Quotes About Recruiting That Will Inspire

by Ashley Ward & Kayla Ezinga

Recruiting is both an art and a science—one that requires persistence, empathy, and resilience. Whether you’re scouring the market for the perfect candidate or guiding someone through their career journey, staying motivated is key. In the world of recruitment, where success often comes after many challenges, a little inspiration can go a long way. To help you stay driven and focused, we’ve compiled a collection of powerful quotes that speak to the heart of recruiting. These words of wisdom are here to remind you why you started and to inspire you to keep pushing forward, even on the toughest days.

“If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur.” – Red Adair

“Time spent on hiring is time well spent.” – Robert Half

“Sourcing and finding people is the most important. You can’t recruit, message, or network with someone you haven’t found.” – Glen Cathey

“The harder you work, the luckier you get.” – Anonymous

“Your human talent is your most important talent.” – Carla Harris

“Hiring the wrong people is the fastest way to undermine a sustainable business.” – Kevin J. Donaldson

“People are not your most important asset. The right people are.” – Jim Collins

“Acquiring the right talent is the most important key to growth. Hiring was—and still is—the most important thing we do.” – Marc Benioff

“To hire is to take people higher…” – Haresh Sippy

“Great vision without great people is irrelevant.” – Jim Collins

“A modern recruiter is one who is targeted, builds relationships and knows how to not only find candidates but also get them to respond!” – Stacy Donovan Zapar

“I am convinced that nothing we do is more important than hiring and developing people. At the end of the day you bet on people, not on strategies.” – Lawrence Bossidy

“You cannot push anyone up the ladder unless he is willing to climb.” – Andrew Carnegie

“The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born—that there is a genetic factor to leadership. That’s nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born.” – Warren Bennis

“Recruiting should be viewed as a business partner, someone who is critical to the success of the business.” – Mathew Caldwell

“Human Resources isn’t a thing we do. It’s the thing that runs our business.” – Steve Wynn

“Recruitment IS marketing. If you’re a recruiter nowadays and you don’t see yourself as a marketer, you’re in the wrong profession.” – Matthew Jeffrey

“Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to.” – Richard Branson

“If you hire good people, give them good jobs, and pay them good wages, generally something good is going to happen.” – James Sinegal

“The secret of my success is that we have gone to exceptional lengths to hire the best people in the world.” – Steve Jobs

“You can dream, create, design, and build the most wonderful place in the world…but it requires people to make the dream a reality.” – Walt Disney

“Your employer brand is never what you say it is. It’s what your employees and candidates say it is.” – Jillian Einck

“Do epic shit.” – HR.com

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Peter Drucker

“Hiring the right people takes time, the right questions, and a healthy dose of curiosity.” – Richard Branson

“The talent you attract is directly proportional to the quality of the questions you ask.” – Lou Adler

“Opportunities don’t happen. You create them.” – Chris Grosser

“Recruiting is both an art and a science—one that requires persistence, empathy, and resilience.” – Unknown

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” – Albert Schweitzer

“The greatest asset of a company is its people.” – Jorge Paulo Lemann

“You can’t teach employees to smile. They have to smile before you hire them.” – Arte Nathan

“A recruiter’s job isn’t to place people in jobs; it’s to place people in careers they love.” – Unknown

“Hiring is the most important people function you have, and most of us aren’t as good at it as we think.” – Laszlo Bock

“You are not just filling jobs, you are changing lives.” – Unknown

“A great recruiter understands that recruitment is not transactional but relational.” – Unknown

“Human resources isn’t a thing we do. It’s the thing that runs our business.” – Steve Wynn

“Good recruiting makes companies stronger. Great recruiting changes lives.” – Unknown

“The people you surround yourself with determine your success.” – Unknown

“Great things in business are never done by one person; they’re done by a team of people.” – Steve Jobs

“The success of your hiring depends on the strength of your recruiting process.” – Unknown

“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” – Albert Einstein

“The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say ‘no’ to almost everything.” – Warren Buffett

“A great recruiter understands the value of relationships and the art of timing.” – Unknown

“Find people who are not just good at what they do, but who are great at who they are.” – Unknown

“Your job is not to fill a role; it’s to find the future.” – Unknown

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” – Michael Jordan

“The hardest thing in life is to find the right people to hire.” – Elon Musk

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs

“Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends.” – Walt Disney

“Always treat your candidates like they are your next clients.” – Unknown