The highs & lows of recruitment through the eyes of expert Yasar Ahmad

Like marmite, you either hate it or love it.?

Recruitment as a profession provides the highs and the lows on both extremes.?

Having been in the field for quite some time, the difficulties and challenges in hiring never get old, although common. Every day is something new yet so familiar.?

Here’s a look at some of the trickiest parts of recruitment from my own roller coaster ride in the industry.

1. Finding the sweet spot between dreams and reality

One of the trickiest things in recruiting is trying to make both the candidate and the hiring manager happy.?

Picture this: Someone walks into the interview with big career dreams, while the hiring manager has a very specific checklist in mind. It’s a bit like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, but when it works, it’s magic.

The trick is to be clear from the get-go. It’s best to always try to lay everything on the table during interviews—what the job involves and where it can lead.?

This way, everyone knows what they’re signing up for, and you’re more likely to find someone who’s not just looking for any job but the right one.?

This is obvious, you say. But like a good morning positive affirmation ritual. You should start your day by reminding yourself of this obvious truth.?

2. You can’t handle the truth!

CVs: Let’s be honest, sometimes what you see on paper isn’t quite what you get.?

ATSs are evolving, allowing us to sift through CVs at lightning speed. And with the addition of AI, we can now gain deeper insights and make better-informed decisions.

While tech is an incredible asset, it’s not the only solution.

Some basic practices are being re-invited as the main guest of honor. Good old-fashioned reference checks , although time-consuming, can reveal truths that are invaluable.

How you process these is key. I’m not talking about easy questions like “Would you rank this person in the top 5% in the industry and why?”?

It’s about being very thorough and making sure you’re bringing someone on board who’s genuine and really brings what you need to the table.?

No shortcuts here, just diligent detective work.

Read more: Successful reference checking: 101 + Must-ask questions

3. Context is King

Context is a problem when interviewing. Most candidates don't have the context you or the hiring manager have.?

So, it gets very confusing very fast if a hiring manager asks a question with a specific scenario in mind, and the candidate has no idea about it but is expected to give a generic answer.?

Figuring out how to read people, understand where they’re coming from, and how they’ll gel with your team is more art than science.?

Asking questions only gets you so far. First, you have to build up a great narrative and story with candidates, setting the scene for them.?

Put some effort into really allowing them to understand your challenges and, hopefully, what they will contribute to.?

Don’t be afraid to share the bad; this helps them provide better answers.?

4. Being realistic

In the end, recruitment is about learning as you go and keeping things realistic.?

Every challenge is a chance to get better at matching the right people with the right roles.?

Sure, it’s a bit of a balancing act. Sometimes, you might miss the mark, and other times, you have unrealistic hiring managers, but it’s all part of the journey!

Author bio

Yasar Ahmad is a TA and People Leader who’s been ranked as one of the World’s Top TA Speakers and Most Influential Thought Leaders of Today in Talent Acquisition.?

He’s the co-host of the popular HR and Talent VideoCast Talent Surgery on Youtube and co-founder of the popular TA Community, TheTalentCommunity , with over 3000 TA members and growing.?

Yasar is also the current Global Vice President of People at HelloFresh. He’s also a member of the RL100 and a committed speaker on industrial challenges and creating human-shaped experiences.