Dear Claudia,



I started recruiting about 3 years ago, and work for a small executive search firm. I really loved my job until about 6 months ago when it changed from just candidate development to include business development. The environment is hyper-competitive, and I struggle to bring in retainers (actually, I'm pretty bad at it) so I'm always at the bottom of the producer list. The fun has gone out of my job for me, although I'm unsure if the problem is that I need to get out… Continue

Dear Claudia,



How do you handle an interview when the candidate is preoccupied with a personal issue? I had a candidate this week who insisted she didn’t want to reschedule, even though she was obviously speaking from the bathroom and flushed the toilet many times during the call. It was obvious she was suffering, and it was really awkward for me to continue. Should I have just cut it off for her relief?



Kind-but-uncomfortable



Hi… Continue

Dear Claudia,



I have started to practice flipping and x-raying sites. I am finding some really good stuff out there, but here is my problem: by mining deeply, I am getting to directories and files (especially Excel and Word documents) that are clearly not posted for public access. So my question is, should I be feeling guilty about using this information?



Snooping Around



Dear Snooping,



I love this question, because it shows two things: first,… Continue

Dear Claudia,



A recruiter in my office recently landed a VP search for a company I used to work for. I know a lot about this company’s dirty laundry, and the leadership is generally ruthless and unethical. I tried to warn the recruiter before he took the search, but he doesn’t seem to care about the background information. My real problem is that it’s now my job to generate candidates to fill this role. I absolutely don’t want to work on this search. Am I right to feel this way?… Continue

At the local market this morning I rounded a corner and witnessed the most astounding sight: a young mother on the business end of a grocery trip, accompanied by three boys under the age of five.



It took a nanosecond to sum up the chaos: while mommy was speaking to a clerk a short distance away, the 4 year old was methodically loading up the basket with jars of jam. In the spirit of cooperation, his younger brother (about 2 and a half I think, seated in the basket and clearly… Continue