Lately candidate treatment, technique, and discussions of the like have been pretty hot, and two posts in particular got me to thinking. One was Becky's admission to on-the-job bullying, and the other was Dan's response touting the virtues of being true to yourself. The more I thought I about it the more I realized that I actually had a very hard time coming to terms with these issues when I first began recruiting.



When I accepted my first job as a recruiter I actually had no idea… Continue

Imagine the shock when I actually had a candidate tell me this on the phone today. His statement was so matter-of-fact that it blew my mind. He was adamant about it too, completely unwavering in his opinion. Fast forward through several minutes of conversation and although his tone had lightened, he stuck to his guns. "Think what you want, but I'm still convinced recruiters are jerks…"



What could possibly have led him to such a fervent belief? Why automatically classify all… Continue

There are a plethora of reasons why a manager can (and will) disqualify a candidate. Sometimes this decision is made for a logical reason, other times it seems as though they reject resumes a la cranky toddler rejecting vegetables. If the latter is the case, how and what can a recruiter communicate to the candidate?



I have been in this dilemma before and if the explanation was too outlandish or altogether nonexistent I could be vague and apologize to the candidate that our customer… Continue

When business is booming and time is at more of a premium than gas was a few short months ago it sometimes becomes hard to justify spending the time to source excess candidates and fill your talent pool to the brim. Unfortunately for most, that time is not now.



So, what to do with your free time? Why not source a few A+ candidates?



Sure this takes work, and the time could be spent chasing down leads on jobs to fill. However, if you dedicate a little bit of time each day to… Continue

Honesty is the best policy.



Certainly a phrase we've all heard, and likely one of life's first big lessons imparted on all of us. Why, then, do we have the temptation to keep information to ourselves or tell half-truths? Do we really think we are getting ahead? Will this sneaky tactic truly pay off in the long run? Considering that the majority of my career is ahead of me I won't make any claims to be the foremost authority on the subject, but some of the most honest and forthright… Continue

My hat's off to Dan for inspiring this post. After reading his I began thinking about why it is that I blog here.



I think what it boils down to is my desire to continue learning and expanding my knowledge not only of my profession, but the world around me. That may not sound like it has much to do with me writing blog posts, but bear with me. I think that knowledge and learning are paramount to success. Anybody who tells me they are pondering whether to go straight through grad… Continue

When working on a position that is open for a while things tend to change a time or two. The manager wants a different certification, more experience, less experience, an advanced degree, or a whole different skill set if you give them enough time. Unfortunately, this is the kind of position I have just recently begun the recruiting process on. It has been open for a few months and the manager has reviewed and declined over 60 resumes (and counting).



I've only been in the loop a week… Continue

As much as I hate to admit it, the honeymoon period seems to be coming to a close for me. In no way does this mean I dislike my job, who I work for, or the people I work with. Rather, this week finally brought forth irrefutable evidence that the company I am working for is not, in fact, immune to the recession.



In all honesty I knew this was the case all along, but at least for a while it seemed as though the proactive stance that was taken to operate as frugally as possible was… Continue

Is the client or the candidate the more important customer? When working for a staffing firm I can recall having this argument many times. It usually started when the candidate wanted more out of the client thus making some negotiations necessary. It was a two-way street, though, and the salespeople made their argument loud and clear when the client made similar requests.



So who really is the customer? The client? The candidate? Both? If both, who takes precedence during tough… Continue

In order to be unaware of the current global economic crisis a person would quite literally have to be living in a cave actively avoiding contact with the outside world. As such I'll forego beating the proverbially dead horse since we all know how bad things are.



Because of the down market, people are getting a bit more desperate for employment. This is also not a shocker. This desperation can lead people down a few different routes, a few of which are interesting, but only one of… Continue

I love being connected; perhaps a bit too much because getting away becomes more and more difficult the more technology I add to my life. However, there are times when it is completely inappropriate to take advantage of that which instant connectivity has to offer. Specifically I’m referring to answering your cell in the middle of an interview.



I have been working on a position in the treasury group of my company and called a very promising looking candidate today. When I asked if it… Continue

Earlier this week I posted about my distaste for the clock watcher. That employee (or candidate) who does the bare minimum and better not be bothered off the clock. With this in mind, how does a dedicated, hard-working recruiter ever unwind? Are we doomed to be perpetually connected and risk burning out too soon?



I'm reminded of one of my mother's favorite sayings; all things in moderation.



Although I generally opt to go a little past moderation (or a lot past depending on… Continue

It should not come as a surprise that the communication style of the general public has changed drastically in the last decade or so. Cell phones, instant messaging, and text messages are so common that I put it past you to find anybody under 65 who is completely unaware how to use any of the aforementioned technology, or at least how it works. While this increase in instant communication means that connecting with others is faster and easier than ever it seems to come at a relatively high… Continue

My desk is situated in either a very fortunate or unfortunate position depending on who you ask. I'm close enough to a window to see what the weather is doing if I feel so inclined, but more importantly I am located right next to the door leading to the exit of the building. If I were the clock watching type it would mean a very speedy exit at the end of the day, but since I am not, I instead get to witness the mass exodus.



As I witness this take place each afternoon I begin to… Continue

I recently had a candidate accept an offer to join my company in our Mississippi location. He has already signed the letter, put a down payment on a new residence, and has returned his direct deposit form. However, I still get calls nearly every day asking for one last bit of assistance, advice, or direction. This got me to thinking - when will my commitment to this soon-to-be employee end?



First, we need to recognize that there are varying degrees of responsibility in the recruiting… Continue