Volume 7
Employment Essentials Volume 7: How can I mitigate No Shows and Bad Hires based on my initial screening?
Have you ever heard the expression, “if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, its probably a duck!”
You might be thinking, what does this have to do with hiring? Well, often enough, in the sourcing and screening process you’ll come across many candidates who aren’t serious about your employment opportunity, flaky, and simply irresponsible, AKA in this case, your duck!
You might think to yourself, it surely can’t take that many chances to spot a duck, and you’d be right!
The reality is, people miss interviews and phone calls more often than we’d like to think; knowing this, what are the signs of spotting a duck before you make those precious time commitments?
Before diving into those details, it’s always important to have the right prerequisite mindset to make the most of those potential No Shows and get back to finding the right fit. “The best ability is availability”, while you are focusing on skill, the only way that ever pays off is if the person even shows up! It’s never the perfect hire because there is no such thing, but we can definitely focus on the right hire for the company. We cannot get desperate in the process, it‘s better to “Hire slow; fire fast”. A No Show may be a blessing in disguise! Should you really be bummed you won’t be working with a person who couldn’t keep a simple appointment, or at least provide a proper cancellation notice?
Today’s Masterclass is all about spotting the moments your candidate is showing themselves to be a duck!
Pay close attention! You may have seen some of these signs before and now with a fresh perspective you might see how you can save yourself the time in the future.
Remember, people can tell you whatever they want to tell you, it‘s up to you to have a discerning ear and separate the pros from the punks.
Poor Past Tenure: “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice…” if someone is showing you who they really are, pay attention. It may be a different detail every time but it’s always the same story. While there are legitimate reasons for being let go, you’ll notice a pattern. The same people who can’t keep a job for long are the same people who tend to miss phone screenings, interviews, and even are 1st Day No Shows. Be selective with who you choose to consider when evaluating resumes.
Missed Appointments: Our time in recruiting is extremely valuable. It should be focused on connecting with those who are genuinely actively seeking new employment. Your interview and onboarding process may come with multiple steps candidates have to go through. Candidates may start a process with you but may not follow through. Some candidates may have a legitimate reason for needing to reschedule but this is seldom the case.
How do you know the difference? The serious candidates go above and beyond in making it clear they are still interested and make themselves readily available and provide new options. If not, you’ll find they have a generic reason or excuse about why they couldn’t make it with no initiative to reschedule. This is the group you will find the No Shows come from. We recommend getting a “backup candidate" if you reschedule the latter group.
Tone: Not everybody talks with a lot of enthusiasm or excitement, but we all know what it looks like to “sound” engaged even if we are not one of those charismatic speakers out there. When we refer to tone, we are speaking about it’s coherence to what someone is saying. Saying “I am excited” in a monotone voice conveys boredom not excitement! True excitement has fluctuations in pitch, tone, and speed. Pay attention to not only WHAT they are saying but HOW they are saying it. Say you’re discussing pay with the candidate and you ask if that is within their asking range, and you hear them slow down, with a tone of dissatisfaction “Yea, that’s ok I guess, I can move forward at that rate”, or someone who sounds dismissive, eager to get off the phone, “ yea, yea, thanks, I will be there, got to go, bye”. We aren’t sure about you, but the only thing those two tones were convincing of, was sounding like a duck! Quack! Pay close attention to someone’s tone and feel free to call out any concerns you might have about their level of engagement.
Lapses in Communication: Anytime someone is excited and committed to an event with someone else, whether it be a date, a sporting event, a nice dinner, you can count on that person paying close attention to the time, as well as their phone for any updates! Some might not consider an interview as exciting as a night out, but you’ll find that the committed candidates are readily available to move forward and aren’t impossible to get a hold of. Those candidates that are, are already giving you direct indications that they may have other priorities at this time. Once again, reasonable circumstances like current employment, and travel are fine, they should be discussed early on in the process to expedite the process as best as possible. Most other candidates who become hard to reach may be entertaining other offers, no longer looking, or even have already found other employment elsewhere. Be sure to set reasonable expectations with candidates, letting them know what your communication expectations and thresholds are while conducting your process.
Our clients work with us to provide them viable options of talent that are actually qualified and ready to make a move! The applicant world has a lot of “Quacks” out there, but that doesn’t have to be your problem. While these tips and tricks can help, what helps even more is partnering with a team that not only understands the challenges you face but gives you the options to choose the best decision for your team.
Cheers to your Success!
#WESTANDFORYOU
Employee Insights Volume 7: What can I do as a candidate to support my recruiter in the interview process?
When looking for work, you need all the help you can get! Fortunately, in today’s hyper connected world, there are many recruiters out there, like Top Tier professionals at FLAG that are ready to help! Working with a recruiter can help save you time, energy, and even money with their industry knowledge and best practices.
While there are many great options out there for you, your success with that recruiter will still be limited to the extent you partner with them. In other words, the recruiter still can’t guarantee your ideal result every time. Be your own guarantee!
Part of this new dynamic duo you are developing with a recruiter is allowing them to guide you in the process while you go execute your portions throughout the interview process. In basketball terms, the recruiter is running the show like Kobe, and you’re Slam Dunking the interview like Shaq! A 1-2 Punch Combo, but for your next career move!
Today’s Masterclass gives you the moves and steps to work in tandem with your next recruiter. Remember, there are other parties beyond you two involved, in this case, your prospective employer and the team around them. Your recruiter and their team have other relationship dynamics to navigate, and it is in your best interest to equip them with the information and follow through with what they need from you.
Mindset: All recruiters measure success the same way, helping you get placed at the best opportunity currently available to them! This person only wins if you do. Be flexible and open minded throughout your interaction with your recruiter. This can open up new opportunities you might not have been aware of. Lastly, be engaged! After all, this is your personal career, help them help you!
Be Transparent: Your recruiter will only know the information you give them. This is the information they use to present you as a viable candidate to their clients. If the clients come across any discrepancies your recruiter might have missed, like dates of employment, gaps in your resume, or skills gaps, negotiation discrepancies, etc. not only will the client pass on your candidacy, but the recruitment team also loses credibility. While it is the recruiter’s job to be thorough while screening you, if you are not transparent, it only delays you from starting at your next opportunity! Be transparent on your work history, level of skills, and salary expectations.
Be Detailed: During the screening process, you will find that most skilled recruiters will take their time getting to know more about your work history, skillsets, salary expectations, goals and ambitions. This stage is extremely important in setting the tone for how the recruiter perceives you for future opportunities. Let them know what it takes for you to move forward in terms of pay, schedule, and commute. Be sure to go through multiple scenarios to allow you to consider different roles that might still work out for you. As they assess you for different roles, allow them to educate you on your level of market competitiveness based on your resume work history to give you an insight as to how you rank among other qualified talent.
Be Punctual: First impressions go a long way in an interview process. As soon as your recruiter lets you know that you have been selected for an interview, take the time to go over the details provided to ensure you arrive punctually. Consider the time it takes to get ready, the time of day of the interview, potential traffic, with the goal of arriving 15 minutes before the interview start time. Use this time to gather yourself and go over any last-minute details for your interview. By this time, you should have already done “your homework” on the employer and learned simple things such as what they specialize in, and what industries/clients they serve. Being “On Time” to an interview should be considered “Easy points” in the interview game! Don’t lose these easy points!
Ask Questions: Don’t let your time with your recruiter be a process you just go through but also an opportunity to learn new things or address questions you might have. When thinking of your next opportunity, you should naturally have a question that comes to mind right away. These could be related to the company, job details, resume tips, or even interview tips. Some details might be really important to you, your recruiter will appreciate you asking instead of committing to something you are unsure of. They might even have “tribal knowledge” about the client or other interview tips that you can use to be better prepared for your interview.
Respect Their Time: Going back to the dynamic duo example, your recruiter is actively investing their limited 8-10 working hours a day to help facilitate interview processes to opportunities you might have otherwise not known of; make sure you show them you are also someone they should be working with instead of someone else. If you are genuinely looking for support with your next role, avoid being someone difficult to work with based on the above tips.
Check in with your recruiter periodically to ask for progress, or feedback.
Partner with our Top Tier recruiters at FLAG and create a dynamic duo like never before to find your next ideal opportunity.
With FLAG, you’ve got a partner on your career journey every step of the way.
#WESTANDFORYOU