Recruiters: Don't Forget to Breathe! (part 1)

Reducing stress and increasing revenue seem to be on many recruiters’ to-do lists this year, and I recently met two individuals who have an interesting perspective on how high achievers can do this. Dr Samantha Graham and Susan Taylor created http://www.stillnessreminders.com/; a social enterprise that encourages busy people to take deep breaths during times of stress. Deep breaths circulate more oxygen to the brain, which leads to rational and objective thinking. This lead me to identifying those common situations where recruiters would benefit from taking a very deep breath before (re!)acting…


A candidate backs out of your job hours (or minutes!) before they’re due to start.



Take a breath – the problem to be solved is how to fill the now-urgent role for your client and still make a placement; not how to exact revenge on the candidate!


We want to find out if the placement is salvageable but while we’re doing that, it’s a good idea to be thinking about who our back-ups are. Who else did the client like? Are they still available?
Are there other candidates that have become available since initial shortlists were submitted? Can the drop-out refer anyone? Where possible, it helps to have options ready for our client if we have to tell them that the original candidate isn’t starting.


Before we can make that call though, we want to find out why the candidate is backing-out as this information will help to determine if the placement is salvageable. Refer to original interview notes, job spec details and information gathered throughout the recruitment process. How does the job satisfy the candidate’s needs and compare to alternatives? Telling the candidate our job is great for them isn’t enough; we have to be able to tell them why it’s great for them and these reasons should relate to what the candidate actually needs and wants - not just what we think they should.


You will only know if the placement can be saved when you understand their reasons for backing out. Maybe the candidate misunderstands something or needs more information. In that situation don’t be afraid to involve your client – speaking directly with the employer can reassure the candidate more than speaking only with you. Perhaps they are nervous about increased responsibilities, or are afraid they oversold themselves at interview. If so, reassure them that the client wouldn’t have offered them the job if they didn’t think they were capable, and remind them that it’s perfectly normal to feel nervous about a step up (they have probably experienced this before, maybe in their first job out of university or a previous promotion etc. )


But what if your candidate won’t actually speak to you (common if they’re embarrassed about messing you around, or if a competing recruiter has advised them not to disappear)? Encourage contact by explaining on voicemail or email that the client would like to understand their reasons for changing their mind. This isn’t to judge them or to persuade them to reconsider; it’s to improve their recruitment results next time. It’s a professional courtesy to give this feedback to the client.


If it’s clear from their reasons (or complete lack of contact) that they are not going to take your job, bring the back-ups in.


Drop-outs are frustrating and costly. To reduce the likelihood of them happening in the future (or at least being able to identify high-risk candidates so you can have back-ups ready,) review what’s happened – honestly. Did you ignore obvious issues? Hear only what you wanted to? Neglect to ask probing questions during the interview and or at job spec stage? Identify what you would do differently next time, and the drop-out could save you a fortune in the long-run.
TweetNext week’s post – Recruiters: Don’t Forget to Breathe! (Part 2)

Your manager informs you they are giving half of your client base to someone else, and;

Your client wants to interview the ‘walking-placement’ candidate you submitted… through your competition.