21 recruitment quotes for inspiration and motivation

21 Recruitment Quotes for Inspiration & Motivation

Between year-end pushes to fill the remaining headcount and setting stretch goals for the upcoming year, there’s never a season when recruiters are not striving to meet a time-sensitive goal.

The cyclical nature of our field requires recruiters, sourcers and their team leads to apply best practices to recurring problems consistently. 

Inspirational recruitment quotes can provide a fresh perspective. Additionally, recruitment quotes reinforce what you already know and boost your positivity and productivity. It also helps to use a recruiting message template to contact candidates and keep your messaging consistent efficiently.

Here are 21 of our favorite recruitment quotes. Whether you choose to print the entire list, or jot your favorite quote on a sticky note, use this list of recruitment quotes to spark inspiration as you tackle your toughest recruitment challenges.

We hope you enjoy these wise words from CEOs, entrepreneurs, and recruiting leaders. We trust these recruitment quotes will help redirect your energy as you approach your daily goals. After all, energy flows where intention goes. Refer to these quotes as you launch your morning, reset your afternoon, or reflect on a day well spent.

Which of these recruitment quotes inspired you? Which ones would you add to the list? Drop your favorite quote in the comments below.

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#1

Be curious. Use data. Leverage imagination. Be an expert. Be an enthusiast. Be authentic. Know your competition. 

Jim Stroud, HR Consultant, Speaker and Author of The Seven Highly Effective Habits of Sourcing 

#2

Hiring is the most important people function you have, and most of us aren’t as good at it as we think. Refocusing your resources on hiring better will have a higher return than almost any training program you can develop. 

Laszlo Bock, Co-founder and CEO of Humu and Author of Work Rules

#3

Your human talent is your most important talent.

Carla Harris, Wall Street banker, motivational speaker, and Author of Expect to Win
Recruitment Quotes for Inspiration Motivation

#4

Bet on people, not on strategies.

Lawrence Bossidy, retired CEO of AlliedSignal

#5

I’ve learned over the years that, when you have really good people, you don’t have to baby them. By expecting them to do great things, you can get them to do great things. 

Steve Jobs, American business magnate, Co-founder of Apple

#6

Hire people who are smarter than you are—whose talents surpass yours—and give them opportunities for growth. It’s the smart thing to do and it is a sign of high personal humility. 

Bruna Martinuzzi, Author of The Leader as a Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow

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“Bet on people, not on strategies.”

Lawrence Bossidy, retired CEO of AlliedSignal

“Bet on people, not on strategies.” – Lawrence Bossidy, retired CEO of AlliedSignal

#7

If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur. 

Red Adair, American oil well firefighter

#8

Hiring the wrong people is the fastest way to undermine a sustainable business.

Kevin J. Donaldson, Entrepreneur, Author, and Business Coach

#9

People are not your most important asset. The right people are.

Jim Collins, Author of Good to Great

#10

The applicant is the center of our universe. 

Janice Bryant Howroyd, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The ActOne Group
Recruitment Quotes for Inspiration Motivation

#11

Time spent on hiring is time well spent.

Robert Half, Founder of global human resource consulting firm Robert Half International

#12

If you can hire tough, you can manage easy.

Sue Tetzlaff, Author of The Employee Experience: A Capstone Guide to Peak Performance

#13 

Acquiring the right talent is the most important key to growth. Hiring was – and still is – the most important thing we do.

Marc Benioff, Founder, Chairman and co-CEO of Salesforce

#14

Believe that there are no limitations, no barriers to your success – you will be empowered and you will achieve. 

Ursula Burns, Chairperson and CEO of VEON

#15 

To hire is to take people higher…

Haresh Sippy, Chief Founder & Managing Director of Tema India Ltd

#16 

Recruiting is easier when you’re wearing comfy pants. 

Amy Miller, Senior Recruiter and Blogger at Recruiting in Yoga Pants

#17

If you’re good to your staff when things are going well, they’ll rally when times go bad.

Mary Kay Ash, American businesswoman and founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, Inc.
Recruitment Quotes for Inspiration Motivation

#18 

We can never fall short when it comes to recruiting, hiring, maintaining and growing our workforce. It is the employees who make our organization’s success a reality.

Vern Dosch, CEO at National Information Solutions Cooperative and Author of Wired Differently 

#19 

Great vision without great people is irrelevant.

Jim Collins, Lecturer and Author of Good to Great

#20

The key for us, number one, has always been hiring very smart people. 

Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft Corporation

#21

I hire people brighter than me and then I get out of their way. 

Lee Iacocca, American automobile executive

Comments and Discussion

  1. I hire people brighter than me and then I get out of their way. Great quote!

  2. This is a great compilation of recruitment quotes! Inspirational quotes can provide a fresh perspective and serve as a reminder of the importance of our work. Recruitment is a challenging field, but these quotes remind us that with perseverance and creativity, we can overcome any obstacle and deliver top talent to our clients. Kudos to you for putting together such a useful resource!

  3. I really enjoyed reading this post on recruitment quotes. As someone who works in the recruitment industry, I find that motivation and inspiration are crucial to maintaining a positive attitude and achieving success. The quotes you shared are not only inspiring but also serve as a reminder of the importance of perseverance, hard work, and a positive mindset.

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