Should I keep my other interviews a secret?

QUESTION:        “Yesterday, a recruiter asked me ‘Where else are you interviewing, and are you expecting any other offers anytime soon?’ When I said ‘Yes, I do have some other opportunities,’ she pushed even harder by asking me for specific company names and details about the jobs. I wanted to tell her “That’s none of your business,” but I knew that would have been bad. Instead, I said “I am interviewing elsewhere, but I’d prefer not to share any more details.” Was that okay, or did I shoot myself in the foot? Why is she even asking me those questions?” - Brita

ANSWER:            

Hello, Brita. Take being asked that question as a compliment! In the recruiting business, we call that a “buying sign.” It really is great, because it means the recruiter likes you and does not want to lose you to another company (they are starting to “fight” for you). I understand why it feels invasive, but the recruiter has got some really good reasons for asking those questions. Furthermore, they would not bother digging in unless they were very interested in hiring you. 

Jake Wyant (Director – Staffing & Capacity Planning at Avaap) agrees: “You did not shoot yourself in the foot, but you are not helping yourself either. Transparency with recruiters is really the best way to go. You shouldn’t share EVERYTHING (like ‘I really like the other company better than yours, but if they don’t make me an offer, I’ll take yours.’), but you need to share enough that I can facilitate a win-win for you and the hiring manager. In other words, with this information I can help you negotiate and get the best offer. That’s my job, and I need transparency on both sides to make that happen.”

3 reasons recruiters ask you about other opportunities

Jake explained the three most common reasons recruiters ask you to share other options with them:

1.       “To gauge how quickly I need to move the interview process along.” If you have other offers now, or are expecting them soon, then I need to create some urgency with the hiring managers. Companies miss out on great candidates all the time because they move too slowly. It’s a recruiter’s responsibility to push the process along faster if my firm is in danger of missing out on a great candidate.

2.       “To make sure we get a chance to compete against other offers.” I ask my candidates not to accept anything without talking to me first. Sure, that’s good for me, but it’s also really good for candidates. It’s much better to get two or more offers on the table at once and decide which one is the best for them. If they take the first offer that comes in, they might be missing out on the better offer."

Take heed! Jake (and every other seasoned recruiter) wants you to call if you're about to get a job offer from another company. Leverage the impending offer to say "I'm expecting an offer this week from another company, but wow ... I was really excited about the chance to work with you. Am I still a finalist for you? Is there any chance you'll make a decision this week?" If you're one of their top picks, they will do everything they can to hurry up and put a competitive offer in your hand.

3.       “To figure out if you’re leaning toward another company ... and why.” I pay close attention to my candidate’s motivators so I can sell to them (or offset them if I am light in one or two areas). For example, if someone has another offer pending at a company that’s much closer to home, I know that might be a problem. I might need to increase our salary offer to compensate for a longer drive, or offer flexible hours to get him or her out of traffic."

Jake went on to say that “Most recruiters prefer transparency. If you are up front and honest with them about things (like where else you are interviewing, pending offers, your likes and dislikes, and what truly motivates you to join a company), the recruiter will be your best advocate to get the best possible offer. This is true for contract positions as well as perm (full-time, salaried) positions.”

Remember: A recruiter’s job is to make sure there are no surprises (for the candidate or the hiring manager)

Recruiters put their reputation on the line every time they submit a candidate. If a recruiter has too many candidates backing out at the last minute (for reasons they failed to anticipate or ask about), it’s a black mark on their reputation. If they keep it up, they might get fired. I remember all too well the times I was the rookie recruiter that got slammed for missing something important (and losing a great candidate).

Jake explains that “It can be very disheartening for me to call up a candidate to set up a final interview … or worse, jump through all the hoops to make an offer … only to find out that the candidate “just” accepted another offer elsewhere, when I had no idea they were close to getting one. It’s like being invited to the big game to compete for the title, only to learn that the title was handed to someone else while you were driving there … before you even got a chance to play.”

Ugly truth: You might get dropped if you refuse to share

Jake doesn’t think you shot yourself in the foot, because he’s willing to be patient and work with candidates who are hesitant to share. Not all recruiters are like him.

Here’s the brutal truth: I’ve watched MANY recruiters (and hiring managers!) drop candidates who refused to discuss how their opportunity compares to others they are considering. They don’t want to waste their time, or a hiring manager’s time, unless they know they can mitigate risks for both sides.

We could talk for hours about this … and say “It’s their loss” … and be right. The thing is, I would hate to see a gatekeeper stand in the way of you getting the job of your dreams. So, take a deep breath, put on a smile and meet them halfway. 

Warning: You should not share everything (and certainly not right away)

While I do advise you to share a little bit, I do NOT advise you to open your kimono and share everything (like other company names and detailed compensation information) … especially not in the early stages. It’s great to let them know things like this: “I am talking with three other companies about similar roles. Two are in the healthcare industry – very similar to yours.” If the recruiter asks you about compensation, start out with the truth … but a range (not specifics). Something like this will do: “Well, what’s the pay band for this position? I’m happy to let you know if your range is in the ballpark with other companies.” If they share that with you, you can tell them “That’s in line with my expectations” or “Hmmm. That’s a little lower than I am seeing with other companies. Do you have any wiggle room on that?” If another company is offering more money, it is to your advantage to share that. If the recruiter can go get more money allocated for you, now is the time for them to start asking.

Interviewing is a lot like dating

Think about the interviewing process like your first few dates. My mother always wanted me to date multiple people. She told me “They need to know you’re a good catch. They need to fight for you.” I swear, one of her proudest moments was when, at eighteen, I was dating three guys named Steve. I’m not gonna lie: I was feeling pretty chuffed, too … until the day my dad said “Steve is on the phone” and I whispered to him “which one?” After three weeks of this, I was fed up and picked just one (who dumped me three months later. Ha ha ha!) Guess what: the other two Steves had already moved on to someone else, and I was left single for a looooong time. I guess my mom was on to something …

Make sure they know you’re excited about their job … despite the competition

This is VERY important! The trick is to share just enough information to satisfy their curiosity, but not so much that they drop you like a hot potato. Let them know that, although you do have other suitors, they are very high on your list. Give them 1-2 reasons why. Otherwise, they might get discouraged and drop you … or at least put you in the “slim chance of getting her” pile.

Transparency with a recruiter worked for Tina

Tina was about to get an offer from a company she really wanted to work for. The recruiter called her to “pre-close” (test the offer with Tina to see if she would like it). Thank goodness, he did! He surprised her by asking “How much vacation do those other companies offer?” When she told him “4 weeks,” he groaned and said they were planning to offer her only 1 week, but that he would try to get the manager to wiggle on it. It worked! She got 3 weeks of vacation and a bump in pay to offset the other week, as well as permission to take an extra week of unpaid time off (in writing).

I have seen this over and over and over again. Over the years, I fought to get my candidates all sorts of things: more pay, more vacation, a car allowance, a bigger draw (financial guarantee for a sales person), earlier kick-in on healthcare benefits, bigger title among other things. The only way I knew to fight for these things is because I asked, and my candidates answered.

Next time you get the tough questions, it’s just fine to ask them “Why are you asking?”

Next time you get asked a question like “Where else are you interviewing, and are you expecting any other offers anytime soon?” try answering with a smile and something like this: “Well, I am talking with some other companies. What, specifically, would you like to know about them?”

Contrary to popular opinion, recruiters are not "out to get you." They are out to get a hire ... and make a deal that makes both sides happy.

I hope this makes you more comfortable with the line of questioning and helps you make the most of your relationships with recruiters.

Good luck! - Catherine

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About the author: Catherine Byers Breet is a recovering recruiter – turned author, speaker, blogger & trainer on all things job hunting, interview prep & career development. She loves a good (clean) joke and will do anything for a good ice cream cone. Oh, and by the way … she owns a zebra. His name is Joe.