Cut Back On Candidate Defections
By Martha Frase-Blunt© IT Recruiter, Volume 2, Number 11. November 1999.
Frustrating isn't a strong enough word for it. The candidate seemed perfect - great resume, up-to-the-minute skills, winning personality, right price. But just before her third interview with the company eager to hire her, she calls to cancel. And now she's not sure when she can reschedule.
With a sinking stomach, the recruiter feels the impact of the truth. The star candidate is having second thoughts about the opportunity, and will doubtlessly drop out of the process.
In years past, when the IT job market was precisely 180 degrees from its current position, candidate dropouts were a rare and easily dismissed aberration. But today, a hot prospect weighing many different opportunities can afford to defect halfway through the hiring process with few consequences. Gary Kaplan, president of executive search consultants Gary Kaplan & Associates in Pasadena, Calif., estimates "about 15 to 20 percent of the time, before you get a candidate far along in the process, they'll pull out - sometimes before they meet the client, sometimes after a few rounds."
When this increasingly common scenario unfolds, it's easy to hold the candidate singularly at fault - dismiss her as a "flake" or, at the least, a non-professional whom the company is better off without. But in fact, recruiters must bear some of the responsibility for candidate attrition, either because they did not take steps to eliminate vacillating candidates up front, or because they did not work hard enough to develop a personal relationship with the candidate, and between the candidate and the hiring company.
If potential hires don't feel a sense of connection to the recruiter or the hiring company, it's much easier for them to abandon the process midway. This is especially true of recruits who are introduced to the company via the Internet, or from a cold call by an unknown headhunter. "A lot of recruiters are strictly using the Internet without building relationships with potential hires," said Randy Lyons, IT coordinator for Eggers Consulting Group in Omaha. "If they haven't worked to sell the opportunity, the company and its culture, the recruit feels a sense of detachment. They may blow off an interview or drop out because they don't feel in touch with the potential employer. That's the recruiter's fault."
Kaplan added that a lot of old-school hiring executives are still not completely in touch with today's IT labor market. "Some are still caught in a mindset from three to five years ago. They know that "rightsizing" is still going on, so they assume candidates will be happy to get an interview. But companies must learn to be more responsive to candidates. They have an obligation to evaluate them, certainly, but they also have to market the opportunity and make the interviewing process smooth. Companies should treat all candidates as if they are potential customers, and that's not being done well."
Cut Your Losses Early
By his own appraisal, Kaplan "has been on every side of the hiring desk" - as a senior partner at executive headhunters Korn Ferry International, as an in-house recruiter for Lucent Technologies, Unisys and Booz Allen & Hamilton and as the senior HR manager for a large California bank. "I've dealt with every imaginable candidate issue, and with a lot of bizarre behavior." What he's learned, he said, is to anticipate the candidate's motivations and try to eliminate the people who are likely to bail out.
One of the biggest dropout triggers is relocation, he noted. "I had one individual who had gone so far through the process as to accept a new post, and even went to a number of meetings with the future employer. Then he rescinded two days before his start date when it became clear that his wife did not want to make the move." Kaplan advised recruiters to "hit the relocation issues hard upfront. Make sure the candidate is considering the reality of a move from the outset and is interacting with the spouse and children as early in the game as possible." Many candidates don't engage their families in relocation discussions until after the third or fourth interview, which is a recipe for failure.
Recruiters must also be sensitive to the candidate who isn't really serious about the opportunity. "If you've got someone really playing hard-to-get, you may have to evaluate whether it makes sense to keep going with them," Kaplan said. "If they are being really difficult after the first few conversations, accept it and cut your losses. You don't want the bride disappearing at the alter."
In some cases, the candidate could be exploiting the recruiting process to attract a better package from a current employer. "They're the ones who never stop telling you how good they have it," advised Kaplan. "That's a signal to be wary - they could be using the offer to add another scalp to their belt. This used to be viewed as an unconscionable act - but unfortunately, it's become a more common practice in this overheated market." (See also "Counteroffers: A Bidding War With No Winners" in the August 1999 IT Recruiter.)
Then there are the candidates who simply suffer old-fashioned cases of cold feet. But not everyone who hesitates should be written off, said Lyons. Knowing when to hold 'em - and when to fold 'em - can only be clear when recruiters have established honest, informed relationships with potential recruits.
Cures For Cold Feet
In today's golden age of passive IT candidates, recruiters may rely too heavily on "surprising" a potential recruit with an opportunity, then selling her on money, benefits and dreams of glory. It's no wonder that many candidates begin having second thoughts about changing jobs shortly after they hang up the phone with an enthusiastic recruiter who's promised the moon and stars. Once the candidate realizes she knows next to nothing about the hiring company or the role she'll play there, she will be much more reluctant to give up the known quantity of her current position.
"We see this all of the time," said Lyons. "A candidate will be very excited about getting a call from a recruiter - it's a real ego boost, after all. Then the fear of change starts to creep in. As the demands of the recruitment process weigh more heavily, we'll begin to sense some hesitation." If you don't deal with misgivings along the way, "you'll get a flurry of problems at the end of the process," and ultimately, you will have wasted a great deal of time and resources.
Cold feet can take the form of some very specific concerns, and it's up to the recruiter to alleviate those concerns from the beginning of the hiring process, and as new ones crop up along the way. "If they have very valid reasons for wanting to make a move, we can usually keep them on track," said Lyons. "If you work on a contingency basis, it becomes a matter of protecting your investment after a certain point."
Here are some examples of common candidate worries, and how recruiters can address them:
- How will I fit in at this company? Kaplan is a great believer in "overcommunicating" with recruits, he said. Give them plenty of information about the company in advance, including the more esoteric characteristics of the corporate culture. "All too often, recruiters can't accurately describe the position and company culture." It's especially important for executive recruiters to research their clients thoroughly in order to paint a vivid and honest picture for candidates. Lyons noted that candidates should understand the specific qualities they offer that attracted the hiring company's interest. "Candidates should know they have unique assets to sell; we help them identify which of their particular 'hot buttons' the client is looking for."
- What will happen at the interview? Candidates scheduled for interviews should be briefed thoroughly on what will go on during the meeting - questions likely to be asked; back-ground of the interviewer, including his or her title, corporate role, job history and personality traits; and other people the candidate is likely to encounter during the interview. Said Lyons, "We make it our business before presenting a candidate to know the hiring manager's background, as well as the recent history of the company. We want to be able to give the interviewee a road map of the process, right down to telling him, 'When you walk in, the first person you'll see is X, and the first thing you'll do is Y.'"
- Is it worth the effort to go through this long process? Do I really have a chance to be hired? Kaplan said it's imperative to stay in contact with the candidate throughout the process. Contact the candidate and client immediately after interviews, and try to keep the candidate informed about their performance and their chances. "If it's a no-go, let them know." Also try to give candidates an idea on the timing of the recruitment process - brief them on when the company will be making its decision. "We may lose recruits for this reason more than any other," said Kaplan. "They get tired of waiting and hearing nothing, so they jump ship for another opportunity."
- I heard some negative things about this company from a colleague-are they true? The world of IT can be a small one. "Everyone has more access to information about companies, and more chances to find out things that may discourage them," said Kaplan. "The best thing you can do is tell the truth - don't inflate the situation or misrepresent the company." Use your own corporate knowledge to assuage their fears if possible, or give them the change to reconsider the opportunity.
- If I don't show up for the interview, will it really matter? From car trouble to an emergency meeting, there are countless legitimate reasons for candidates to play truant, particularly if they are currently employed and interviewing on the sly, said Lyons. Prior to the first interview, "Let your recruits know that if something comes up, to call you, and you'll smooth things over with the interviewer." It's also not a bad idea to subtly let candidates know how the hiring company will view a no-show." Reinforce that the hiring official they blow off today may be at a company they want to work for two years down the road."
Diagnosing cold feet may be difficult, so recruiters should constantly be on alert for signs of wavering. "Job interviewing is an emotional process, not an intellectual one," said Lyons. When candidates begin having doubts, you might hear hesitation in their voices. They may stop taking your calls, or seem unwilling to answer questions. If you become suspicious about a candidate's commitment, "You have to get it out on the table. I might say, 'I'm sensing that something is not quite right; let's talk about it.' I try to give them every opportunity to save face - to get them off the hook."
Even so, some defections come from out of the blue, Kaplan warned. "I had presented a candidate to Unisys for a series of interviews, but he eventually backed out because he said his hotel bed was uncomfortable." So to be completely fair, attrition is not always in the control of the recruiter.
A More Congenial Process
Companies can also do their part to discourage dropouts by making the hiring process less protracted and harrowing, Lyons and Kaplan agreed. "People go to work for people, not companies," said Lyons. As such, every contact the candidate has with the hiring company should be warm and personal. "With new clients, we actually go through the interview process they use so we know what candidates can expect, and we give them tips on what might work better. For example, company tours are great interview icebreakers."
Kaplan added that the HR representative should play a key role in the interviewing process. "This person is in the ideal position to bond with the candidate, to almost be an ombudsman for him or her. The more you bond, the more you ensure a successful hire."
Once a person is identified as a serious candidate, he or she should be able to spend time with company representatives in more informal settings, said Kaplan. If relocation is involved, "Give the spouse or partner the red-carpet treatment, with exposure to top people and the opportunity to learn as much as possible about the company and the area."
Once the relationship between the candidate and hiring company is forged, the recruiter shouldn't be afraid to step back and let the courtship develop, said Kaplan. "I'm on hand for follow-up details and logistics, and to make sure everyone is hearing reality. But I'm always delighted when things are going so well that I can fade into the background."
