If you want it, go and get it!
March 23, 2006 3:20 PM
Well that's been another busy week. I've had two candidates who I've been working with for some time. One was interviewed by a client of ours in January but the company only got around to making a formal offer last week. In the meantime another company came along and I lost my candidate to them! The other candidate went for a couple of interviews within a week of each other and was offered and took one of the jobs straight away!
I've been trying to work out what the differences were, as they were two very similar situations; good quality candidates and some companies who are interested in employing them. I've worked out that it all comes down to decisiveness. Both on the behalf of the candidate in knowing exactly what they wanted from a job (career progression, variety, benefits, money) and on the client's part...don't hang around; if you want a candidate/company - make the most of a good opportunity straight away otherwise someone else will.
Hope you are all well!
Comments
It can be frustrating. I initially contacted one of my candidates on 26th July 2005 and got her an interview request at a particular company within 3 weeks. 8 months on she still hasn't started. A lengthy interview process, combined with migration problems and relocation hassles means she will start on April 3rd - fingers crossed!
Deciveness is a definite plus to making sure deals go through but there's also an element of perserverance!
James Chatterley - March 23, 2006 3:55 PM
I find the time lapse between applying for a job and then getting the interview very frustrating! A prime example of this is a job that I applied for about a month ago. Its perfect for me and ticks all my boxes and the company have told my recruitment consultant that they want to interview me. However, 3 weeks on and I STILL have not got a definate time and date for my interview as my recruitment consultant literally can not track the interviewer down!
The more and more time companies keep me on tenterhooks the more and more I lose respect for the way they treat people and I wonder if they can actually time manage their responsibilities. Being unemployed and being offered an interview without a time or date is like dangling a carrot and can bring huge anxiety let alone a massive frustration.
Jenny - March 28, 2006 1:22 PM
Jenny: You are not alone! Last time I went job hunting I had a very good second interview with a company and was told 'there will be a contract in the post'. 2 weeks later I called thm to ask what had happened and not only was there no contract, but the guy who interviewed me was no longer there!
Later on, I had a similar experience with my present employers - it took nearly 3 months from interview to final offer (they did have an excuse; one of their other factories had blown up!) but at least they kept in touch all the way through.
Do not despair; stay focussed and remember that if your would be employers are really that unprofessional you are probably too good for them.
Duncan - March 29, 2006 10:06 PM
Thanks for your comment Duncan - at least the company I am moaning about is insurance - no chance of any factories blowing up I s'pose!
Amazingly after writing that last comment I now have a definate date and time for that interview! Ha ha! Now its all up to me! Scary....
Only other problem is that now I have that interview with that company I have seen another EVEN better job for another company and they are making me play the same waiting game!
Mmmmm maybe I should stop being so impatient!
Jenny - March 30, 2006 10:54 AM
Hmm, I have a similar predicament, I recently relocated and decided to temp to regain confidence after being made redundant six months ago. My first assignment seem to be a roaring success to the point where I was told by the HR Manager that I was "too good" for the roles she had available, but that she wanted me to meet the director to make sure there was nothing else I could do within the company before I moved on. After a brief chat he to decided that good people were hard to find and that they weren't going to let me go, and offered me a job in sales there and then.
I explained another relocation wasn't on the cards and we discussed other variations within this rapidly growing company, within a sales/training role. Where I wouldn't need to relocate, but was prepared to be away from home two days a week. We left it that he'd have a look at my cv and prepare an offer/role. There was a bit of an issue regarding a permanent member of staff, wanting to assert himself unnesssarily over the temps. (especially me) I decided not to stay as a temp as I didn't want to inflame this situation, and we agreed that by me returning in what would be viewed as more senior role would be hard enough for them to accept. Since then two weeks have passed, the agency who placed me there have said they don't know when I enquire, and I have tried twice to get hold of the contact there. I really don't know what to do now, and feel quite dejected and confused, as I know the HR contact knows the issue is with this member of staff and not me.
I wonder if this has anything to do with it, or not. Or are they generally so busy trying to deal with the rapid growth that I'm being forgotten about, after all when I asked the director about a salary range he couldn't tell me, he said that he is working with the agency to build structures and would know in a months time, at which point the HR contact said someone else would have her by then, so if there was urgency then, where has it gone.
Do I press the agency for an answer or just move on?? It was a great high after feeling so insecure after having not worked for so long, but this has left me feeling worse than before I started? If I have done something wrong then I want is to be told, so I can try and learn from it and move on.
A - March 31, 2006 4:34 PM
I'm so remiss - I've been so busy working that I forgot to check out on your responses! I'm going to do it all in one posting though so please forgive me!
Dipa - James may have a good point. It is in a recruitment consultant?s best interest to get as high a salary / rate for their candidate as possible - but, I hasten to add, whilst remaining honest and professional at all times. The more money you achieve the more money we get. Brutal but true. It may well be that the type of job you're looking for can no longer sustain such high salaries if there's been a change in the industry. Alternatively - what about the location - do your salary expectations compete with the area?
Jen - As far as I'm aware you don't tend to need any particular qualifications BUT skills is a different story - I'm sure there's a magic formula which my company would pay some hefty pennies for but here are the basics: you need be have a good telephone manner - there's no point sounding like Oscar the Grouch as you won?t get any business. You have to be of an optimistic nature - you'll experience the greatest highs and the deepest lows with this job - no kidding! You have to be a really hard grafter to get any success! I'm in for 07:30 (well this morning it was 06:50 but that was more because I was providing a taxi service for the hubbie) and work through to 17:30 at the earliest. During this time I'm continually on the phone talking to candidates and clients. If you can get hold of me I'm not working hard enough! Honesty is the best policy as well - I have a complete inability to lie which is the best policy when trying to provide a top notch service. I'm sure there are other qualities which I'll muse over soon!
George - you're a spring chicken at fifty - your life experiences are valuable for a lot of roles - especially when combined with your level of job knowledge. Never let anyone tell you you're too old - it's unfair - and age discrimination will be illegal from October 2006. Make sure you're reviewing your job choices properly though the higher up the career ladder you get the fewer suitable jobs there are, so don?t be tempted to apply for every single job you can for the sake of it - you'll be demoralized. Target your jobs carefully and read carefully the experiences required - and back up your response with good examples.
Lynton - unfortunately we can't help our client's specifications - they come to us and expect an exact match - we do our best to persuade them otherwise if market conditions dictate, and wherever possible we try to come up with some good alternatives, but at the end of the day it's our clients who pay our bills, so we have to abide by what they stipulate. Well done for going back to college - I've only been out of university for 6 years and I've found it difficult to get back into the learning routine!
Dia - try contracting / temporary work - this may be an option that could bring you results and give you some variety to challenge you at your level of expertise. Promote yourself as a trouble shooter who's seen just about every situation through your career.
Ronald - there are certain working environments where your deafness may have an impact - for example working within a rail environment you may not be able to hear approaching trains which could endanger lives. However, there are plenty of jobs out there where this is not the case and employers should not discrimate against you for your hearing or lack of it.
Joanna - April 12, 2006 8:43 AM