100% Recruitment. Ильгиз Валинуров

for them.

      The interview process is complete, they have spoken with each candidate. «Yes, the fourth candidate is the best. We like him». That's great! Everything fits into place. We know that there are no other specialists on the market that could compete with this candidate. «So, he's suitable for you, shall we make him an offer?»

      The answer? «Yes, we liked him but let's keep looking».

      Have you encountered a situation like this? Rustam Barnokhodzhaev, one of the leading headhunters in Russia, likes to respond to such cases as follows.

      – «Give me five minutes, I'll go find a tramp on the street so you can have another look».

      – «What do you mean, tramp? Why a tramp?»

      – «Well, you said you wanted to keep looking».

      – «We want to see professionals!»

      – «You just saw the professionals».

      They agree, they nod their heads. But they still turn down the candidate.

      «Why are you refusing the candidate?»

      «Well, you know… we like him, but… he's not exactly right for us. Yes, he has the experience, he knows the industry, but…»

      And here they'll start talking out of their hats and will avoid giving a straight answer. What does an average recruiter do in this situation? They agree, since they don't have the willpower to argue their case further.

      Okay, they say, we can search for one that has the right colour buttons on their shirt. So what should an outstanding recruiter do? An outstanding recruiter will get to the bottom of why they turned down the candidate for real.

      Let's return to the case of the branch manager. I asked them:

      – «Colleagues, if you don't tell us the real reason then we won't find you the right candidate, since we don't have a clue what was wrong with the guy that just left».

      – «He was wearing brown shoes. Our general director thinks that top-managers should wear only black shoes, no exceptions. But the candidate showed up wearing brown shoes!»

      What would an average recruiter do in this case? Search for a top-manager that wears black shoes…

      An outstanding recruiter would take a different approach. He would say:

      «There aren't any other candidates as good as that guy, but trust me, when he flies to Moscow to interview with the general director, he'll be wearing brown shoes. There's no other option. Otherwise, you won't have any management in that region at all». And that's exactly what I told them. Of course, we closed the vacancy with that ideal candidate.

      So you always need to figure out what the problem is, instead of searching for another candidate before you have a proper understanding of why the last one didn't tick all the boxes.

      So finally, we reach the general (or finance, or commercial) director. You can allow up to a week for this, but it's better to restrict it to three days. Of course, you'll hear something like this: «The finance director is on holiday, we can't make a decision without his approval».

      So when the finance director is away, does everything at the company just grind to a halt? Payments stop arriving on the bank account, salaries go unpaid? Of course not, somehow the world keeps turning.

      Who is in charge then, the deputy director? So let the deputy director hold the interview!

      In other words, the second vital thing to regulate is the identity of who should reach a decision in the absence of top management. A business shouldn't stall over just one person.

      Naturally, if we're considering a new finance director then it would be illogical to make a decision without the general director. But this is an exception. Trade representatives, logistics managers, accountants and secretaries can be appointed by the deputy director.

      The maximum time frame within which the candidate should be told about the outcome should be regulated too, for example, within 3 days of the final interview. How is it often put? «We'll be in touch». «If the answer is positive then we'll get back to you». This is awful.

      Three days have passed and you don't make a call, because you have nothing to say. The candidate starts to reach out for an answer, but you avoid taking the call. What is the point in all this stress, if it can be avoided?

      Примечания

      1

      A counter-offer is an offer to an employee that intends to leave, which could entail a salary raise, career growth or other improvements in conditions.