In the wonderfully niche world of qualitative B2B recruiting, one thing is certain: you don’t always have all the answers right away. If you’ve ever worked with me or on my team, you’ve probably heard me say this more times than I can count: “We don’t know what we don’t know.”
It’s a simple phrase, but it’s loaded with meaning.
What I really mean is that while we can make some educated assumptions about our audience statistically, demographically, even stereotypically we’re often working with a moving target. We truly don’t know something until we get into the weeds of a project. There’s always an unknown variable in the equation, and successful recruiting depends on our willingness to seek it out, embrace it, and adjust our strategy accordingly.
Unlike B2C, where a viral TikTok can spark a flood of interest in a project or service and easily identify an audience, B2B recruiting is a different beast. It requires us to dig deeper, think more strategically, and often get creative to find the right respondents. It’s not just about casting a wide net, it’s about precision. That’s why we don’t rely on massive outreach blasts. Instead, we opt for pinpoint targeting, strategic networking, and thoughtful engagement. It’s not only more respectful of people’s time (and attention spans), but it also leads to better data and more meaningful conversations.
Strategic recruiting, especially in B2B, is truly an art form.
Let’s take a recent example. We needed to find women in the workplace who are ahead of the curve when it comes to using AI in their day-to-day tasks. A tall order? Maybe. But after some digging, we found that the marketing world is packed with exactly the kind of respondents we were looking for. Digital marketers especially women are absolutely rocking the AI space. They’re not just early adopters; they’re innovators. And, not to mention, they’re incredibly engaging, sharp, and just a joy to talk to. (And don’t worry the men in the space aren’t half bad either 😊.)
So, here’s the takeaway: the unknown isn’t something to fear in qualitative recruiting. It’s something to expect and embrace. Because sometimes, the best insights come not from what we thought we knew, but from what we were open to discovering along the way.