We all know the reputation of the recruiting industry. Submitting your information to a recruiting agency enters you into the black hole where your application disappears forever. It’s frustrating to apply for a position that you view yourself as ideal for, only to fall into this black hole. It may cause you to quit using this avenue in your job search, sticking to communicating with your network to find your next exciting career opportunity.

I recently had an applicant tell me that he was one of my candidates and I didn’t respond to him. He seemed to think that when he applied for one of our positions, I owed him a personal response. I took a moment to share with him the difference between an applicant and a candidate in our industry. An applicant applies for a position, expressing interest in the role, even if they do not meet the requirements shown for the position. A candidate is someone who has been moved into the process to assess fit and interest on both the hiring and candidate sides.

Both candidates and applicants should get some form of communication. When a position is posted, it may draw 100’s of applicants who don’t fit the requirements. It’s not realistic to send a personal note to each one. An email letting those who didn’t move forward in the interview process know that other applicants who fit the description more closely are being considered is typically generated and sent to them.

Communication with candidates is oftentimes happening via email, phone and text, with updates as the process proceeds. It serves both the hiring team and the candidate well to be in close touch and to understand where the candidate stands throughout the interview and hiring process.

In today’s active talent market, some candidates seem to think it’s all right to move out of the process by no longer responding or communicating; by “ghosting.” Perhaps it seems like this won’t matter with so many opportunities to choose from. In the recruiting industry, we all have stories of how this backfired when a previous candidate came back later with interest in another position, after showing that they don’t demonstrate the strong communication skills that they tout on their resume!

Communication is important on all sides of the equation. It is how trusted relationships are built. Don’t take yourself out of the running for an opportunity because you’ve broken trust with someone in your network who may influence future hiring for a position you covet! Just as you might think you’re owed a response when you invest your time in applying for a position, as you get the opportunity to enter the interview process, consider what you might owe those who are investing their time with you!

“You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time.” ~J.S. Knox

If you are hiring, the news right now might seem less than encouraging! Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. Job Openings Outnumber Unemployed by Widest Gap Ever: http://bit.ly/job-openings-outnumber-unemployed. That means the person you want to hire most likely is currently working for someone else. If you are thinking like many other companies, you might feel the need to throw more money at prospective employees, as validated by the Institute of Supply Management’s findings in May, 2019: http://bit.ly/filling-jobs. What are your options to avoid elevating salaries solely to attract candidates? First, recognize that hiring is more difficult than in years past and it’s also more complex. That means you need an effective plan that will help you identify the right talent attributes to gain the results you’re looking for, enable you to access the right candidates, and quickly and efficiently navigate prospective hires through your hiring process. 

The best way to ensure you are targeting the right candidates that possess the right set of competencies for the role and the culture of your organization is to benchmark the position.  Always solicit feedback from your team; benchmarking is an effective way to do so. 

These days, it’s not a candidate waiting for a call but more often, it’s a hiring manager waiting for a candidate response! Accessing the right candidates takes more skill and know how in today’s talent market. Make sure you’re using multiple avenues to reach your targeted candidates, and when you do get a response, respond quickly to keep the candidate engaged with your opportunity.

Urgency is important but don’t move so quickly that you short-change your interview process. Missing out on the person who you thought was the perfect candidate is disappointing. However, hiring the wrong person because you skipped a key step or two in your process in the rush to hire is both disappointing and costly. Stick to your plan while executing it efficiently and effectively. In February, the Wall Street Journal quoted an Indeed study that reported candidates are put off by having to clear too many hurdles. Moreover, after an offer is extended, candidates also report that delays in the process are an important factor in determining whether they will accept them.

There are talent acquisition experts who can help in each phase of the hiring process. If you’re not ready to hire a firm to recruit for you, at least engage a talent expert to help you identify the right steps if you are experiencing results that are less than optimal. 

JESSI Search, Inc. is recognized as being experts in talent acquisition. We welcome your questions and comments and are happy to help you get the hiring results you’re seeking.

“It’s often hard to just throw money at a problem when you don’t really know what the problem is.”  ~Megan Rapinoe

Recruiting is changing to meet market conditions. New ways of accessing viable talent are popping up because in today’s market conditions it’s mandatory to engage candidates quickly. A recent blog post from Talentify spoke of the “Magic Window” and the power of the first 72 hours. This refers to the window of time you should respond to candidates of interest if you want to engage them in your opportunity.

Everyone is busy and inboxes, voicemail and text messages fill up fast. If you’re trying to hire the right person, though, this isn’t an excuse you want to use for not responding. Not communicating is communicating something to a candidate. It’s communicating disinterest in having them join your team. It is also an indicator of the company culture and how people do or do not communicate.

If you have a hiring need and you’re serious about getting the best candidate onboard, managing the hiring process should be a top priority for you. A few of the things you should be prepared to do, include:

• Define your hiring process, making sure you have the right number of steps and people involved to make a solid decision.
• Keep your calendar flexible enough to schedule interviews quickly when you identify a potential candidate and make sure that others involved in the process do as well. Remember the Magic Window of 72 hours!
• In-between your interview steps, keep those candidates who have the potential to get an offer warm. You do this by keeping them informed of the steps in your process, how long it should take between each step and other relevant information about why things aren’t progressing quickly.
• While working with urgency, avoid impulsive offers just to make a hire. Work your process thoroughly. Team hiring using a scorecard is an effective approach. Including an assessment in your process helps you to validate the interview and identify unknowns, helping ensure that you make an informed decision.

If you don’t have the time or expertise to manage the process well, you should consider partnering with a talent expert. Getting the right people on your team will pay off in the end.

“Working with the JESSI Search team was great. I especially appreciated the very consistent communication.” ~ Feedback from a Regional Sales Manager candidate placed on one of our client’s teams

“I’m ready to make a change in my career, can you represent me?” At JESSI Search, we hear that a lot. We’ve earned a reputation in our field as a recruiting partner who can be trusted to know the talent market, finding candidates with the right set of competencies for the roles our clients trust us to fill, and who are open to making a change now and will stick with our client companies for years to come.

Knowing the talent market and who is available is part of our process and value to our clients. However, representing candidates through their search for a new opportunity, is not what we do.

That said, it does not mean that our candidates don’t love us. We commonly hear comments like, “Working with you is awesome. It is far better than I expected!” Because we love making the ideal match, we invest significant time and resources getting to know our client’s true business and hiring needs and also getting to know the candidates who we present to clients for consideration.

If you’re a future candidate who wants to get placed in your ideal role, it helps to understand our business before reaching out. Here are some tips to gain time with an executive recruiter:

• Do your research on the Recruiter and their Company before reaching out to them. Find a way to personally connect with them.
• Use your networking skills to gain an introduction by someone you know. You’ll increase the likelihood that they’ll open up their time for you.
• Be flexible. Make it easy for the conversation to take place by offering different ways to communicate and days/times to speak if you’re having a phone call.
• Introducing yourself and being upfront about the purpose of your call will convey that you value their time and busy schedule.
• Prepare for the call like it’s a mini-interview. When looking for your next career move, avoid spouting a rambling list of experiences, qualifications, wants and needs, without even taking a breath. It is easier to retain more with an interactive conversation rather than a barrage of information all at once.
• Maximize your call by asking who else you should speak with, as this is an ideal time to expand your network with the right people.
• You’ll also set yourself apart if you remember it’s not all about you! Ask how you can help. For instance, maybe there are positions that you aren’t interested or qualified for but you know someone else who might be a fit. Providing relevant candidates when a search is on, is a big benefit, and guarantees you’ll be remembered!

If you don’t get on a recruiter’s calendar or don’t get a call back right away, don’t take it personally. Be sensitive to the many demands recruiters have on their time and attention, especially in today’s hot talent market. If you don’t get a response, review the list above and try again later! Recruiters like to be in touch with great talent, but sometimes it’s just hard to make the time to do so.

In today’s market it costs more to recruit and takes a higher level of expertise now more than I’ve ever experienced. Hiring today requires a recruiting expert who is connected with the candidate pool and has the tools and expertise to access the ones who fit for your business needs and can match your talent value proposition with those candidates who it will attract. If you aren’t finding the best candidates and would like to learn more, contact us to have a conversation.