“We’re not sure about this one. Can you send a few more candidates?”
Most Recruiters- “You bet! Right away! What was wrong with that one, so I bring you someone more closely aligned with your needs?”
It may sound contrarian, or even impossible, but that’s both the right and the wrong thing to do.
First, of course we have to agree with the client. They will make the hiring decision and work with this person every day for years to come. That is our “you bet” agreement. You can’t make someone hire someone they don’t want to hire.
“Right away” is also the eagerness and enthusiasm that makes clients happy. They want to hire fast, right?
Record scratch noise… Nope, not always. Sometimes, “Can you send more candidates?” is a delay tactic. They’re not ready to hire for any number of possible reasons. Maybe it’s an internal candidate, a budget misstep; the reason doesn’t matter. What does matter is the delay. Why would we rush to fix something they broke because it was too fast? That’s like helping someone up from a bike crash and handing them a stick to shove back in their spokes.
This is the time to instead test their delay by doing the only humane thing: Letting them know you will be releasing the candidate. “You bet, I’ll let them know right away they are released so they aren’t in limbo.” The customer is always right, in matters of taste is the ending everyone forgets. It’s not a matter of taste if they like the candidate and the timing isn’t working.
My explanation works like this, “People aren’t used cars, we might expect to sit idly on a lot waiting. It’s more like dating. If you go cold and make them wait, they’re less interested, even if no other buyer comes along.” It frames their delay appropriately as uncomfortable for the candidate in the process.
If they’re good with that, the candidate is done. If they resist this takeaway, it means they want the candidate. From there, it’s a matter of learning why they need to delay, and what we can do to communicate that to our person in such a way they aren’t feeling like a ghosted date.
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Tricia Tamkin, headhunter, advisor, coach, and gladiator. Tricia has spoken at over 50 recruiting events, been quoted in multiple national publications, and her name is often dropped in groups as the solution to any recruiters’ challenges. She brings over 30 years of deep recruiting experience and offers counsel in a way which is perspective changing and entertaining.
