Time to toughen up, recruiters

As recruiters we deal with other people every day, and we succeed or fail by our ability or inability to communicate and engage with others.

It is this interpersonal contact that keeps many recruiters interested in their jobs. Good recruiters tend to love interacting with others, building relationships, and feeling that they have made a difference to someone else's life. But recruiters also need to be aware that there is a line between being great with people and being too soft.

'Soft' recruiters tend to fall into some of the following traps:

Adopting pet candidates

This is the one candidate that you want to take under your wing. He is so nice, and so keen, and if only your clients would give him a chance then they would see how much value he would add to their business. You're fast becoming friends with this candidate - in fact you should put him on speed dial. But none of your clients are interested.

Do not waste any more time. Put your energies into more likely prospects, and do not keep this candidate's hopes up any more. Know where to draw a line.

It's not you, it's me

Your client tells you that your candidate (let's call him Joe) was not impressive at interview. He slouched in his chair, gave monosyllabic answers, and actually came across as a bit rude. Joe calls you up and says that he was nervous at interview - terrified, in fact - as he wants the job so badly. He asks how he got on. You feel sorry for Joe, you don't want to dash his (already low) confidence, and so you tell him that they are not going to offer to him, but it is not his fault. They really really liked him, but he wasn't the right fit for that role. That's not lying: that's just fudging the truth a bit and sparing his feelings - right?

Wrong. Joe deserves to know why he failed, and what he can do to ensure that it doesn't happen again. You don't need to be mean ("Well, Joe. They said you had the personality of a dead haddock, actually."), but you do need to be honest. Explain to him that he did not present himself as well as he could. Give specific examples, and explain what he could have done differently. Be diplomatic, but direct.

Hear no evil

Your candidate is perfect for the job. Everything is looking good, and you are calling her regularly and each time she says that she is still keen. Does she have any other interviews? Has she spoken to any other companies recently? Well, of course not! She would have told you. And you didn't like to ask, because what if she had...? Better to just keep the conversation nice, and calculate your impending commission when she starts.

If you don't ask then you are not doing your job properly. You are representing this candidate to your client, and you cannot tell the client that everything is fine if you have not confirmed it with her. Take a deep breath, ask the difficult questions, and be prepared to deal with answers that you might not like. If you know everything that is going on then you are able to work with both parties in a consultative capacity. If you are intentionally uninformed then you are not adding value for anyone, and you are liable to be hit with an unwelcome surprise.

Right, moving on...

You are taking a reference for a candidate. It should just be a formality. The candidate and client are both keen, and everything will be going ahead if the references check out okay. You rattle through the questions with confidence, until the referee drops a bombshell. Weaknesses? Well, the candidate had a few 'issues' with management. This is delivered in an ominous tone of voice. Rightio. On to the strengths! They were great at everything else, right? Let's not delve into unpleasantness and jeopardise this candidate's chance of getting the job.

Wrong. It is your job, as recruiter, to take a reference for the candidate. Your client should be able to sleep easily at night knowing that you, as their trusted professional, have conducted a thorough reference check and delved into any areas that could be cause for concern.

Probing your referee's answers to get more information can also sometimes leave things looking better than you had expected. A situation that sounds worrying can turn out to be nothing of concern when fully explained. And if it is something to be concerned about then you owe it to your client to let them know now, so that they can decide if they still want to proceed. It also means that they can be prepared for any additional training/ differing managing styles that the candidate may require - which leads to a happier candidate and client in the long run.


The bottom line is that you need to maintain professionality at all times. Your clients and candidates will come to value your candour, and should be able to trust that you will be honest, direct, and clear with them at all times.

Imagine if your bank manager 'didn't have the heart' to tell you that you were overdrawn! Taking the easy way out, and omitting information in order to spare feelings will not help anyone in the long run.