Stop Hiring Resume Pushers: What Real Recruiting Looks Like

When you partner with an agriculture recruiting firm, you expect a search process that feels strategic, targeted, and tailored to your farm or agribusiness. Unfortunately, many recruiters don’t operate that way. Too often, traditional firms rely on the same old approach they’ve used for decades: pulling resumes from a database, sending candidates that are “close enough,” and hoping you hire. 

In agriculture especially, where every role impacts productivity and profitability, that approach falls short. The difference between a resume-pusher and a true talent partner can determine whether you make a great long-term hire or spend valuable time on the wrong candidates. 

What is a Resume Pusher? 

A resume-pusher is a recruiter who focuses on volume over fit. Rather than actively searching for the right candidates, they simply rely on the resumes they already have on file. Typically, they: 

• Pull candidates from an existing database, with minimal to zero screening 
• Rely heavily on inbound applicants 
• Don’t take time to understand your company culture, team, or long-term needs 
• Measure success by how quickly they can send resumes, not by the quality of the match 
• Send the same candidate to multiple companies 

This outdated approach forces employers to do the heavy lifting and rarely results in the kind of specialized talent agriculture requires.  

Why do so many firms operate this way? Often, traditional recruiting firms take on more openings than they can manage, not being able to give each role the appropriate amount of attention needed.  

Many firms also lack industry specialization, taking on positions in industries or areas they don’t fully understand, which further contributes to why the resumes you’re receiving aren’t hitting the mark.  

What a True Recruiting Partner Does Differently 

A real recruiting partner doesn’t wait for talent to show up, they go out and find it. 

A strategic recruiter: 

• Proactively reaches out to top, often passive, candidates 
• Markets your company and role directly to the most qualified individuals 
• Thoroughly vets candidates for skills, experience, long-term fit, and overall alignment 
• Conducts in-depth phone interviews with qualified candidates 
• Keeps all active candidates engaged and informed throughout the process 
• Communicates consistently and transparently throughout the process 

Phone Interviews vs. Phone Screenings 

Many recruiters rely on quick phone screenings, spending only 5-10 minutes with candidates on the phone, simply checking that their skills and experience match what’s on their resume. In some cases, resumes are sent without interviewing or even asking candidates for their consent. 

At AgHires our recruiters take a different approach, spending 45-60+ minutes on the phone with every candidate, getting to know their full career journey, uncovering their motivators and personality traits, gauging their interest in the opportunity, their culture fit, and discussing compensation and benefit expectations. This in-depth process ensures that the candidates we present are truly aligned with both the role and your organization. 

Recruiting Firm Red Flags 

If you’re seeing these signs, it may be time to reevaluate your recruiting partner: 

• They don’t ask detailed questions about your culture, organizational structure, and business goals 
• They send candidates within hours of opening the job 
• You’re receiving a lot of resumes, but few are truly qualified 
• They rely almost exclusively on job postings 
• They often reference “their database” as the primary source 

Fast doesn’t always equal success. A truly effective search requires thoughtful outreach, thorough vetting, and a deep understanding of your organization. 

Questions to Ask Your Recruiter 

Before signing with any recruiting partner for your search, ask them: 

• How do you source candidates? 
• How do you build a custom strategy for each role? 
• Have you successfully filled a position like this one? 
• What will you learn about my operation and the role before starting the search? 
• What percentage of your placements come from proactive, passive outreach? 
• How do you screen candidates before you send them to me? 

A resume-pushing recruitment firm will struggle with clear, confident answers to these questions. A strategic partner will be able to describe their approach step-by-step. 

The Value of Choosing a Proactive Search Partner 

When your recruiter works as an extension of your company, and not just a resume distributor, you gain: 

• Higher quality candidates 
• Stronger long-term retention 
• A more engaging candidate experience 
• Faster time to fill for high-impact roles 
• Market insights on compensation and competitive hiring trends 

The right recruiter doesn’t overwhelm your inbox with resumes that are “close enough,” they present you with the best of the best talent that aligns with your culture, your goals, and your long-term success.  

The AgHires Difference 

Whether you’re hiring for your farm, agribusiness, or ag tech company, you deserve a recruiting partner who’s truly invested in finding the right fit. 

At AgHires, agriculture’s leading recruitment firm, we take a proactive, specialized approach to every search. We use our vast industry network to identify top talent, engage passive candidates, and serve as your trusted talent advisor.  

Why AgHires Stands Out 

Deep industry expertise: All our recruiters have backgrounds in agriculture, horticulture, or food production, meaning we understand your world and know exactly what makes an ideal hire for your role. 

Selective approach: We don’t take on every role. We take time to learn about your organization and allow you to learn about us, ensuring it’s the right partnership for both sides. 

Full-process consulting: We don’t just interview and send resumes, we help you understand market trends, candidate behavior, and build competitive job offers. We guide you through every step of the process, so you can hire with confidence. 

Learn more about what makes AgHires different. 

Get Started with AgHires 

AgHires offers a variety of services to meet your hiring needs, from full-service recruitment to job postings and advertising and more. We serve small family farms to Fortune 500s across agriculture, food production, biotechnology, and related sectors.  

Contact us at sales@aghires.com or call 1-844-244-4737 to learn more about how we can help you find your next great hire.