When the consultant calls ??

by Philipp Fleischmann

The phone rings and a recruitment consultant - also called a "headhunter" - is on the line. He is looking for a candidate for a management position in a family business. The person called is interested, they talk and agree to pursue the matter further. But then the executive makes a mistake. "How did they come up with me?" he asks. For the recruiter, doubts are likely to arise at this point as to whether the candidate is the right one. Because this question does not show the self-confidence that is necessary for filling a C-level position.

5 tips during the first interview with the recruiter:

• Respond calmly and confidently in the initial interview. ?
• Introduce yourself convincingly and clearly present your future desired position. ?
• Avoid giving the impression that you have been waiting for this call. ?
• Do not say a bad word about your current or former employer - this shows unprofessional behavior and foreshadows how you might talk about the consultant's client later on. ?
• Do not bring up the subject of money in the first round of talks. However, you can of course talk to the recruiter about your current salary and your salary expectations if the recruiter asks you about it. ?

The first round is over, mutual interest has been expressed. Nevertheless, take some time to think about the offer. Keep one basic rule in mind: If there is a criterion that rules out taking the position 100% for you (for example, a distant location, if one cannot move for family reasons), then say no. Pursuing an option just out of curiosity, even though you certainly won't take the position, costs everyone involved unnecessary time and is likely to make the consultant reluctant to contact you a second time.

However, if you come to the decision to seriously consider the offer, there are three essential preparations you need to make for the upcoming rounds of interviews:

? Clear messages: Formulate your success story so that you can deliver it in a no-frills, no-brags interview. It should not take more than fifteen minutes - without interruptions. Explicitly practise not only talking about successes, but also about your own failures in an unbiased way. When talking about your own successes, use "I" instead of "we"; have concrete figures and data ready and prepare good examples for questions like "What would have gone less well without you?

? Provide references: The opinion of third parties on a candidate and his/her successes is of great importance for the evaluation in application processes. Testimonials are no longer very informative for this purpose, which is why both recruiters and future employers often ask for references. It therefore makes sense to compile a list of potential reference providers early on - former superiors or committee members, colleagues, direct reports and business partners who can judge you from previous cooperation and are likely to agree to provide a reference on you. A list of impressive reference donors can have an additional positive effect for you in an application process. You can also intelligently anticipate a later reference process by asking former superiors in particular for a brief, written assessment of you as a person and attaching the collected statements to your documents.

? Create clear financial circumstances: If the talks have progressed to the point where a signature could happen soon, create clear financial circumstances beforehand. What about their retirement benefits? Can they be transferred if you change employers? What about stock options? What about insurance policies? You should have clarified these and other questions in advance and be able to give concrete figures.

There is one thing you should always be aware of when you receive a call from a recruitment consultant - they are calling you because they have already dealt with you and your professional development, and you can therefore be a potentially interesting candidate for their client. Therefore, use the contact to make a good and lasting impression - if it is not a good fit in the current case, the consultant will be happy to call them again if there is another option.

?? How did you experience your first call from the recruiter? ??

Philipp Fleischmann is part of the consultant team of AvS - International Trusted Advisors. Based in Berlin and Frankfurt, he serves clients mainly in Media & Communications, Consumer, Food and Industrial goods. Based on his background of experiences, he also advises organisations in transformation situations with a focus on digitzation and communications.

#consultants #avstrustedadvisors #headhunter #management #recruitment