I Need Them Yesterday, But I Don't Have Time to Interview Them Tomorrow
By the time a hiring need arrives at a recruiting firm, it’s usually an urgent need. The company has already tried to fill the position on its own and maybe spent too much time doing so. When they decide to pay a fee to fill this position, they’re feeling the pain of not having someone in the role to complete the work.
That said, oftentimes we hear, “We need the person yesterday.” In the world of contract staffing, the need to have someone start ASAP is usually very high. So, we have to move quickly.
When our client tells us that they have a need and are ready to interview people, we immediately get on the phone with consultants whom we know are available and get them locked down with interview times within a couple of days. We add a sense of urgency to the process by letting them know that the client is currently interviewing and ready to hire, so that we can get everything we need from them in a timely manner. We let them know that we will submit their background and then get back to them with interview times in the next day or so.
Then we send their résumé to the client, request interview times, and wait to hear back. Problem is, all too often we don’t hear back. We wait a day or so and follow up. Sill nothing. We request interview times and may get them — for a week down the road. What happened to needing the person yesterday?
Now everyone looks bad. We look like we added a false sense of urgency when we call the candidate back and say, “Are you available for an interview a week from Friday?” The client looks bad, both in our eyes as well as the candidate’s. Do they not really need the person? Are they too disorganized to carve out 30 minutes for an initial phone call?
The other issue here is that if the consultant is available at that time, then there is a high likelihood that they are also looking at other opportunities. If they’re interviewing with other companies and receive an offer from one, but can’t secure an interview with another, chances are they will take the offer. Then, when next week roles around and the client says they’re ready to interview, they may have lost half the candidate pool.
The bottom line is, if you’re ready to hire, then be ready to interview. All it takes is a couple one-hour time slots a couple days in a week, and you could conduct several first-time phone interviews.
You may also like: How Saving Money on a Salary Can Cost You the Candidate
Comments