Recruiting Before LinkedIn: When Rolodexes, Phone Books, and Paper Resumes Ruled the World

Ah, the good old days—when fax machines hummed with life, and the sound of paper-shuffling could rival any modern-day email notification. If you’ve been in the recruiting industry for as long as I have (25 years, but who’s counting?), you probably remember what it was like before LinkedIn and online job boards revolutionized the way we find talent. Back then, recruiting wasn’t for the faint of heart; it was a grind that tested your endurance, creativity, and sometimes, your patience with the office printer.

Here’s a little walk down memory lane for those of you who joined the party after the digital revolution—and a reminder to my fellow veterans that, yes, we survived this.  Although we've adapted, that core skill set of identifying, qualifying, and selling candidates on great opportunities will never be replaced by automation. We may find them faster now, but the old school qualification process of actually talking with someone will never be replaced.  

The Rolodex: Your Best Friend (and Worst Enemy)

Back before everyone’s professional life was a click away, we had the Rolodex. You know, that wheel-of-fortune looking device on your desk, filled with business cards from candidates, clients, and anyone you met at that one trade show five years ago. It was the original CRM, except there was no “search” function. If you wanted to find someone, you had to physically flip through the cards like a caveman trying to discover fire.

And let’s be honest—how many of us had that one section of cards we’d never touch because we couldn’t remember how we met half of those people?

Cold Calls: The Original LinkedIn Messages

Before InMail, we had cold calls. Ah, the art of dialing a number, hoping the gatekeeper wouldn’t slam the door shut before you had a chance to charm your way in. And let’s not forget the voicemails—recorded over landlines, no less! You’d leave a message hoping that someone, anyone, would call you back. Or worse, you’d reach the candidate directly, and they’d ask you who you were again—right after you just spent 20 minutes explaining what you do.

Cold calling was like fishing with a rotary phone and a lot of optimism.

Fax Machines: Our Lifeline to Resumes

Remember the fax machine? That beast of a device that was responsible for delivering resumes? Nothing made you question your life choices more than the sound of that thing jamming just as you were expecting a CV from a highly coveted candidate. And of course, it always seemed to happen five minutes before a client call. You’d stand there, helpless, watching the paper crumple and smudge like some sort of performance art gone horribly wrong.

Recruiters today will never know the sheer terror of waiting for a fax confirmation that never came.

Networking Events: When Meeting People Required Shoes

Before we could connect with people while wearing pajama pants and sipping coffee at home, networking required actual physical presence. That meant attending events, shaking hands, and making small talk with strangers who were definitely looking at the dessert table more than at you. These events were vital for building relationships, but let’s be real—they were also a workout for your smile muscles. And if you managed to leave with more business cards than awkward moments, you were winning.

Job Ads in Newspapers: Swipe Right for Classifieds

Once upon a time, you advertised job openings in newspapers. Yes, printed, ink-on-your-fingers newspapers. I actually got my first job out of college from an advertised job in the Atlanta Journal Constitution I found in the Public Library in a small town in TN.  Candidates would read your ad, cut it out (which I did), and send their paper resumes via snail mail. If you were lucky, you’d receive a pile of resumes in a week or two. If not, you’d get radio silence and spend the next month wondering if anyone even saw the ad. Recruiting in the pre-internet age was a test of patience that few could truly understand today.

Conclusion: A Nostalgic Nod to the Past

As much as I joke, recruiting back then wasn’t all bad. We built relationships through face-to-face interactions, relied on our gut instincts, and developed a kind of resourcefulness that still serves us today. And hey, if you survived recruiting in the pre-LinkedIn era, you’ve earned your stripes.

So, to my fellow veterans of the recruiting trenches—remember when life was just a bit messier, louder, and more unpredictable? Sure, the tools we have today make life easier, but let’s not forget that we came from a time when recruiting was equal parts art, science, and a lot of patience.

And to the new generation of recruiters: Be thankful for your AI search, your LinkedIn profiles, and the fact that your fax machine is now a museum piece.  Even I appreciate the conveniences, but the art of the search still hasn't changed.  Market entry is easier. New technology makes things easier, but presents a new set of challenges with competition and saturation of inboxes.  I don't think the art of directly recruiting people...the hunt...and actually talking with people will ever be diminished.