In the first blog post of this series, I discussed what comedian and actor Jerry Seinfeld (of all people) can teach recruiters about qualifying job orders. That lesson is broken down as follows:
- Anybody can take job orders.
- Taking job orders isn’t the important part.
- Qualifying the job orders—THAT’s the important part.
So . . . what exactly are some of the components that must be present for a job order to move into the “qualified category”? While opinions about this vary, there are at least four critical components. The absence of one or more of these components lessens the chance that there’s a placement check waiting for you at the end of the search.
Those components are listed below:
#1—Urgency
#2—A set timetable for the process
#3—A firm commitment
#4—Clear expectations
And that’s just at the beginning. Throughout the process, you also need consistent communication and regular updates and feedback.
That’s because each job order you receive should come with following disclaimer:
“Warning: the hiring manager reserves the right to change their mind about the contents of this job order, the time frame associated with it, the people involved in it, or even its very existence, all without informing you beforehand. Have a nice day.”
But of course, it doesn’t.
The truth is that a job order—figuratively, of course—is a living, breathing entity. It can change, it can morph, it can grow, it can shrink, or it can undergo 100 other similar transformations. What you have on your desk is a job order that might NOT be a true representation of what it is right now, in real time. In essence, it’s only a snapshot, taken during the last time you qualified its contents.
Qualifying job orders = saving TIME
Only by properly qualifying job orders throughout the entire process can you ensure that you’re spending your time wisely. There’s no worse feeling than working a job order for an extended period of time, only to find out the job description has changed, the time frame for hiring has been indefinitely extended, or the company has decided to hire from within.
As I mentioned in my previous blog post, the worst thing you can do is grab the job order and run with it immediately, without securing any crucial components. Before you hang up the phone with the hiring manager, you should establish those components—urgency, a firm commitment, clear expectations, and a set timetable for the completion of the process.
Because if those components haven’t been established, there’s no (logical) reason to start presenting candidates.
Leave a Comment..