Five Ways Recruiters Think From the Candidate Perspective

There is no better laboratory to study human nature than a situation in which one person is in need and another person holds the key to fulfilling that need. Some examples that immediately come to mind are that of a parent and child, a teacher and pupil, or a doctor and patient. It is not a stretch of this concept to suggest that the relationship between a recruiter and candidate is similar. While there will be variables to this analogy the person in the recruiter or recruiter surrogate position will often assume a psychologically superior role (Parent) to the dependent personality (Child). Without repeating the Psych 101 textbook problems associated with this TA model, this can be a disastrous way for grown-ups to communicate effectively. The goal to making communications become more effective is for the conversation to evolve into an Adult to Adult dialog with neither party taking a superior role. On that basis it is safe to say that the most effective form of communication is when each party understands the other party’s perspective. To plagiarize from an adage attributed to an old Native American saying you can better understand others if you walk a mile in their moccasins.

The losses are difficult to measure, but in theory there is a high likelihood that some candidates qualified for a job will slip through the net. Without itemizing the lost time and other resources spent when the “big one gets away” there is a more important golden-rule-like sense that it is just the right thing to do: Treat every candidate as you want to be treated. This is a paradigm shift in the point of view for improved communications. Here are a few ways that a recruiter can level the playing field:

1. Know the job specifications…cold! Beyond the posted job description are the unwritten details that are assumed to be part of the job, separated into the “nice to haves” and “must haves.” This is not intuitive to a job seeker. There are some candidates who in desperation will apply to a title only and never even read the job description. Every contact is a potential hire for something, but when they have to argue a contorted match of their skills to the job specs, move on. It is a waste everybody’s time if they either don’t or won’t understand, but the otherwise qualified individual needs help understanding why a job might actually require a certain education level or specific experience. They will become a better candidate throughout the process if they know the hidden details. Also, if this becomes a part of the dialog before, during, and after the interview it makes the selection process easier and there will also be less to explain if you have to say “no” in the end.
2. Understand your own (or your clients) processes…in detail! Job seekers have to fight the battle on more than one battlefield and the rules of engagement change with the terrain. If you work with an applicant tracking system, have you applied to your own company to see how it works? Most of them are not intuitive. You should know the pitfalls so that you can overcome holes in the process and not condemn applicants for systems shortfalls. If a candidate has problems with the online application this may not mean they are stupid, it could mean that they are using Firefox for a system that is designed for only Explorer browsers. The more sophisticated systems may work without a glitch, but remember that the applicant has to re-learn how to apply with each application. Unless one of the key selection criteria for the job is “To be able to successfully navigate our ATS” then this should not be used as a deciding factor.
3. Unscramble the organization chart…really! If a programmer is working on various projects in a matrix type of environment, the situation will be much different than if there is a single task performed in one department. It is not only important for the applicant to know who the immediate supervisor will be, but also who is the manager’s manager. How does this job interface with other groups in the company? Who are the key stakeholders in the work done by this job? Even with comprehensive research they will not know this. You must be able to set the stage for them. It is also extremely important to set career expectations for climbing to the next rung on the ladder. If there are minefields in the position, it is better to point them out early rather than risk a bad experience, or even worse, a bad hire.
4. Give honest, timely feedback…often! The biggest complaint heard from the candidate side of the table is the lack of feedback. How many times have you heard that the resume went into a black hole and there was no way to know if it was even received? How long does a candidate wait to know if there is a face-to-face interview after a phone call? How long does it take to give the candidate feedback after the interview? Don’t give me the “I don’t have time” excuse because that’s not real. In most cases, it is not a lack of time but a lack of time management. Keep records of contacts, phone calls, interviews and create tickler reminders to follow up. Any feedback is always better than no feedback even if it is bad news. If you don’t know how to give bad news or constructive feedback, get out of the recruiting business and find another job… that is if you have the guts to be a real job seeker.
5. Understand diversity matters…sincerely! Yes, society still is loaded with bias that discriminates against individuals by race, gender, ethnicity, age, and sexual orientation, so don’t perpetuate the problem by missing the opportunity to level the playing field. Generational differences can be the most insidious form of discrimination with the interviewer/interviewee dialog failing to really touch either party because of preconceived notions about age related ideas. Organizational fit is important, but diversity of thought produces better results unless your job specs calls for a clone.

This list could be much longer, but if you start with these five then the rest should be easy. For example, the lack of feedback can hurt the recruiting process just as it does from the job seeker perspective. “How were your interview arrangements?” is not small talk, it is gaining information about the process and checking to see if it works. Getting feedback on the interview is also insightful. Did the candidate get five interviews or just one interview five times? Maybe some interviewer training is necessary and you won’t know that from your recruiter perspective. All recruiters have all been job seekers at some time and often the pet peeves and grievances get clouded with the fog of time. What we have to keep in mind is that the candidate has more than likely never been in our moccasins and will need our help to make the process work.