HOW TO MANAGE THE JOB SEARCH / RECRUITMENT PROCESS (part deux)

Amazingly, I didn't get a single negative comment about last month's thoughts (and virtually no one wanted to post their comments publicly on the blog!). I did hear from a few who offered the flip side of the recruiting equation- that they get calls from recruiters enthusiastically talking up this job or that, who get them all excited and have them share their soul only to have the recruiters go absolutely silent. It makes them feel rejected, used, or worse. And yes, I hear this from hiring authorities, too.

I understand completely where you're coming from.

Confession: I'm guilty of this too.

It's certainly not intentional, but that's no excuse. Should I try harder to respond to everyone? No question. I seriously lie awake at night sometimes thinking about those who I should've gotten back to. My sincere apologies. I will try harder.

On a good day I'll get a couple dozen new referrals from my contacts. I try to call each one to find out what kind of experience they have, what they'd like to see in their next opportunity, etc. By sheer time constraints, I have to try to determine as quickly as possible whether each candidate has the potential to help one of my clients fill a critical need. The unfortunate truth is that most don't. Many are great researchers, salespeople, or CEO's, but they may not fit any of the needs that our clients are looking for at the moment.

The other factor is the candidates' expectations. Many candidates have the impression that recruiters are there to find jobs for them. The truth is that recruiters find candidates for jobs, not jobs for candidates. This is no minor difference.

Occasionally a candidate will come along who is so white hot that just about any company that I take them to will fall all over themselves to hire them. Make that rarely. No, let's call that very rarely.

The rule is more like this: I sift through hundreds or thousands of potential candidates in my head, with my team, and in my database, trying to take into account the job, the company culture, the bosses' style, the compensation, the location... well I think you get the picture. Few make the cut.

The Market Research business is no simple skills match. The nuances of each job and each company are extremely intricate, and my value comes in knowing these preferences and not wasting my clients' time by sending resumes of candidates that I know are not a good fit.

For the candidate, it comes down to me classifying them into two rough categories- active right now (able to fill an urgent client need), or someone to keep in mind for a future opportunity fit.

We (you & I) both know when you're active when:
-I have you scheduling interviews and reviewing job opportunities.
-I call you and pepper you with questions beyond the normal "how many years of experience" types of queries.
-You're serious about your job search and you respond quickly to my messages and emails.
-You freely share ANY information that might help me get to know you better so that I can match you better.
-You have realistic expectations about your value in the marketplace and you are objective in your self-assessment.
-You are not wasting anyone's time trying to wrangle a raise from your current employer by dangling an offer in front of their nose. (By the way, if you try that, chances are good that you've just written your own pink slip- maybe not now, but you’re on the list).

For the "future opportunity" candidate, STAY IN TOUCH! Sure we can slice and dice our database and scour our memories to help us find you in a few months when your perfect job opens up, but you want to stay fresh in our minds! I have a ton of candidates for whom I have a general idea of what they want next. I’ll email them occasionally with one opportunity or another and they’ll either say “tell me more” or “no thanks”. Works great. Less filling.

Then I have the more proactive ones who drop me a note to say hello or (much better!) to give me a referral. I don’t mind this exchange as long as it’s not too often. Every day is too often. Every couple of months is fine. When something changes in your situation, let me know. Are you feeling more urgent? Have you decided that Austin is a perfect place to live? Did you get a promotion and decide to stay where you are? Great! Let me know!

Did you notice my comment about referrals? It's the lifeblood of my business. If you want to be remembered for future opportunities, help your recruiter by telling them about good people that you've worked with (no, you don't have to give up your co-workers; that's unethical), people you admire, and even people you've only heard of! I'll track them down!

OK, I’m worn out for this month. Next month I’ll look at things more from the hiring authority’s perspective. Remember- you’re a candidate today but could be a client tomorrow. A client today might well be a candidate next month. It pays both ways to have a good relationship with a recruiter!

Feel free to add your two cents. Thanks for your time!