Changes Careers
Here’s what many up-and-coming managers don’t realize:
You may be far closer to your next big opportunity than you think.
But access is everything.
A hiring manager may never take a chance on someone without prior DOS experience through a blind application process. The system often filters those people out before the conversation even starts.
That’s where the right recruiter changes the equation.
A strong recruiter can:
- Open doors you couldn’t open yourself
- Get decision-makers to look beyond titles
- Tell the story behind your resume
- Create context around your leadership potential
- Position you for opportunities you technically “aren’t qualified” for
And once you get into the room?
Then it’s on you.
That’s exactly what happened here.
I got the candidate access.
I sold the upside.
I created the opportunity.
Then the candidate absolutely crushed the process.
Guess who got the offer?
The LSM.
Hiring Managers Don’t Always Hire the Safest Option
They hire the person they believe in.
That’s an important distinction.
On paper, the safer choice may have been one of the experienced DOS candidates.
But interviews are about confidence.
Vision.
Energy.
Leadership.
Communication.
Presence.
The client saw a future executive, not just a current title.
And that’s why this business is still deeply human despite all the automation, AI, algorithms, and resume filters flooding the hiring world.
Relationships still matter.
Reputation still matters.
And sometimes the best candidate is the one who wasn’t supposed to win the search in the first place.
This Is What Real Recruiting Looks Like
At Carver Talent, this is exactly the kind of value we aim to create.
Not just filling openings.
Creating career acceleration.
Helping rising talent break through ceilings they may not have been able to break through alone.
Because the truth is, today’s great DOS was yesterday’s underestimated LSM.
Somebody just had to give them the shot.
Ty Carver has over 30+ years of recruiting, HR management, sales, and leadership experience…including the last 15 specific to the broadcast media industry. He is the Founder/CEO of Carver Talent, a local broadcast media management recruiting firm. As the former Head of Recruiting for Raycom Media, he has deep industry relationships. Have a media corporate executive/management or television station management recruiting need? Contact ty@carvertalent.com for more information.