Don’t be afraid to go ‘back’ to go forward.

There’s a myth in recruitment that you should never go back, if you applied for a role and you got turned down, you should try other companies. If you offered a job and the candidate said no, you should never consider that person again.? Well, there are times when situations change, and a great recruiter can help you get value out of the ‘almost’ people that can save you a whole lot of time and money.

My client was recruiting for a sales person for her business unit and was looking for help beyond a good short list that really would ensure the person was a good fit in the team culture and the way she runs the team. She was keen to get this extra piece right to help the candidate to ‘stick’ in the role and be a success for her in this company.? She really wanted to get beyond the ‘what looks good on paper’ and into the growth ambitions of her operations and the wider company objectives.? I also discovered how much she hated interviewing, how ‘choosy and picky’ she described herself as, as a hiring client.

After I was familiar with both the role and the cultural and team dynamics, I joked that I had worked with a man previously who sounded perfect, and she asked me his name.

We found out that she had in fact offered this man the role, 12 months prior, in a different ‘version’ of the role, but he had declined. As a result, neither party had kept in touch, and I asked her would she consider him for the role again?

She was uncertain, if the role wasn’t right for him then, what makes you think he’ll say yes now, and will this just waste her time?? I explained that I knew this chap really well, and thought it was worth a decent conversation before starting a detailed search process.? I also knew if she’d liked this candidate before and we could make the role work for both parties – it could save her and the business a lot of time and hassle.

I had a lengthy chat with him and we had found out the things he’d loved and hated about the company and the role in the past process and he was immediately open to the possibility of a role there, if he could use his skills in a slightly different way to how the role was advertised.

I asked my client to her thoughts on this, and she was open to a discussion around this before starting a long recruitment process from ‘scratch’.

He entered into the recruitment process, but at a different level and already with the advantages of having made a great impression ‘the first time’.

We spent detailed time in interview, unpicking the possibilities of the role and the company. He was open to understand what had changed, for him and the organisation.?

To make the fit needed work, the hiring manager had to be open to wider team changes. He was ready to say ‘yes’, but she didn’t want to work out a full employment package and team shifts if he was then going to decline at the last minute.? I presented the new (and improved) offer and suggested an informal meet up between him and the business unit director for them to talk openly. Within a few hours they were both on the phone to me, saying definitely ‘yes’, I am certain I want this move, and to work under her leadership. I am certain I want this candidate in my team.

I brought the formal offer together and am proud to say that many years on they are still working productively together.

My client was happy as ultimately she got the candidate she wanted, and I saved her (and me) a lot of time and energy.

The moral of this story is that situations change and a blanket ‘don’t go back’ could make you miss out on a great candidate or opportunity.? Be open to the possibility that a step ‘back’ could be a giant leap forwards.

Image of white staircase, (at the Mercedes Museum in Germany) by Thanos Pal on Unsplash