Okay, so you can’t control clients or candidates. But as we stated in the first part of this two-part Recruiter Training Blog post, you can maintain control of the hiring process. The way in which to do that effectively is by setting and then managing the expectations of clients and candidates.
We asked recruiting industry trainer Dave Knutson of The Knutson Group, LLC for his thoughts regarding how recruiters can set expectations, manage those expectations, and hold clients and candidates accountable for those expectations throughout the hiring process. We examined the client side of the equation in part one, and now we’ll tackle candidates. (Not literally… but some recruiters would probably like to do so.)
Candidates can be even more unpredictable during the placement process, especially as it appears to be winding down to a satisfying conclusion. They’re prone to withholding information or throwing last-minute demands on the table right before the deal is about to go through. Perhaps worst of all are the tire kickers, those candidates who aren’t really serious about switching jobs, but are just casually exploring what other opportunities might be available.
Once again, the key to success is rooted in open dialogue at the beginning of the process. This helps to weed out the tire kickers so that your pool of candidates is as interested and motivated as it is qualified. There’s nothing more frustrating than reaching the end of the placement process, only to have a candidate turn down an offer because they decided that they’re happy where they’re at after all.
“You have to let your candidates know that you’re not putting together a tour group,” said Knutson. “Let them know that you’re not submitting a lot of candidates for the position and that you’re going to need their full cooperation, especially if it’s a relocation situation. Just about everything I do involves a relocation.”
And when it comes to last-second demands that could derail a placement, telling a candidate up front that they’ll only receive what you’re telling them they’ll receive can help to avoid complications further down the line.
“Everything we tell a candidate is what we get from an employer,” said Knutson. “I tell them, ‘If we don’t talk about it, you’re not going to get it.’ I had one guy, at the 11th hour, ask about country club dues. I had to remind him that we hadn’t talked about that. He said his wife read about it and wanted him to ask.”
Knutson has a long list of stories regarding candidates who do quirky things at the last minute. Can you plan for absolutely every contingency? No, but you can set expectations that candidates will be less likely to try to exceed.
“They want you to make sure that they get all the same stuff they currently have,” said Knutson. “For example, I got somebody a $27,000 pay raise, and that was base salary alone. With everything else, it was about a $40,000 increase. But he was mincing over short-term and long-term disability.
“I had another candidate who said that if the company fired him within the first year, he wanted a one-year severance package. I told him the client wasn’t comfortable with that, and it was an at-will [work] state. I told him that if he did something he shouldn’t and they let him go, they weren’t going to pay him off. He walked, but my number-two guy has been there for six years.”
Making More Placements: Expectations are Everything, Part 1
(Dave Knutson has 25 years of recruiting experience that are reflected in The Knutson Group, LLC’s high standards of professionalism throughout the recruiting process. He is a nationally sought after speaker, trainer, and business coach. Visit The Knutson Group’s website.)
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