The Bagg Group Blog

The other day I stumbled on the blog of an IT specialist in the UK that got my attention. Phil Bennett is a job-seeker with an all-too common gripe.

He writes that after being sent out on interviews, his recruiter failed to return his calls or emails to let him know how he’d fared. Phil adds, “Perhaps the company left valuable feedback for me that I’m not receiving and could further my chances next time.”

I sympathize with Phil. Firstly, it’s unprofessional for recruiters to not communicate with candidates post-interview. And just as importantly, it’s unkind to leave someone on pins and needles, waiting and worrying by the phone.

At The Bagg Group, debriefing isn’t an option, it’s essential. What’s more, we need to know the impression of the candidate, and the client, to ensure a good fit for both.

But job-seekers like Phil might be shocked, and disappointed, to learn that it’s not uncommon for hiring authorities to neglect to give recruiters feedback on interviewees.

And that’s a missed opportunity, not only for candidates but also for companies. Every bit of feedback from a client helps us refine our search.

I can’t emphasize enough how honesty truly is the best policy. In speaking with your recruiter, you have the freedom to be blunt about your impression of a candidate without worrying about impact. It’s our job to ensure we pass on useful notes to job-seekers in a constructive, respectful way.

To get the best staffing solution, information that is extremely helpful to know includes:

• What did you like about this candidate?
• Did the person have the right skill set for you?
• Did you feel they had the right personality for the job?
• Did you feel they had the right attitude to fit in with your team?
• What didn’t work for you? 
• What mannerisms irked you about this candidate?

I remember that in 2006 when Starbucks was in a hiring frenzy, the New York Times ran an article on the company’s “candidate bill of rights.” As a show of respect for applicants, hiring managers were encouraged to respond quickly to candidates with personalized notes or phone calls rather than form letters. Plus, as a gesture of goodwill, all interviewees were to receive Starbucks gift cards, in nominal amounts, regardless of whether they were hired.

I was impressed that Starbucks recognized that today’s candidate is tomorrow’s customer. That holds true for all of us, recruiters and clients alike. And is there any better way to respect the customer than by giving them information that can help them succeed?

Trivia question of the day… Who coined the phrase, “Honesty is the best policy”?

(And no, it’s not a Bagg Group recruiter, although we live by those words)

The answer: Miguel de Cervantes, the 17th Century Spanish novelist who wrote Don Quixote. I quote his words whenever hiring authorities ask me how to get the most out of their recruiting agency.

If you were a fly on the wall at a meeting between a hiring authority and a recruiter from The Bagg Group, you might be surprised by the breadth and depth of the conversation.

Asking questions on a range of issues is how recruiters help you build your best team. So, for example, when a staffing expert inquires about the pet peeves of the position’s direct manager it’s not to judge or critique. It’s because they know that little things can make the difference between success and failure on the job.

Here are just a few questions that you can expect from recruiters who are experienced in providing top-notch staffing solutions for you:

• Tell me about people in your firm that have worked out the best, and why?
• What are the direct manager’s pet peeves?
• How would you describe your company’s customers?
• What are their expectations and issues?
• Who are the internal clients that new employees must serve?
• What are their characteristics?
• What are their challenges?

I recommend that clients meet staffing experts face-to-face and take them on a walk about. A tour helps recruiters get a feel for the people and the energy of your organization. Again, this is contributes to finding the best fit.

And here’s an important tip: make sure you are having a two-way conversation with your recruiter.

The best employers use recruiters as their staffing coaches. Experienced recruiters have a wealth of knowledge to share about hiring and retaining employees. And our clients are right to make the most of it.

The guidance and tips they receive from our staffing experts are based on facts, figures and thousands of discussions with managers and candidates over the years.

(For a good article on retaining employees through engagement, check out Gerard Seijts and Dan Crim’s article in the Ivey Business Journal, The Ten C’s of Employee Engagement. )

So – to help your recruiter be the best solution provider possible, sit down with him and her and tell it like it is. I can’t tell you who originated that turn of phrase, but I can assure you that it’s one well worth remembering the next time your recruiter calls.

Leave a silly message on your machine and that click you hear may be the sound of a recruiter hanging up on you.

Recruiters make dozens of call a day, so they don’t have the interest, or time, for anything but a message that gets right to the point.

Besides, while some people may laugh at, “Hello, I’m Jane’s answering machine. What are you?” others may just groan and question your sense of humour.

So before you give your phone number to any recruiter, make sure you clear your answering machine message of jokes, music, barking dogs, crying babies and kids, and all references to late night parties.

Whether you are seeking full-time employment, temporary work, or contract work, your message must to be professional. It should sound like the message you hear when you call someone at an office.

Here’s a tip sheet, compiled by recruiters at The Bagg Group, for how to leave a message to impress human resource professionals:

Short and simple is the way to go. “Hello, this is (name). I’m sorry I’m unavailable to take your call, but please leave a message. Ill return your call as soon as possible. Thank you.” That’s really all you need to say.

Put a smile in your voice. According to studies, 85% of a person’s impression of you over the phone is determined by the quality of your voice. In other words, how you say your message is even more important than what you say. If your voice has no energy and you sound exhausted or depressed, hiring authorities will be put off.

Articulate. Often people speak so fast that the message sounds like one garbled word: “Hi, plzseezeamsagemelateatbeep.” That doesn’t make a good impression. And all accents sound stronger on the phone, so be sure to enunciate every word.

Borrow a voice. It doesn’t have to be your voice on the recording. Many people have friends or family who are natural voice talents to record their message for them. But don’t use a young child. The voice may be adorable, but the impact is unprofessional.

Ask relatives to let the machine pick up when you are not home. Recruiters say it’s not unusual for someone to pick up a phone, bark, “He’s not home” and hang up before they have a chance to leave their name and number. That doesn’t help you land the job opportunity. Unless you can trust the person to take a message well and deliver it, insist members of your household let the answering machine do the work.

Update your message. From Monday to Friday, your message has to sound like a work message. So don’t forget to delete “Heeeeey, party at my place tonight. Prepare to go wild,” message from the weekend.

Make sure you have an answering system. It’s not a big investment to get a message feature for your phone and it’s an essential one for every job-seeker. If people can’t leave a message, they’ll move on to the next person on their list. And check your messages frequently.

Finally, when leaving a message with a recruiter:

Give your full name and speak slowly when giving your phone number. Recruiters tear out their hair when they receive messages from people who identify themselves only by their first name or who speak so fast that they can’t catch the phone number.

Hold back the cough until you put down the phone. It’s not unusual for people to call in sick and cough their way through a message. This makes it impossible to catch key information. Rather than feeling sympathetic, the receiver of the message just feels annoyed.

For more tips, read How to make a better impression on the telephone.