Interview Debrief Debates

In Recruiting and HR we handle a multitude of head scratching debates after the candidate leaves the office. Here are a few recent ones that I thought were useful, funny and that happen fairly often.

Case of "No Tie"

So he didn't wear a tie...so what?! Does that make him less qualified? Less interested? Lazy even?

My personal opinion is that you should dress your utmost professional best for an interview. However, some cultural environments are less conservative and sometimes down right relaxed. You can never go wrong with dressing up. But what about a jacket without the tie? That seemed to be the debate that was had. True competence for the job is what is most important. In the end, if you really want to land the job, dress up and be prepared to communicate and prove your competence. In the end being competent won him the job.

Cell Phone Veto

Nothing is more off putting to a recruiter or hiring manager then when the applicant pulls out their cell phone. Am I not talking here?! Are you done participating? Do you even notice your doing this?! What is so dang important?

Please leave your cell phone in the car or silenced in your pocket. If you think you are unconscious about it and uber-connected - leave the temptation in the car. It is disrespectful and the person that you do it to will and can veto the decision to hire you.

He said WHAT?!

Talk about foot-in-mouth! Oh, the awkward moment when you say the exact thing the employer doesn't want to hear - and its like a movie of your life being played in slow motion in front of you... cringe.

You need to prepare. It's the companies job to make sure your motivations meet the business needs. Telling the employer you desire a job that is in a different industry/profession is a for-sure interview killer. Telling the employer that when you face difficult situations in the work place... you quit, also not a good idea.

What is your most recent head scratching hiring debate?

How to be a "Rock Star" Recruiter

In my career, I have heard others use the term rock star to describe that special person that just excels and shines in their role. This person is in their element and passionate about what they do, therefore it’s noticeable and magnetic to others. Being in recruiting for as long as I have and working with so many recruiters both collaboratively and competitively; I feel like I have a good definition of what a rock star recruiter is. Below are the key ingredients to rock star status:

Work with a sense of urgency. If you do work hard, people are more likely to respect you and you want respect over being popular first and foremost.  It’s respect that gets you through mistakes and often leads to promotion. With a sense of urgency you are exceeding your customers’ expectations. This is not always done, so when it is – it’s noticed!

Build relationships and always be networking. You just never know when you meet someone who knows someone perfect for your job. This is where social media becomes a recruiter’s best friend, because you build a network of likeminded networkers and helping becomes reciprocal. So, build that network and make time for small chat too. Recruiters build reputations in their market. Word of mouth that is negative can have a negative impact on your long term career goals. Be careful how you treat people because it is a small world after all.

Curiosity builds good business acumen. You should do an equal amount of listening to speaking. Ask open ended questions and probe. This is not just with applicants, but also with hiring managers. Be sure to narrow down hard and soft skills. What makes people successful in the department. What are the deal breakers? What are the prices of admission? Take a consultative business partner approach to their needs. Use those needs to guide your networking prowess and ability to find “the one”.

Be systematic and have a full and diverse calendar. Your calendar should include blocked times daily for sourcing, social media, phone interviews, in-office interviews, meetings when applicable and administrative time. Which brings me to….

Time management is key. There is a lot to juggle in this profession! Keeping to a calendar is vital to staying on top of it all. Always stagger your appointments so you have time for breaks and returning emails/calls. Staying busy means you are busy accomplishing things.

Work with transparency - it builds credibility and integrity. Another reference I have for Recruiting is to view it as a love relationship; each party has desires and needs. In the employment context you need to make sure there is a good match between the candidates career desires and the employers’ business needs. This helps with retention. If you inform the candidate of the good and the downsides of the job, you force them to make an unconscious commitment. When they continue to pursue the opportunity knowing the truth, they expect difficulties along the way.

The candidate experience matters, so it should matter to you! Whether you realize it or not, candidates are judging the company from the start of the process. If there are typos in  job descriptions and emails, lack of communication, poor offer processes – you question whether this is a sign of the companies culture. Are they outdated or close-minded? Are they not professional? Do they not value their employees? Do they hire sub-par talent and do I want to be in that pool? You can eliminate those concerns and assumptions by running a tight ship!

Onboarding is even more important than recruiting. Starting a new job and switching jobs and/or industries can be very stressful. The first day is important, so you want a smooth handling of paperwork, communications and overall welcoming by the team and manager. Additionally desk preparation, equipment access and training are also important. To be most effective you should also consider a structured 30/60/90 day schedule of expectations and feedback. No one enjoys being dumped in an unorganized desk, waiting on equipment and left to figure out everything on their own. Trust me; I’ve been there and it makes for second thoughts on taking the job!

View Recruiting as Sales. Selling employment opportunities, company culture and knowing your product are foundational. Recruiting has a parallel to Real Estate because the industry connects two parties, the buyer and seller or in this case, employer and employee.

Always be closing. It’s important to ask closing questions on the first call. You should always know the following things:

·         Time line for hire – are they employed and need to give notice? Are they available immediately?

·         What is their current compensation and what amount will close the deal? Knowing the rock bottom compensation needs help you save time and be the expert in the negotiation process.

·         What are their motivations for looking for a job and specifically the particular job in question?

·         How does their motivation meet the job, company culture and needs of the hiring manager?

 Keep Positive. Positivity and negativity rub off on others…it’s just a bad practice to put that energy out there. Recruiting is stressful enough without Negative Nancy in your ear. Leave that crap at home!

In closing, this is my professional perspective but I would love to learn from your experiences.

What do you think makes a rock star recruiter?

-Crystal