Question of the day is: What is the most creative thing you have done to get a sendout?

In follow up to today's RBC Daily -

So here is a random question for the community- do you like holiday cookies? Who doesn't, right? A colleague of mine shared a story about how his Aunt's famous holiday cookies landed him a sendout. A candidate he recently submitted was initially rejected by his client. Like any good recruiter he thought it was a perfect match and convinced the client to reconsider looking at the candidate. He accomplished this by not only repositioning the candidate's strengths, but by also promising that he would send a package of his aunt's holiday cookies. Not only did an interview take place, but an offer was made and the individual will start the early part of next year. Now that was some seasonal thinking outside of the box.

What is the most creative thing you have done to get a sendout?

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Permalink Reply by Paul S. Gumbinner on December 15, 2011 at 10:29am

I once had an ad agency client (HR Director) who was going on vacation and asked me to send candidates directly to the hiring manager. I did so. Hiring manager absolutely hated my candidate. Told me he was ripping up the resume. A few weeks later the HR Director gave me another job. I sent the same candidate. He got the job. My candidate stayed with the company many years. I told him never to tell the other person. The other person had no memory of him and they became good friends! They still are friends and to this day the other person has no idea that he hated my candidate. Recruiting can be strange.

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Permalink Reply by Bill Schultz on December 15, 2011 at 1:08pm

Good topic, Tim.

I don't know if this applies but I when I was selling temp service in NYC, I kept calling into different areas of Bear Sterns (RIP) to get to hiring managers. Every receptionist I talked to was either incompetent or rude.

So I called the CEO, Ace Greenberg and lo and behold got him on the phone (It's not that hard, actually) and I told him that his receptionists suck and I was surprised because everything I read about him and the company is all about service.

After a long terrifying pause, he said I was right and they were thinking about solutions. Yada yada yada, we got the account to "insource" 8 floors of reception.

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Permalink Reply by Amy Ala Miller on December 15, 2011 at 1:56pm

@ Bill that's awesome :)

I don't know how creative it is... but just last week I marched into a hiring manager's office, sat in his extra chair and handed him a resume. I told him I was on a hunger strike and not leaving until he gave me a good reason NOT to interview this candidate. I handed him my beloved red pen and told him to go ahead and circle whatever it was that made this candidate unworthy. After 10 minutes he gave me back the pen and told me to bring the guy in. Candidate interviewed yesterday and left with an offer. :)

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Permalink Reply by Bill Schultz on December 15, 2011 at 7:10pm

Crazy- It's really amazing anyone gets hired in some places.

Amy Ala said:

I don't know how creative it is... but just last week I marched into a hiring manager's office, sat in his extra chair and handed him a resume. I told him I was on a hunger strike and not leaving until he gave me a good reason NOT to interview this candidate. I handed him my beloved red pen and told him to go ahead and circle whatever it was that made this candidate unworthy. After 10 minutes he gave me back the pen and told me to bring the guy in. Candidate interviewed yesterday and left with an offer. :)

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Permalink Reply by Cora Mae Lengeman on December 15, 2011 at 9:31pm

Well played Bill!

Bill Schultz said:

Good topic, Tim.

I don't know if this applies but I when I was selling temp service in NYC, I kept calling into different areas of Bear Sterns (RIP) to get to hiring managers. Every receptionist I talked to was either incompetent or rude.

So I called the CEO, Ace Greenberg and lo and behold got him on the phone (It's not that hard, actually) and I told him that his receptionists suck and I was surprised because everything I read about him and the company is all about service.

After a long terrifying pause, he said I was right and they were thinking about solutions. Yada yada yada, we got the account to "insource" 8 floors of reception.