Employers: How to Lose Quality Candidates

Hiring Managers are a Part of the Process, too!

Many recruiters (including us) pride themselves on being able to “deliver the goods” - research, qualify, present, and manage the search process in a timely manner. Our efforts create a “win-win-win”: the recruiter fulfills his/her requirements related to the search assignment, therefore getting paid; the candidate gets a great career opportunity; and the employer gets a qualified, productive team member in a timely manner.

Seems easy, right? Well, at least on paper it does. But everyone in the process has experienced cogs in the wheel, which impedes the process and makes it a frustrating experience for everyone.

Here are a few examples of how employers can clog the up the process.

1. Set Unrealistic Expectations – criteria for the assignment scope consists of these 3 basics: candidate qualifications, compensation package, and deadline for filling the position. If these are not realistic, for example the compensation is well below market average for the same position, this will drag out the search process and force the recruiter to present candidates that don’t meet all of the qualifications. In turn, the hiring manager becomes disappointed with the recruiter’s performance, and the candidates presented.

2. Create a Vague Scope and Description – this item ties in with #1 above. Vague jobs descriptions are a signal that, quite possibly, the hiring manager is not sure what they need the new hire for. A bit of thought upfront to determine what the needs are will help to better define the position and the candidate qualifications. Good recruiters can help define this. Remember we are entrenched in your industry and know how it works.

3.Change Territories/Locations Mid-Search – this sounds obvious but this actually happens more often than you think. Making changes like this mid-way through the process is significant and essentially creates a new search assignment. All the time and effort up to the point of change is wasted. While sometimes this cannot be helped, hiring managers need to understand that this sets the fulfillment timeline back and clears the candidate pipeline to zero.

4.Drag Out the Interview Process –a lag of several weeks between phone screens and face-to-face interviews is a sure way to lose qualified candidates. Keep in mind that qualified candidates are in demand and if they are interested in your position they are also interested in other positions, including those of your competitors. If you like a candidate get him/her through the process as quickly as possible-time lags create opportunities for candidates to lose excitement about what you have to offer and for them to accept another position.

5. Stop/Start the Search Assignment – again, sometimes this cannot be helped but when you place an assignment on hold 3-4 weeks into the process, the candidates we have sourced will likely move on to another available position. It will also cause them to think twice about joining your firm as it sends a message that this is not a real opportunity.