At the senior level its so important to get a candidate that actually knows what they claim because the consequences of finding out they don’t on the job are too great. This is where we reach into our networks so that any candidate comes with word-of-mouth recommendation from someone we trust.

I never thought about this but yes, this is why networking is super important. It is said that about 91% of hirings are through network. And speaking from practical experience, I can corroborate that most of my jobs had been from connections. I distinctly remember my first proper job in my field, and it was through happenstance bumping into an old friend who recommended me to apply for a role in his previous company. I think I would not have gotten that job which served as a great foundation for my career, had I not met him and did not mention to recruiters about him.