Claudia Faust's Blog (50)

What Goes 'Bump' in the Night

Dear Claudia,

All of the recent problems in our economy are making me nervous that I may lose my job. I’m a good recruiter, but there’s no guarantee for employment, right? What do you think the future holds for recruiters?

Generally Uneasy

Dear Uneasy,

The short answer to your question is, "It depends." It may not make you feel any better to know you’re in good company these days, but of course you are; unemployment continues to rise in most… Continue

Added by Claudia Faust on October 8, 2008 at 8:00am — No Comments

Caught in the Crossfire

Dear Claudia,

I went back to the office to get my car after dinner with friends a few nights ago, and had to use the bathroom. When I came out, I could hear the owner of the firm in a really heated argument with my boss, who was actually getting fired. I left immediately, and don't think they even knew I was there. The next day my boss was at work like nothing was wrong at all. I think the owner is a jerk, and I really like my boss. If he leaves I want to work wherever he goes… Continue

Added by Claudia Faust on October 1, 2008 at 8:21am — No Comments

Mamma Mia

Dear Claudia,

I'm a corporate college recruiter, and find myself spending a lot (and I do mean A LOT) of time coaching candidates so they present well to hiring managers. I'm not talking about technical skills, which are fine; I'm talking about basic things like using good manners, writing communications that aren't filled with text message cryptics or emoticons, or setting expectations that are marginally realistic. It happens daily, and I am really starting to resent that I have… Continue

Added by Claudia Faust on September 24, 2008 at 7:30am — No Comments

What does a company need to know to compete well for talent?

SystematicHR has some interesting things to say today about the disconnect between business leadership and HR analytics, and we've taken the conversation further on the Improved Experience blog. From my perspective, data collection without leadership first is a first class waste of time.

Jump into the conversation and tell me what you… Continue

Added by Claudia Faust on September 23, 2008 at 12:09pm — 1 Comment

Herding Cats

Hi Claudia,

Here is a situation. I presented a local contractor resume to my client, who requested a face 2 face interview. The candidate said he could interview with 24 hours notice, but now he tells me that his current manager will not permit him to interview during work hours. I suggested that go on his lunch hour, but he says that isn't enough time to travel to the client location, interview, and return to his job. The hiring manager is available to interview this week only,… Continue

Added by Claudia Faust on September 17, 2008 at 7:48am — No Comments

Back in a Flash

Dear Claudia,

I hired a senior manager for my company about six months ago, a complete rockstar with heavy industry experience and credibility. It was a big deal that we were able to get her, and she was excited about what she would get to do at our company. She took us all by surprise when she announced she is going back to her old employer last week; we all thought she was a great hire, and nobody saw this coming. How do you know when a hire isn’t working out? And when can I… Continue

Added by Claudia Faust on September 10, 2008 at 8:00am — No Comments

The Last of the Late, Great Recruiters

Dear Claudia,

My question for you isn't specifically about recruiting, but about time management. My problem is that I am almost always late for things -- appointments, interviews, meetings, birthdays, anniversaries. Don't get me wrong; I get a lot done and have been recruiting successfully for years. And yes, I know it's a bad habit, that it's unprofessional, but I don't mean it that way. I just honestly believe that I can fit everything in. Any ideas to help me improve this area… Continue

Added by Claudia Faust on September 3, 2008 at 12:30am — No Comments

The Case of the Missing Hiring Manager

Dear Claudia,

I am trying to learn how to make efficient client calls and meet their requirements. But you know what happens, the client (a prime vendor), gives me a requirement which has been on the market for a long time and is not filled yet. I try to get a consultant who is close to meeting the requirements, and submit them at a marginal rate. Till then the client will be communicating with me, but once I ask for the feedback, he just disappears!!!! Can you advise me what to… Continue

Added by Claudia Faust on August 27, 2008 at 11:22am — No Comments

What's your hang up?

Dear Claudia,

Recently I have been experiencing a large number of people hanging up on me. What is driving the increase of this kind of behavior? Is it because my searches have been targeting the "Open Source" community (more radical "techies"), or do "greenhorns" just not know how to properly conduct themselves? What fosters such negativity to the recruiting community in general?

Sal Petrara

Hi… Continue

Added by Claudia Faust on August 6, 2008 at 7:44am — No Comments

Wednesday Wisdom: Network? You bet. Now where's that paycheck?

Today's question comes to us courtesy of Maren Hogan, who recently asked this compelling question and gave me permission to bring it up here with you today. Please, add your brilliance to the discussion!

Dear Claudia,

How much networking is too much networking, and when do you need to… Continue

Added by Claudia Faust on July 30, 2008 at 12:00am — No Comments

Wednesday Wisdom: Burn Baby Burn

Dear Claudia,

What can recruiters do to change a business culture of hiring with your hair on fire?? I'm a recruiter in a small company and we're growing fast, but our managers have no concept of planning ahead. This means that I never know what hiring to expect in advance, and each requisition is a fire drill to fill. I don't know if the company likes it this way, but I hate it; is there anything I can do as an individual recruiter to help my company plan better?

Going… Continue

Added by Claudia Faust on July 23, 2008 at 4:00am — No Comments

Wednesday Wisdom: My Candidate, the Juggler

Dear Claudia,

I presented a great candidate to my client a month ago, and they extended an offer to him this week. He accepted, and then two things happened: a counter offer came from his current employer, and an unexpected third company asked him to interview next week. He really likes the sound of this third job, so has decided to play the first two employers by accepting both of their offers while he explores the new job, and then make a final decision. I can’t get him to… Continue

Added by Claudia Faust on July 15, 2008 at 11:00pm — 13 Comments

Park it at the door, missie.

Hi Claudia,

I called a candidate for a scheduled phone interview this evening and after we chatted for a few minutes, I asked the first interview question. She interrupted me suddenly and asked if I would hang on for a moment. I listened as she poured herself a glass of wine (I know this because she offered me some), lit up a cigarette, and picked the phone back up again. Then she said, "Ok, begin". What’s your impression of a candidate like this?

Not… Continue

Added by Claudia Faust on July 9, 2008 at 12:30am — 10 Comments

Dangerous Liaisons

Dear Claudia,

I’m a corporate recruiter at my company, and I work closely with an HR Generalist for business hiring. I thought we had a great working relationship until a few weeks ago when another recruiter took me aside and said that the Generalist has been telling our business customers that I’m struggling in my job (of course, she denies that she said this). To make matters worse, she “forgot” to invite me to a meeting last week with an SVP to intake a new requisition, and now I’m… Continue

Added by Claudia Faust on July 2, 2008 at 1:05am — 10 Comments

Wednesday Wisdom: Cliff Notes for Candidates

Dear Claudia,

How much is too much when preparing a candidate for interviews?

Curious

Dear Curious,

This is a great question, because it hints at some of the juicy stuff in recruiting closets: the fine line between finding the right person and earning a fee, between making a hire and priming the pump for future turnover. Where does a good recruiter draw the line? And when does coaching a candidate create unfair advantage, or worse yet - a… Continue

Added by Claudia Faust on June 24, 2008 at 10:00pm — 2 Comments

Wednesday Wisdom: Fool me once, shame on you...

Dear Claudia,

I am a corporate recruiter who manages an average of 30 technical positions at any given time for my company. On a good day, let’s just say I barely have time to go to the bathroom. I followed up on a great resume this week that came in response to a posted position, and discovered to my amazement that the phone number was directed not to a candidate, but to an agency recruiter. I was shocked, but it gets worse: when I complained to the agency manager about the… Continue

Added by Claudia Faust on June 18, 2008 at 4:30am — 1 Comment

Wednesday Wisdom: Defending the Ugly Client

Dear Claudia,

I have been told by several candidates recently that hell will freeze over before they'll consider working for one of my clients. Since this seems to be a growing trend of feedback, what is my responsibility as a recruiter? Should I just sell the company to candidates in spite of its reputation? Or do I tell the company what I’m hearing on the street? I’d like to keep them as a client if possible.

Stuck in the middle

Hi Stuck,

For… Continue

Added by Claudia Faust on June 11, 2008 at 1:00am — No Comments

Wednesday Wisdom: Babies, Bathwater, and Recruiting Careers

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

Added by Claudia Faust on May 27, 2008 at 9:00pm — 1 Comment

Wednesday Wisdom: How do you spell RELIEF?

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

Added by Claudia Faust on May 21, 2008 at 12:00am — 20 Comments

Wednesday Wisdom: Digital Rusing

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

Added by Claudia Faust on May 14, 2008 at 3:00am — 9 Comments