If you have read any of my past articles and posts, I tend to write quite a bit about the issues associated with the recruiting industry. Some of the main issues with the recruiting industry center on one of the following:
- Lack of Communication
- Lack of Transparency
- Lack of Feedback
We are all familiar with how the above three issues impact the overall candidate experience. Well, what about when the tables are turned and the recruiter experiences these very issues?
Some may say, "Well, recruiters do it to candidates all the time so they deserve to get it in return."
Even if some recruiters are ruining the candidate experience by failing to communicate, failing to be transparent, or failing to provide feedback - there are quite a few situations where recruiters are left in the dark and shouldn't be.
After all, recruiters need closure too.
Here are two very common situations where recruiters deserve communication, transparency, feedback, and closure just as much as candidates and clients do.
(1). The candidate decides they are no longer interested in the position or process.
This happens often. You call a candidate. The conversation goes well. The candidate seems like a great fit initially. The candidate seems interested initially. Then, you never hear back from them when it's time to schedule the next step in the process.
As a recruiter, my rule of thumb is to follow up with the candidate three times by phone and email to schedule next steps. In my third and final message, I make it clear that it's my third and final attempt to reach the candidate about the opportunity. If I don't hear back, it's history.
As a candidate, it is quite simple to just answer an email or phone call and state that your situation has changed, and you are no longer interested in the position or process.
It really is that simple.
(2). The client fails to give feedback on sent candidates despite the amazing job order intake conversation(s) that already happened.
You finally get that client on the phone, and they are willing to spill their guts on the opportunities they are currently looking to fill. The conversation goes amazing. You already have a few people in mind that could be a fit for the opportunities, the culture, etc.
You call your candidates, tell them about the opportunities, get them excited, and then follow up with the client to get their feedback.
Nothing. Crickets. Never Responds.
Once again, the client reserves the right to move on just as much as the candidate does, but how difficult is it to just say that your needs have changed? Perhaps you found another recruiter or agency that you hit it off with, and trust me - that's okay. Just tell me.
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Some may argue that the recruiter failed to really read the conversation with the candidate or client, or that they sensed the relationship was great when it wasn't. And, some may also argue that the recruiter didn't ask the right questions or probe enough.
However, I disagree.
Although there are instances where recruiters missed the mark, the above situations happen more often than they should.
So, let's do the following (and by let's I am referring to recruiters, clients, and candidates alike):
Let's promise to communicate more effectively.
Let's promise to give feedback even if it isn't the feedback our recruiter, client, or candidate wants to hear.
Let's promise to be transparent in our conversations for the sake of building strong relationships, for the sake of not wasting anyone's time, and for the sake of our own personal brand and identity in our respective industries.
Originally posted on LinkedIn.
Kristina Finseth is a Veteran-turned-Recruiter-turned-Marketing Content Writer with Phenom People, a leading HR & recruiting technology company based out of Horsham, PA. Over the last 5 years, she's recruited across multiple industries including tech, education, manufacturing, and logistics. Kristina also holds her Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Human Resources. She is passionate about and well-versed in the HR, Talent Acquisition, and Recruiting spaces.
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