The Thoughtful Debriefing of Candidates

This is the sixth in a series of eight articles geared towards recruiters but which provide important insights for job seekers.

??????????? “The interview was fine.”? “I think they liked me.”? “They said they would be in touch.”? “They only asked me questions about my current employer.”? “They told me they would be in touch in a couple of weeks.”

These are actual responses to the general question, “How did the interview go?”? This is what the responses usually mean:

??????????? I don’t know how the interview went.

??????????? They were polite.

??????????? I don’t know when they’ll get back to me.

??????????? They were trying to get information on their competitor.

??????????? What do I do if I don’t hear from them in two weeks?

All of this information is important because it tells the recruiter about the client and how serious they are either about the candidate or the search.? Ideally, the candidate will report that they promised to invite them back (which may or may not happen), or that they have set up another interview, or that they asked for references.

If the candidate can tell the recruiter what questions they were asked, then the recruiter will be able to tweak their interviewing process and perhaps save time by allowing the client to reject candidates simply by watching the video interview between the recruiter and the candidate.? The client should appreciate that the recruiter is saving them time.

Ask the candidate about their impressions of the employer.? How were they treated?? What was the atmosphere like?? If they were interviewed on-site, did employees appear to be happy?? Were they, the employees, relaxed or tense?? Did they keep the candidate waiting?? These are all important insights for a recruiter to have.? Everything helps the recruiter to prepare the next candidate for an interview.

Of course, the candidate probably does not really know what happened in the interview.? They are not trying to be deceitful; it’s human nature.? Two people can be in the same meeting and both will have totally different opinions or recollections of what happened.

That is why it is crucial not only to debrief the candidate but also the client.? Finding out that the client is not really interested in the candidate will allow the recruiter to contact the candidate and let them know they are no longer under consideration.? That is of vital importance because most recruiters don’t do that.? I do!? I have been a recruiter for 20 years.? It is safe to assume that I have informed hundreds of individuals that they were no longer under consideration.? Except in one case, the candidates were always polite and appreciative.? They thanked me and said no other recruiter followed up with them.? I explained that I represent my client and myself and professionalism is important to me.? I have even gotten clients from candidates who I informed were rejected by my clients because they remember that I called them.

The moral is that communication is important.? All parties to a job search need to know what is happening: the client, the candidate, and the recruiter.?

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Future Articles:

• Cultivating Advisor Relationships with Premier Candidates
• Efficient Candidate Vetting
• References
• You Accept One Job and Another is Offered
• LinkedIn's SSI