My strangest recruiting moment recently was when I had to pre-screen a prospective candidate for one of my major clients and prep them for an interview.

Per her resume, she had everything our client was looking for, an impressive education from an Ivey league University with an advanced degree along with a pretty fast track career pathway working for many of the top tier companies in her industry.  So here is the set up, we had already scheduled a prescreen in advance and confirmed via phone and email and she was already aware we had 30-45 minutes tops to complete this phone screen.

Well the phone rings and she answers as if she is sleepy, when I ask her if this is still a good time, she takes a couple of seconds or did it turn into minutes to reply? With every question I asked her and believe me I explained myself very thoroughly she would have another question for me.  If I asked for ONE example she would provide FIVE.  She would sway away from the topic at hand and start talking about traffic and events in the news.  She would shock me at times because she would give great answers but then offset it with some crazy response.  Half way into the screening process I realized we were already on the phone for over 30 minutes,  mind you it was already 6:30 pm my time and I told her we needed to get this done or I could not move her along for the next step with the client.  She apologized and said “ok I will just answer the questions”.  “Thank the lord” I said to myself, but sure enough the next question she continued with her shenanigans and even started giving me health advice and talking about her health problems. 

Boy oh boy I thought this phone call would never end.  The entire time I was thinking she must really be good at her job because how has she lasted in all these top tier companies?  Does she talk people to death?  Is this how she makes her quota?  Before our call ended I think I reminded her at least 2 more times that we needed to get this done and I had to leave to pick up my child but it did not seem to faze her much.  I hope I never get anyone on the phone like this again, but I’m sure there are people who just don’t know when to stop and talk themselves right out of a job.  GEEZ!!!

It’s ALL in the Details – From a Recruiter’s perspective

What do we recruiters need to know to help find that perfect candidate for our clients?  Is more information or less information better? Is just a job description enough?  Well for me, a recruiter at a contract research recruiting firm, partnering with our clients is almost as if we work at their site.  We are actually an extension of their recruitment team and sharing the right information is key to our success. 

Sure, job descriptions are important and yes, all the technical requirements are a must have to find the right candidates, but honestly it’s not enough. Clients need to provide details such as:

-why the positions are open
-team or department structure
-details on hiring manager (his/her management style)
-expectations
-what the team lacks
-how long positions are open
- challenges as to why they have not been able to fill the position on their own to date

I can go on and on; you get my drift, right?  Details!!!  Speaking to a hiring manager is also a bonus; his/her version of the position and ideal candidate provides incredible insight.  Sharing their knowledge, what he/she really is looking for, what the must haves are for this candidate, what he/she is willing to bend on or be flexible on is very valuable.  This type of information can’t be picked up from a job description alone. So yes, hiring managers on intake calls should be a RULE.

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Ever wonder why archaeologists (Definition: The systematic study of past human life and culture by the recovery and examination of remaining material evidence, such as graves, buildings, tools, and pottery) and paleontologists (Definition – The study of the forms of life existing in prehistoric or geologic times, as represented by the fossils of plants, animals, and other organisms) keep digging in the dirt, studying all the fragments they find?

Because surprises never cease, because there’s always more to be found and the puzzle is never done. Simply put, many fragments make a whole picture. We want to know our past, so we can understand our present and build for our future generations.
As an online sourcer I have this innate curiosity to see what else is out there when I am on a search. Oh wait, here’s one more place to look, one more hyperlink to click on, just in case I can pick up a new clue.  It’s pretty exhausting and tedious when you try to be meticulous and detailed, (talk about stiff necks, aching backs & cramped fingers because I don’t like to stop in the middle of the digging) but it’s priceless when you collect all the pieces and can present that final picture to your client – in house or external.

Did you know the internet is like an iceberg? 

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