We are a fortunate recruiting firm in that our clients often count on us to fill multiple positions simultaneously. It may be a matter of winning some new business and now they have a whole team to assemble. Or, perhaps it just works out that they need a Media Director, an AE, and a Traffic Manager all the same week. We know how to walk and chew gum at the same time, so it’s not a problem.

But here’s the thing…if you can really give me a clear indication of what the priority is, all three positions can be filled much more quickly. There is no sense in me spending three days on that Traffic Manager when the new Media Director is the one who must interview and hire for the traffic position. Tell me if one must happen first or if one is really a “need” while the two others are “wants.”

I was recently in this position of having a few searches going on at once for a client. After submitting 5 candidates for one position over the course of a week and begging for some feedback, I was told that it was really the OTHER one that they needed to hire. So, now I had five candidates sitting out there on hold indefinitely for the first job while I spent time trying to find folks for the second one. By the time we get back to the first one, those candidates may have moved on. Plus, it causes a delay in filling the urgent need.

It always comes back to communication. Tell me what you need and I will find it for you. Tell me as changes arise. Tell me why one person works and another doesn’t. Like my mother always says, “If you don’t ask, you don’t get.”