Why I Stopped Calling Them 'Candidates' and Started Saying 'My People'

I’ve always hated calling my candidates... candidates.
It never sat right with me. It sounds transactional, impersonal — like they’re just another number in a system or name on a spreadsheet.

That’s not how I work.
That’s not how they deserve to be treated.

A few years ago, I made a conscious decision to stop using the word “candidate” and started referring to them as my people. Because that’s exactly who they are — real people with goals, concerns, and stories. People who trust me to help them make one of the most important decisions of their lives: where they spend 8+ hours a day, who they work alongside, and how they grow in their careers.

This shift in language wasn’t just semantics — it changed everything.

It changed how I approached my conversations, how I advocated for them with clients, and how I followed up even after they’d been placed. Because when you see someone as “your person,” you naturally want the best for them. You don’t chase the quickest placement or push them into roles that don’t feel right. You listen more, you understand deeper, and you go the extra mile.

Recruitment should always be about people, not numbers.

That includes the people looking for new opportunities, and the people hiring them. It’s about relationships, not transactions. It’s about knowing when someone needs a confidence boost before an interview or when they just need to vent about a bad day at work.

So if you’re in the industry, I challenge you: change the way you speak about the people you support.
You might find it changes the way you show up for them too.

And if you’re someone out there looking for a role — know that you deserve to be more than a candidate. You deserve to be heard, seen, and supported as a person first.

Let’s keep things human. Always.