Recruiting In Yoga Pants

Dressing up is for suckers

Category: Uncategorized (Page 2 of 2)

Recruiting IS a Service – Here’s Why

January 13, 2020 /

What do recruiters actually DO, anyway?

I answered this in last week’s AMA Friday – you can check out the video here –

 
 

So while the general idea of this week’s episode is that recruiters are NOT in the business of finding people jobs, it also created some questions. Several folks expressed some disbelief, confusion, and a couple people outright disagreed that recruiting is indeed a SERVICE. Here, in my not so humble opinion, is exactly WHAT it is that recruiters provide. Enjoy!

1. Consultation(s)
Ok then – we have a position to fill! This is where it all begins – the initial contact with the hiring team. We often refer to as an intake meeting, or something similar. Regardless of what you call it, this is the time to set some serious expectations and get LOTS of information on what exactly it is the new hire will be doing. A recruiter is not an order taker. Let me say that again for the people in the back. A RECRUITER IS NOT AN ORDER TAKER. If your hiring manager wants to hand you a job description, waves you away and tells you “I’ll know it when I see it” that is NOT a partner, you are NOT providing a service, and I am really really sorry about how much you’re fixing to hate your job. This should be a DISCUSSION (maybe multiple discussions) to fully vet what exactly is the business problem we’re trying to solve and what kind of talent we think we need to solve it. This is not a one way conversation – recruiters should also be setting expectations with hiring managers and guiding next steps/future meetings all the way through onboarding the new hire. Recruiters and hiring managers should be meeting regularly to discuss status, what’s working (or not), and keep each other informed of any new updates, changes, or challenges.

2. Search
Right! We have what we need to execute a search. Next steps can vary widely – maybe we post a really great targeted job ad (Katrina Kibben of Three Ears Media is your person if you need help here!).  Maybe you search your database (if you’re not, what’s wrong with you?). Maybe you do some deep web boolean magic. You’re probably doing all of the above. This would also be the stage where you are vetting / presenting qualified and INTERESTED prospects to your hiring managers. Clear feedback is crucial. If managers are saying NO find out WHY. It’s possible you missed something in the intake meeting. Perhaps something has changed and the hiring manager didn’t loop you in. Test and test again that you are actually searching for the right kind of person and asking the best possible questions during your screening. EVERYONE will thank you for not wasting their time.

3. Interview Process
If you’re really lucky, you’ve got schedulers and coordinators who can manage calendars. I hate this part because I SUCK at it. I can barely manage my own calendar. However, it’s my job to be a coach throughout the process. I make sure my candidates have a thorough understanding what they’re interviewing for and what we expect. I spend as much time with my candidates as they need and do my best to always be available for check ins or questions. Read more about interview prep HERE – it’s that important.

4. Closing
Yes, sadly this will be closing the loop with candidates who aren’t getting an offer. I hate this part. I hate hate hate it with every fiber of my body. But, it’s a necessary evil and important part of the process. Done decently well, these candidates will maybe take your call the next time there’s a role they might want to hear about. Then there’s the FUN closing! You guessed it, making an offer. My absolute FAVORITE part of the job.

5. Offer Negotiation
Sure, this could be part of closing, but it’s so complex I’m giving it it’s very own step. There’s usually a lot of back and forth here, and it starts way back when we’re first working on a strategy with the hiring teams (what can we afford to pay / what level are we thinking of hiring at, etc) AND kicking off with candidates (what would it take for you to say yes). These are rarely one time conversations. It’s usually an ongoing discussion that drives closer and closer to the “magic number” with every step. Don’t even get me started on competing offers and the mental gymnastics we go through trying to anticipate everything that could get in the way of the win.

6. Onboarding
Hey… you made an offer, it was accepted, and your work here is done! Right? RIGHT? Sad to say, no. It’s most definitely not. While MOST candidates will follow through with their “yes”, there are always risks here. This is often when buyer’s remorse can set in. Staying close to your candidates (and keeping your hiring managers close to them too!!) is CRITICAL. In an ever tightening labor market counter offers are more common and looking better all the time. If you’re not keeping your candidates and new hires as excited and engaged as they were when signing their letter, you’re missing a seriously important step.

While this is by no means an exhaustive list or complete description of everything related to the service (YES IT’S A SERVICE) of recruiting, hopefully it gives a bit more insight into this crazy industry. Most recruiters are doing this 10, 15, or 50 times over (ok 50 is a stretch – you can read what I really think about req loads for more on that). Not every position is created equal, and so the level of service provided can vary. Anything surprising on this list? What would you add?

AMA Friday Y’All!

January 3, 2020 /

In my never ending quest for transparency in the Recruitersphere, behold – my latest passion project –

Ask Me Anything Friday!

Every week I’ll pick a topic and address in a quick (5-7 minute) video. Let’s see how many people we can help and annoy. 😉

In today’s video, I break down the ATS!

Here’s the the deal – ATSs are a necessary evil and recruiters rarely have any influence over which ones we get to use / how they’re built. So we do our best. As a job seeker, here are the key things to keep in mind –

Resume Parsing
This is essentially the tool pulling out information from your resume/application/LinkedIn profile/whatever and putting it into the proper form fields in the ATS. Your name goes in the “name” spot. Current employer, skills, etc. That’s it. It’s not intended to shred your information, or delete your resume if it doesn’t like your font. I’ve NEVER known of an ATS that deletes resumes. I’ve seen profiles from 10+ years ago in databases I’ve worked in.

Key Word Matching/Ranking
Each ATS (and recruiter behind it) operates a little differently. Generally speaking, companies have certain compliance requirements and can only consider applicants for specific roles who meet the basic qualifications. Basic qualifications can usually be found in the job description. I pulled this example from a Recruiter posting at my previous employer –

Required/Minimum Qualifications
  • 3+ years of experience in technical talent acquisition (e.g., recruiting, sourcing), HR experience, or industry experience related to role
Additional or Preferred Qualifications
  • LinkedIn Certification
  • Preferred recruiting experience in full stack engineering disciplines; experience hiring for Devices/hardware is a plus.
  • Cleared and Govt. hiring experience preferred but not required

The only thing I’m REQUIRED to have (and which should be clear from my resume) is 3 years or more of experience. That will likely ensure a live person looks at my application. However, those additional/preferred qualifications will put me higher on the shortlist.

How Do Recruiters Use Their ATS Anyway?
That can vary widely depending on the ATS itself and of course, the recruiter. Here’s how we SHOULD be using it – as our first step in sourcing / outreach. If someone has gone to the trouble of completing an application it probably means they’re really interested in our company. Why would we NOT start there? It’s not just about active applicants for specific roles (though that’s important too). It’s searching across the whole population for people who could be a GREAT fit for a given position, and for whatever reason they just haven’t applied to THAT role.

What say you fearless readers? How has your experience been on either side of the dreaded ATS? Share your successes, horror stories, and yes, any robot sightings in the comments!

Get Out Of My (Talent) Pool

March 15, 2019 /


Add this to the list of things I never thought I’d read today.

Recently a good friend and fellow recruiter shared this gem with me, thinking I’d 1) enjoy a giggle and 2) make a hell of a post out of it. She was right on both counts.

  
This is a legitimate inmail received by a professional CORPORATE recruiter at a large company. It CAME FROM an alleged professional at a large (non-tech) company. I looked up the person – trying to make some sense, find some rhyme or reason, as to why this is ok to send. In the sender’s defense, they haven’t been in recruiting that long. Apparently before joining our profession, they worked in HR.
Somehow, that’s worse.
You might be asking yourself – “what’s the big deal”? Or, “why is she so bitchy, picking on a poor recruiter just trying to find a damn django developer”!
Because that ain’t RIGHT, y’all.
Maybe it’s time we settle what we mean by “candidate” and even better, “candidate pool”. A CANDIDATE is someone who has not only expressed interest in a role, but is actively being considered for the company. They are people who’ve applied, been sourced, or in some fashion engaged with our company, and usually in part due to some effort from the staffing function.
No. You don’t get to dip your toes in our pool.
The question was not “who do you know” or even “have you rejected anyone”. No…. you want to get into our “candidate pool”. For free. Because we’re nice, or something. Oh but that’s not all! They want to “share our pipeline”. More fun with definitions! A “pipeline” is generally a list of people we’re carefully cultivating for current or future opportunities. Now look, I’ve written before about the bullshit that is candidate ownership. That doesn’t mean I’m going to serve up my list on a silver platter because you can’t find what you’re looking for. Don’t even get me started on the legal ramifications! When I’m considering my next move, I’m very cautious and methodical about who I share my resume with AND WHEN. I don’t mind if people recommend me for roles, on the contrary, that’s a compliment. But my candidacy status or any other private info I’ve shared with a company I want to work for? Hard pass.
Maybe what he meant was “hey we’d like to engage you FOR A FEE to help us fill this hard position”. In which case I have lots of agency friends who might take that call.

Real Talk About Req Loads

January 18, 2019 /

This one’s going to sting a bit.

One of the favorite games recruiters like to play is HOW MANY REQS ARE TOO MANY. Now this is probably more of an issue for my corporate brethren, but if my agency friends will indulge me, you’ll perhaps find something useful here too.

I won’t argue if you have 30, 40, 50, or even 100 reqs. Of course you do. What I will ask you – are all those reqs created equal? PROBABLY NOT.

There are so many variables at play here. Some things we need to consider –

  • Which reqs overlap? Let’s say I have 10 openings for a call center representative. If the profile is EXACTLY the same (or damn close) and I’m working with a single hiring authority, that is a far cry from 10 reqs with wildly different requirements and hiring managers. There are lots of creative ways to do high volume hiring – treating each headcount as an individual hiring need may not be the best use of your time.
  • Internal Only posts. Here’s the hard truth – some roles are just not yours to fill. AND THAT’S OK. If a hiring manager already has people in mind, or just isn’t that into external talent for whatever reason, LET THAT SHIT GO. You can follow along and/or keep track of the hiring process (depending on how your company does it, you might have internal transfer responsibilities) but you are NOT launching a full scale recruiting effort. So stop acting like it.
  • It’s not a priority. One of my favorite lines to use following an intake with a new hiring manager – “I’ll give this as much priority as you do”. Here’s the simple truth – if the HM is not willing/able to play ball, why should you? This doesn’t mean you won’t put in ANY effort – but again, not all reqs / hiring needs are created equal, and it’s totally ok to have a different strategy for each.
    • Pro-Tip – clear this with your boss / HM’s boss or someone who can cover your ass when the HM bitches that he/she never hears from you. Also, thorough notes/emails to prove your effort (and their lack of) can go a long way to CYA.
I know some of you might be thinking this doesn’t apply to you. I can’t possibly understand YOUR situation. I have NO IDEA how bad you have it, how busy you are, and how every single one of your 100 reqs require daily, individual, and specialized attention. So let’s talk about it.

Send me an email at amy@recruitinginyogapants.com and I’ll schedule a 30 minute check in. We’ll review your req load, talk about your hiring partners and I’ll give you a strategy or two on how to straighten out the mess on your desk.

I’m in. Are you?

Newer posts »

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

© 2026 Recruiting In Yoga Pants

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑