Random Thoughts On Recruiting – Looking Out For Number One
We have had a couple of incidents recently that really hammer home an important point for candidates from my view.
We had a candidate that a client came back to us on with interest, but the candidate had already accepted another position. The candidate indicated to us that they felt the position with our client was a better one for them, but they felt obligated since they had accepted and started the new position. My response to be passed along to the candidate was that they need to do what is best for them. I explained that in the recruiting process, it is just business to all clients. They make hiring decisions based on what is best for their business. In this case, the client had to put the hire on the backburner for a bit and was now coming back to us on this candidate. That wasn’t convenient for the candidate and they didn’t move forward when they felt they couldn’t just to satisfy the candidate. They did what was best for them.
There is no emotion on the client’s end in this situation. It is just business and the decision to move forward or not is based on what is best for them. We see this every day. So my feeling was that the candidate needed to have the same, all business, perspective. The candidate could not control what the client had to do, but if the opportunity was the right fit, they should pursue that opportunity and there is nothing negative or unethical at all about it. We just had another situation where a candidate accepted a job yesterday, but the client we submitted them to last week now wants to interview. The candidate withdrew, but smartly came back to us today and said he would like to interview.
The right fit is the right fit, and sometimes the timing or other issues are just outside of our control. It’s difficult to be absent of emotion when you are talking about your career, but the best thing for a candidate is to be emotionless. It’s just business.
Todd Kmiec
Todd Kmiec and Associates
Todd Kmiec & Associates 