You don't know jack!

This is something a recruiter would never want to hear.  Whether it be from a candidate or a client, it would be an indictment of our profession.  On several recent occasions I have had candidates tell me after an interview that the client asked what we (as the recruiter) had shared with the candidate about the organization.  Thankfully we know our clients well and every single time it has actually benefited us in interview process to have that question come up.  In one instance a candidate even flat out admitted that he wouldn't have agreed to the interview if it weren't for what we shared with them about the organization and the opportunity.  But what if we hadn't known much about the organization either because we hadn't done our homework or the client simply didn't feel like sharing much information before the interview with us?

I read the following stat in an article authored by CareerBuilder -- When asked to assess the recruiters who contacted them, one-in-five job seekers (21 percent) reported that the recruiter was not enthusiastic about his/her company being an employer of choice. Seventeen percent didn’t believe the recruiter was knowledgeable and 15 percent didn’t think the recruiter was professional.

This is obviously in reference to an in-house and not external or third party recruiter.  But still it is an astonishing fact if you really think about it.  What is the old saying -- you will only tell one person about a good experience, but you will tell 8-9 people about a bad experience.  I have oftentimes had to educate candidates especially that have previously had bad experiences with recruiters that not all of us are bad medicine.

Two lessons can be drawn from this.  First of all, it is a great reminder for executive search firms like Capstone to really know their clients well.  For us to be able to properly prepare a candidate for an interview, it benefits everyone for us to know the little details.  We try to stress this with our clients all the time.  Whether you have extraordinary benefits, fun activities for the summer, flexible schedules for working from home, ESOPs, career progression, etc., that is valuable knowledge for us to have.  We are working with one new client that has a page on their website devoted to "50 fun things we do in the summer".  How cool is it for a prospective employee to know that they might play in company kickball in their first week of employment? 

Secondly it is a reminder for employers everywhere to remember that they are representing their organization in every single interview.  Even if it is a candidate you are never going to hire, that individual can have an impact on future hires.  They have friends, colleagues, family, and much more that they talk with about bad experiences with employers.  Whether it be zero response on a resume submission, a mishandling of an interview or follow up, or an inappropriate Dear John letter, that can send a ripple effect that you'll never completely see the end of.  I spoke with a candidate just this week that thought an interview was going along quite well with senior management when out of the blue she received a letter from HR stating that they were not interested.  She was shocked and disappointed and called one of the executives she had met with.  The individual was not even aware HR had sent the letter and felt obligated to apologize. 

I will be the first to admit I am not perfect and will eat some humble pie in conclusion.  There have been times that candidates have had to call me after interviews to tell me something about a client that I didn't already know.  It is impossible for us to know all of our clients a mile deep and a mile wide, but it is certainly our goal to know as much as we can.  That serves to benefit the client, the candidate, and ourselves in the process.

If you are a hiring manager, do you strive to provide as much information as possible to prospective candidates?  Do you show consistency in what you share?  Do you have some level of engagement and excitement that will leave a good impression on the candidate?

If not, I hope you will take my advice to heart to avoid ever hearing back from a candidate that "you don't know jack!"

Tips from a seven-year old ambassador

I attended a ceremony yesterday afternoon for my son's basketball camp at a local university expecting to walk away with a few pictures and a cheap certificate showing his participation.  Instead I received a reminder about how your behavior and attitude counts so much even when you think no one is looking.

One of the awards was for the player that the coaches agreed would be a great ambassador for the university and especially its basketball program.  When they said my son's name over the loudspeaker for Mr. Bulldog I couldn't believe it.  I asked him later in the evening if he really understood what an honor it was to win that award.  He didn't, so I explained to him that it had a lot less to do with his basketball skills and much more about how he exhibited good qualities as a supportive teammate, a good listener to the coaches, and his overall approach to the game.  He smiled even bigger than if he had been named MVP of the whole camp.

No one told him before the camp started that the coaches would be keeping a watchful eye for the player that would receive the award.  Yet he came each afternoon with a desire to learn, get better on the court, and pick up life lessons along the way. 

Here is the tie-in to the interview process.  Both candidates and clients alike so often fail to remember that the entire recruitment process is oftentimes a lengthy one and they always need to bring their best to the table.  From silly things on social media that can be viewed as inappropriate for a candidate to off-the-cuff comments before and after a formal interview, people seldom can be described as ambassadors for their organizations or their own candidacy.

As a candidate, are you constantly attempting to improve your background to be more appealing to employers?  As an employer are you creating a culture of winning that permeates from the top to the bottom?  With all of the reasons in the world to put on a front when we know others are looking, can we learn from a seven-year old boy trying his best and giving his all at basketball camp even when he has no idea that someone else is watching his every move?

Does your job search need a rescue club?

Today I leave for my annual trek to Orange City, Iowa to participate in the Red Raider Alumni Classic.  It is a golf tournament to benefit the athletic fund for Northwestern College, where I graduated and played on the golf team.  Since golf is on my mind, I tried to find a way to incorporate it into my blog.

On a couple of occasions this week I had candidates outline to me how depressed they were about the state of the economy and the overall job market.  While there is certainly some truth to that, it should not impact a candidate's approach to the search.  It does not matter if you are an active or passive candidate.  No client in their right mind wants to hire an employee that is bitter, trying to overcome a bad work environment, and/or in a sour mood after a long period of unemployment or even underemployment.

These people need a rescue club.  This is a hybrid 3 or 5-wood typically that serves to "rescue" a golfer from a bad lie or deep rough.  In other words, you're in trouble and need some help.  A purist wouldn't ever use one as it is almost considered cheating in some circles, but unless you are on the PGA Tour and paid millions of dollars to chase that little white ball around the course, it is a wonderful investment for any bag.

For a candidate this could be a friendly reminder from a reliable source to go into a job interview with a positive attitude.  It could mean taking some time to find an article online (trust me, there are plenty) to read about interview tips.  Perhaps even taking a trip to the mall before an interview to shop for a new suit.  I actually had a candidate do that about three weeks ago and she was unemployed.  Instead of showing up with a chip on her shoulder, she was sharply dressed and ready to impress.  That is good use of the "rescue club".

In a perfect world there would be no market for a rescue club.  I am hopeful that in tomorrow's best ball format we have every drive in the fairway, every approach shot landing on the green, and all putts as make-able birdies from within ten feet.  But just as that is unlikely, the search process and interviewing for a job can land you in the rough.  How you get out may just depend upon whether or not you suck up your pride, admit you could use some help, and you reach for that rescue club.

The golden rule of recruiting

Yes, this is a very simple post for a Friday -- treat others as you would want to be treated.  I had several great reminders this week of the benefit of this philosophy, both personally and professionally, that I thought I would share to end the week on a lighter note. 

The first incident happened after I had all kinds of trouble hooking up my new Roku streaming player (If you don't know what this is, don't feel bad -- I didn't know until five days ago.  Google it and go buy one.) to our receiver at home.  I spoke with several customer service people on the phone to absolutely no avail.  So I decided to go the old fashioned route and went into the store where I bought the receiver four years ago.  The guy that sold us the unit was still there, remembered me immediately once I mentioned our purchase, and proceeded to sit down with me for fifteen minute to figure out a solution.  What he suggested worked like a charm later that evening when I got home and I danced with my two-year old daughter to Black Eyed Peas.  I bought a Starbucks gift card the next day and went back to the store to thank him.  What a great example of doing something without any possible reward or remuneration.

The second incident occurred when an old client from a previous job (which means this would go back more than ten years) called to see if I would have any ideas for her regarding convention speakers.  She knew that I had a lot of local connections and was hoping to tap into that network if possible.  I brainstormed with her regarding a few ideas, put a call into an old friend of mine, and they were exchanging emails within hours.  They have already outlined a quote for services and will likely consummate a deal by the weekend.  Both parties seem thrilled with the outcome.

The third incident involves a candidate who reached out to me regarding his search.  It was a profile that I was pretty certain I would not be able to provide much assistance.  But I took the call and spent thirty minutes with him talking about possible directions for the next step in his career.  He really appreciated my advice and ended the call by asking how he might be able to help me sometime in the future.  I can't remember the last time I had someone ask me that question.  Candidates usually call for one reason only -- what can I do for them?  To be asked the question inspired me to want to help him in any way I could moving forward with his search.

I could go on with a few more thoughts, but will conclude with the encouragement to consider this simple philosophy as I have this week.  Whether it be at work, at home, at the grocery store, behind a slow driver at a red light -- treat others as you would like to be treated.  You just might be surprised with the results.