Performative BS in Recruiting

Chris Edwards

By now, most people in the talent space have seen companies boasting about “how amazing our culture is” — the kind of posts where everyone’s smiling, the office looks like a WeWork ad, and every employee seems to be living their best life.

They talk about how they’re “like a family,” how “transparency and growth” are their core values, and how “the team is firing on all cylinders.” But behind closed doors? Layoffs are looming, leadership is lost, and morale is…well, let’s just say nobody’s cheering in those Monday standups.

And here’s the thing — this performative culture isn’t just cringey. It’s misleading.

The Recruiting Performance Economy

We’ve entered what I’d call the performance economy of hiring, where how you appear as an employer has become more valuable than how you actually operate.

Companies post perfectly curated culture clips on LinkedIn, but leave out the reality of overworked teams, toxic management, or the fact that no one’s been promoted internally in three years.

Hiring managers talk a big game about “career paths,” but ghost candidates halfway through the process. Or worse, bring them on under false pretenses — only for the new hire to discover the role isn’t what was promised.

We highlight our Glassdoor ratings, but never mention that we begged current employees to leave five-star reviews the week before.

I get it — I’ve seen it up close. A lot of organizations feel the pressure to “perform success” to attract top talent. To pretend everything’s great, even when it’s not. To show off growth while hiding the churn.

But here’s the catch: this performance is costing you more than you think.

The Cost of Performing “Culture”

When companies fake it, they create unrealistic expectations for candidates. You make it seem like your organization is one thing — but the reality is much different. And when people join under those false narratives?

They leave. Or worse — they disengage.

This creates a cycle:
You post content to make your org look attractive
Candidates join under a false impression
They leave or underperform
You’re back to square one, doing even more damage control

It’s an emotional and financial tax. It wastes time, trust, and talent.

I know incredible hiring managers who are constantly stressed, trying to live up to a story their company’s social media team wrote — not the one they’re actually living. And I’ve seen strong candidates walk away disillusioned, feeling like they did something wrong, when really, they just bought into a brand that wasn’t honest.

The Authenticity Advantage in Hiring
Here’s the truth: real wins come from real talk.

Hiring managers who tell the whole story — the wins and the challenges — build more trust. They attract people who genuinely align with the mission, not just the marketing. And those people stay longer, perform better, and help build something sustainable.

When companies start being honest about the messy middles — the not-so-smooth hiring processes, the internal growing pains, the reality of building something worth working for — they actually become more attractive.

Because guess what? Top talent can smell the BS. They’ve seen the highlight reels. And they’re not buying the “we’re a rocket ship” pitch anymore.

They want the truth. The real culture. The real vision. And yes, the real problems too — especially if they can be part of the solution.

How to Stop Performing and Start Connecting

Here’s what I’d recommend to companies and hiring teams:

Share the real story: Don’t oversell the opportunity. Talk about where you’re headed and where you’re struggling.
Talk about the hard stuff: Whether it’s turnover, reorgs, or growing pains — transparency is magnetic to the right people.
Value alignment > vibe alignment: Don’t just show your perks and the company SWAG you give out. Show your purpose.

Because at the end of the day, the goal isn’t to get people hyped about a version of your company that doesn’t exist. It’s to find people who want to build the version that does — and make it better.

The Bottom Line

The next time you’re tempted to post another overly polished “hiring!” video or a cliché culture quote, take a beat.

Ask yourself: Is this our real story? Or just our highlight reel?

Because just like social media influencers who lose trust after one exposed fake moment — companies lose credibility with talent the moment reality doesn’t match the performance.

So this week, think about where your company might be performing a little too much. And ask:

What would happen if you dropped the act — even just a little?

Let’s aim for sustainable culture > performative culture. And let’s build trust the old-fashioned way: by being real about what it takes to build something great.

P.S. Whether you’re navigating a tough hiring market, tired of the performative noise, or just trying to tell a more effective story about your opportunity — we can help. We partner with companies to cut through the noise, attract talent that actually fits the culture, and land the kind of people who stay, perform, and raise the bar.

No fluff. No recycled resumes. Just real strategic hires that move the needle.

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