Hiring managers, there is someone on your recruiting team who isn’t doing their job properly, and you probably don’t even know it.
It’s a dirty little secret in the job search world, so common that it’s often becoming the norm. So, if you are a human resources leader or a hiring manager, this column is for you.
Typically, in today’s environment, a candidate applies online. The recruiter then finds their resume and asks them to schedule a screening call.
The recruiter emails the candidate the same day or the day before and asks them for a time to talk. Sometimes, the recruiter only offers one time. If the candidate is unavailable at a particular time, the recruiter might ghost the candidate.
Let’s assume the candidate and the recruiter schedule a meeting. The candidate rearranges that day’s schedule to take the call. They study. They practice. They prepare to put their best foot forward. They sneak away to somewhere quiet to take the call.
Then, they wait. And, they wait. And, then they wait some more.
The recruiter calls late, very late. I’m not talking about five minutes late. I’m talking about 30 minutes, an hour, two hours or more late. I have observed this pattern in about 70 percent of recruiter screening calls lately.
If the candidate does not wait, they lose the job interview. But, they are forced to miss all of their commitments and to hide out for an unknown amount of time.
When the recruiter calls, the candidate must pretend not to be bothered. If they don’t have time to meet, the recruiter will gladly move on to someone else in their stack of resumes.
The excuse? “I’m sorry. My last meeting ran long,” the recruiter will almost always say.
A top skill for recruiters should be the ability to manage a personal schedule. And, if things were reversed, would the job seeker be considered if they were an hour late?
Many recruiters also are not prepared for the screening call. They have not reviewed the candidate’s resume. Sometimes, they believe they’re calling about a completely different job in a completely different department. Oops!
How does this happen, you may wonder?
Well, as a job seeker, you will never get a job offer if you are the complainer. And, companies rarely ask for feedback on interviews. So, there’s no feedback loop.
At the end of the day, as long as a warm body eventually fills the job posting, the company is happy. But, are they really getting the best candidate? This is quite doubtful.
This doesn’t apply to all recruiters. Some are amazing. They connect deserving candidates with bosses who need their help. It’s a win-win on all sides.
But those who cannot manage their time or respect the time of others are not great recruiters.
Angela Copeland, a career expert and founder of Copeland Coaching, can be reached at copelandcoaching.com.