|
By Bill Radin
“Where’s your candidate?” the hiring manager fumed. “His interview
was supposed to start a half hour ago.”
Alex suddenly felt sick. This was his third no-show in two weeks.
“You mean he didn’t call to cancel?” Alex said.
“You got it,” said the hiring manager. “And I’m getting pretty
tired of this. If you can’t control your candidates, I’ll have to
find a recruiter who can.”
The Rude Revolution
Of course, the candidate’s
behavior was inexcusable—but not unexpected. In a culture that
seems to reward expedient self-interest, this type of rudeness is
becoming increasingly commonplace.
But on reflection, Alex probably could have done a better job of
qualifying—and ultimately, taking control of his candidates.
I've found that by
gathering better information, spotting red flags and exercising
caution, recruiters can generally avoid the pain associated with
erratic or conflicted candidates. Here are some easy ways to
increase control and avoid disasters:
|
1. |
Explore the motivation. If you don’t know what
compels your candidate to change jobs—or you’re unclear as
to the characteristics of a job your candidate most
desires—your ability to sell the job or defend against a
counteroffer is greatly diminished. |
|
2. |
Show me the money. Be sure to build a complete
compensation profile that includes the candidate’s salary
history, salary expectations and performance review
schedule. that way, you'll avoid sticker shock when the
offer is on the table. |
|
3. |
Probe for job search activity. Find out where your
candidate has interviewed, whether anything is in the works
or where your candidate's resume can be found, either online
or in the files of prospective employers. |
|
4. |
Recognize—and
react to—signs
of disrespect. If the candidate is hard to reach,
doesn’t return your calls or won’t answer qualifying
questions, you’ve got a problem. And the best way to deal
with it is to confront the candidate and correct the problem
sooner than later. |
|
5. |
Make the candidate sell you. Ask your candidate why
he wants the job you’re trying to fill, and why a
prospective employer should hire the candidate over someone
else. If the person can’t make a convincing argument, he
probably won’t get hired anyway. |
|
6. |
If possible, avoid
obvious deal-killers. Obstacles such as relocations,
spousal resistance, long-term employment at the current job
or visa discrepancies can sometimes be overcome. But be
careful; if your candidate looks, walks and quacks like a
duck who’s afraid to fly, he probably is. |
|
7. |
Don’t fall in love with your candidates. This happens
all the time, especially with candidates bearing “perfect”
resumes. To paraphrase an old saying, when passions run
deep, the mind tends to get shallow in a hurry. Look at your
candidate objectively and remember that in addition to the
resume, factors such as behavior, attitude and job market
exposure will play a significant role in the placement
process. |
|
8. |
Lay
out the ground rules. Most candidates are happy to
comply, as long as the rules—and the consequences for
misconduct—are clear and seem fair. |
For example, not
only is it reasonable to ask your candidate to keep you posted as
to any changes in job status or new opportunities, it's practical
as well.
Inherently
Defective Candidates
Finally, you
should recognize—and adjust to the fact—that some candidate
populations are more problematic than others. For example, certain
industries tend to attract flakey candidates like a high-powered
magnet. If that’s the case, do the best you can to qualify all
your candidates, even if you know that some may bail out
unexpectedly.
When dealing
with an unreliable candidate pool, it makes sense to protect
yourself from employer blowback with the following script:
“Mr.
Employer, my experience has shown that the candidates in our
industry have a tendency to drop out of sight shortly before their
first interview.
“Despite the
headache it causes for me, this cloud has a silver lining:
problematic candidates will show their true colors before we
invest a lot of time resources in the person.
“That means
that the candidates who follow through have a much greater
likelihood of successfully completing the interview process—and in
fact, will make stronger, more loyal employees in the long term,
since the candidates are self-selecting from the very beginning.
“So, let's
allow the weaker candidates to drop out on their own and be
grateful that the candidates who show that they're willing to make
a commitment early on will have a higher level of enthusiasm and a
better chance of success with your company down the road.” |
![[]](cart_full.jpg "View your cart items"){kind=small}
