Recruiting In Yoga Pants

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Category: communication (Page 1 of 3)

Facts VS Opinions

May 5, 2024 /

No really. There is a difference.

This came to an amusing yet frustrating head recently when I had the audacity to share an amazing post from my friend Dan (DanFromHR). You can read it for yourself HERE. The heart of Dan’s post was a factual explanation of how many companies navigate high cost of labor (HCOL) areas. To recap, in the US at least – there are going to be higher paying markets (most notably NYC, Bay Area, Boston) that will have a premium adjustment based on the COL in that area.

This is a FACT.


I know this is a thing that is known or proven to be true because I have worked for numerous companies that have created pay ranges and COL adjustments based on location for years. I have made PLENTY of those offers. I’ve even in rare cases been able to offer someone the choice between locations – many opted for the lower COL areas (Seattle vs Sunnyvale, for example) because the 10% or so premium wasn’t worth the lowered buying power. Cost of LIVING (not to be confused with cost of LABOR) is definitely a factor those new hires took into consideration before choosing their final offer location. I respect that choice.

What does this look like in action? Let’s say a national company is hiring in Kansas City. They also have offices in Ft. Lauderdale and NYC. Most of the country is probably going to be in what we call “standard” comp ranges. The average compensation for a marketing manager is 80-120K, with 100K being the “midpoint” or 1.0 compa ratio. (Here’s a great video on compa ratios from my pal Jessica from Workology)

It would not be crazy to assume that the 80-120K range is used in both Kansas City, Ft. Lauderdale, and many other areas. Where folks land in that range of course is subject to a WHOLE LOT OF THINGS I talk about in this 2nd of a 3 part video series on compensation. Now let’s also assume that the company has done their due diligence re: COL (high, low and standard) and that range for those areas is pretty darn great.

Oh – but now we’re expanding in NYC…. and the market laughed at our range. More due diligence is done, and a new “premium” is established – the range for that same role, level, and job family is now 96-144K (a premium bump of 20%) and a midpoint of 120K in NYC.

Now someone moving from Boise has interviewed and been given the opportunity to select their next location. We’ll happily hire in KC or NYC – and we’re approved to make a stellar 1.05 CR offer! That would be 105K in KC, or 126K in NYC. Both offers (in our hypothetical yet fact based scenario) would be strong offers for the role, level and markets.

Of course cost of LIVING is a whole other personal topic and one job seekers should definitely consider before choosing which location / offer makes sense for them. I just ran these calculations this morning and y’all….

YIKES! Now there are a thousands of reasons why folks would prefer one location over another, and there are no “wrong” answers to your personal life choices – just what works best for you. For me, being a Midwest native who doesn’t particularly enjoy big cities, I’m taking KC all day long. The fact that I would have SO MUCH MORE buying power is an absolute plus.

I’ve seen cost of labor premiums average between 10-40% from the lowest to the highest. I’ve NEVER seen on at 69% and certainly not 189% – which is what folks would need to make to maintain the same standard of living AND keep up with housing costs.

Yet with all these FACTS – I’m still expected to believe that companies are wrong for having premium locations based on the cost of doing business in said locations?

But I digress. Let’s get into OPINIONS.

Folks had some strong opinions about my post. There is absolutely nothing wrong with hating this concept. I get that remote work has thrown some complications – and many orgs still honor whatever geographic ranges they’ve established. For example, a company is authorized to do business in every state east of the Mississippi – they’ll likely have a range established for the Eastern half of the US and maybe a “Virtual-NY” range for the higher COL areas. Is it “fair” to pay someone in Bentonville 105K and someone in Brooklyn 126K for the same role and level? I have no idea. But it can definitely be “factual”.

I find it fascinating and a little sad when people start losing their minds over these concepts. I was called rude, dismissive, told the recruiting org at my ENTIRE COMPANY was not “trustworthy” – all because I dared to speak FACTUALLY about how compensation is structured in many orgs.

Can you imagine? I mean even just writing it out I’m struck by how sad and hilarious that is. Being literally angry at a stranger you’ve never met because they dropped a FACT?

“But I don’t like it” – you’re entitled to that opinion

“It’s not fair” – you’re entitled to that opinion

“Companies should do this other thing instead” – also entitled to THAT opinion!

There’s nothing inherently WRONG with disliking the way this company or that operates. There’s nothing wrong with expressing those opinions, asking WHY, and making suggestions about how you’d like things to be.

There’s something VERY wrong with attacking the messenger because you don’t understand the difference between facts and opinions.

Interestingly, no one bothered to even ASK my opinion. Nope – they jumped straight to insults and accusations. At least a couple of people think I’m some sort of corporate bootlicker who supports suppressing wages. Because… I provided… factual…. information.

Here they are – the opinions NO ONE BOTHERED TO ASKED FOR.

  • Everyone deserves an opportunity to earn a living wage.
  • Compensation ranges and inputs used to determine offers should be fair and transparent.
  • Virtual compensation ranges need some inspection and explanation.
  • No single person, company, or team has this all figured out.
  • Taxes and inflation are too damn high.

Finally, I REALLY believe most recruiters who talk about these topics are genuinely doing our very best to provide insight and information to help job seekers navigate this stuff more effectively.

Oh and honorable mention to the assclown who went on a “liking” spree of all the comments attempting to hurt my feelings (lol as if I had any left) and who ALSO made a snarky comment about my “influencer” status. Imagine the hilarity that ensued when I went to check if we’d interacted previously (we’d been 1st level connections). I found an unread message from this individual… wait for it…. asking me to USE MY INFLUENCE to get eyeballs on one of his posts.

You can imagine how I responded to that.

RECRUITER OUTREACH! Hey Recruiters! How’s YOUR Messaging?

May 26, 2023 /

Ok I’ll admit it. I’m guilting of SENDING this tired old message: 

“I came across your profile and was very impressed with your background! I’d love to talk to you about opportunities!”

Ugh. How embarrassing.

Here’s the thing recruiters. When we’re initiating contact, we have a responsibility for making the message worth responding to. Of course not all messages deserve (or will get) a response, and that’s ok! But we still need to at least put some effort in. 

The biggest challenge for many recruiters is balancing PERSONALIZATION with VOLUME. This is hard! I get it’s not always possible to spend tons of time on every single individual message. However, candidates don’t care about your volume problems. They care about getting messages meant for them that are worth replying to.

Instead of preaching at you about this, I’m going to tell you exactly how I do it.

Campaigns!

I actually do like automation when done correctly. I have a CRM that I can create “campaigns” in, meaning I can select candidates and start an email drip campaign. I can just set it and forget it, until I get a response – which then turns into a personalized recruiting process. I do it like this:

Start with a specific role

I don’t randomly reach out to people for coffee chats or just to hop on a call. I have stuff to do – most importantly, fill these damn reqs! If you’re getting an email from me, it’s because I think you might be a good fit for one of my open positions. By having a clear target, I can also share important stuff like compensation, location, and what makes the role cool (check out my pal Nic’s excellent post on this topic!)

So I have my list of folks I think might be good, and I will do small batches – maybe 10 at a time – so I can tweak the email to personalize a bit (who wants the same generic email EVERYBODY got? Boring!!) My first email goes something like this:

“Hi (prospect),

Amy from (Company), reaching out for the nefarious purposes of stealing you from your current job and convincing you to come do (cool stuff) here! I checked out your (resume, profile, blog, whatever) and thought there might be a fit based on (specific thing).

I don’t want to assume you’d be open to a change, but in case my timing is right, here’s a link to the role and (something cool, compensation, etc). You can learn more about (company, team, project) here (include link, articles, whatever).

Most importantly, I’d love to learn more about what kind of work lights you up, in case I have other positions now or in the future that might be worth talking about.  

You can reach me any time at (contact info) or feel free to book something directly at (calendar link). I look forward to connecting with you!

Me“

My goal here is to give enough information to actually act on, but also keep it short enough with a clear call to action that prospects can respond quickly if they want.

2nd Outreach

Ok maybe that wasn’t exciting enough for you. Or you missed it. Or just didn’t want to respond. Some candidates have actually told me they purposely wait for a 2nd or even 3rd email to make sure the recruiter is serious!! WHO KNEW?? So if the first email doesn’t get a response, number 2 goes something like this:

“Hi (prospect),

Hey there, following up on my email last week. I’d love to chat with you about a position I’m recruiting for – here’s the info (add job posting link, data included in first email) I sent – I’d love your feedback on it even if my timing is off!

We recently announced/shared (something cool), you can read about that here (include link or articles, depending on what you’re sharing)

If you’re open to hearing more, would love to connect live! You can reach me at (contact info) or book time whenever is convenient at (calendar link).

Thanks,

Me“

My goal here is to simply send a friendly reminder with an extra tidbit that may help convince someone to talk to me – or at least tell me no thanks. I’ll accept closure!

3rd & Final Outreach

Ok this is where I lose some recruiters. I am personally not interested in harassing people. I will send 3 emails, and if I get nothing back, I can take a hint. I have other prospects to move on to and I am not interested in wasting my time nor do I want to bug a prospect! It goes a little something like this:

Hey (prospect),

Just closing the loop with you. We’re still looking to hire for (role), but totally understand if my timing is off or the role just isn’t right for you at this stage of your career. If anything changes on your end please get in touch! If you know anyone in your network who might be interested in hearing about the role, please feel free to forward my info and I’m happy to share more!

Thanks for letting me invade your inbox – happy to connect in the future if you’re open.

Me”

I have a roughly 80% response rate to the 3rd email. That’s damn good for cold recruiter outreach.

I know some folks may think this is boring, or too focused on the role, but here’s my thought process. I’m trying to RECRUIT someone. They know it, I know it, why would I pretend this is anything but an attempt to get them in process with my company? Secondly, these are TEMPLATES – I fully expect anyone who wants to try this method to spice up their messages. My ACTUAL messages are a little funnier and include some cool stuff not shared here – give yourself permission to get creative!

Check out this week’s video HERE

RECRUITER OUTREACH! How Candidates Can Respond (without losing your mind)

May 19, 2023 /

We’ve all seen this tired old message:

“I came across your profile and was very impressed with your background! I’d love to talk to you about opportunities!”

Honestly y’all I catch MYSELF typing that some days and I immediately send myself to time out to think about what I’ve done.

Terrible. Terrible opener and I hate myself for sometimes starting with it.

Alrighty now that we have THAT covered, let’s get real. Some messages are going to be GREAT. Highly targeted, full of useful insights, and a clear call to action. Others, not so much – and it’s hard for job seekers to know which ones deserve a response!

Pro tip – not every message deserves a response.

The key takeaway here is deciding how much emotional energy you’re willing to invest in this conversation. Make no mistake job seekers – even subconsciously you’re investing! Taking the time to read the message. Considering your response. Picturing yourself interviewing. How life changing the role could be if you get an offer…. you know the feeling.

I want you to give yourself permission to NOT attend every conversation you’re invited to. Well intentioned recruiters may try to convince you that you should take EVERY call (especially THEIRS!) in the name of networking. To that, I say hell no. Protect your time, space, and energy. You’re going to need it for the REAL opportunities coming your way!

If the message gives you the necessary info (job description, compensation, location, etc) AND you’re interested, it’s perfectly ok to say so! If there’s not enough detail or you’re simply unsure how to respond? Here’s some templates you can use as a starting point to continuing the conversation.

Interested / open to work

Ideally, the message includes a clear call to action. It’s ok to simply acknowledge that and follow whatever guidance has been provided. If the message is not that clear, try something like this:

“Hi (Recruiter),

Thanks so much for reaching out! I am excited to learn more about (company) and (role). As an experienced (title), I’m actively searching for a role where I can (work you love). I’m open to (locations, titles, any relevant role related insights) with a target compensation of ($X).

I’m available for a call/interviews (availability). I look forward to connecting with you!

You“

Not interested but could be convinced

“Hi (Recruiter),

Thanks for reaching out. I’m not actively looking, but open to hearing about opportunities that may be significantly better than what I’m doing today. I’m currently a (title) where I (overview of work). I would be open to roles were I can (dream scope) in (location, hybrid, remote). In order to seriously consider a change, I would be looking for at least $X in total compensation.

If you have roles that align, I’d be happy to schedule a chat to learn more. Please send over more information about (job description, company, compensation) and I’ll get back to you right away.

Thanks,

You“

These templates are meant to be edited to reflect our own personal voice, wishlists, and expectations. It is critical that you understand your own job search boundaries. Many job seekers fall into the “all do anything!” trap and the reality is that can cause more harm than good. If you don’t have a target, how can you know where to aim? Take the time to really think about what you’re good at, where you could exchange that labor for money, and what that compensation needs to be to make sense for you. Don’t be afraid to take control of the conversation! You deserve nothing less.

Check out this week’s video HERE

Should Recruiters Read Every Resume? Part 1 – What Job Seekers Should Know

May 5, 2023 /

Ok so I may have made a strongly worded post about recruiters reviewing every resume.

Some of y’all were not pleased 😆

SO – I decided to tackle this topic once and for all! SHOULD recruiters read every resume? Eh…. maybe a skim. Brief review. But at the very least…

FAIR CONSIDERATION.

Now what does “fair consideration” look like? Honestly it can be different based on so many factors. What kinds of tools the recruiter has access to. Volume of roles and applications. Workload. Business needs. So. Many. Variables.

Next week we’ll tackle some of these in Part 2 focused on recruiters, but for this week, let’s talk about what job seekers should know.

Anecdotal data from years in the industry and talking to MANY recruiters has taught me that the number of “qualified” applicants is much smaller than the number of ACTUAL applicants. Most sources report somewhere between 10-25% on average are candidates that we can actually move forward with. One. In. Ten. At best? Maybe one in FOUR. Now you may ask yourself “gee if the odds are that bad, why bother looking at all??” Here’s why:

Several years ago I was working on a highly specialized role. This person was going to stand up a body of work that had literally never been done in this org before. The industry was one that had a high number of contractors, and so finding folks who would even consider full time (vs consulting) was already a challenge. Throw in a few other non-negotiables involving government contracts and I had myself a purple squirrel hunt.

At the time, I had an employee who was in charge of reviewing the resumes. Every week I would ask for a pipeline status, and every week it was “I’m searching – here’s a list of prospects” When asked about direct applicants, I was told there weren’t any good ones, and we’d never find someone who directly applied. After a painful offer decline and a few other near misses, I decided to check for myself.

Y’all. Why did I open my ATS to find 279 unveiwed applicants??

So I did what any annoyed recruiting leader would do. I poured myself a drink, turned on some reality TV, and got to work after hours. It took me about 2 hours, but I reviewed them all. Every single one. Yes, there were lots of immediate no’s. But there were also 10 highly qualified and INTERESTED applicants. That’s right – approximately 3% of the resumes I reviewed were worth forwarding to the hiring manager.

The HM decided to interview the top 5 (further scrutiny based on Preferred Qualifications) and we did final rounds with 4 of them. Thankfully we hired one of those applicants.

A stellar hire I would have completely missed had I not done my damn job and reviewed folks who had clearly indicated their interest in our role.

THAT is just one example of why I don’t sleep on applicants. Ever. Too much gold to be mined in that ATS y’all!

So what does this mean for job seekers? Two big things:

Let go of what you cannot confirm

You have no way of knowing how many applicants actually applied. Furthermore, you can’t know how many of those are even qualified. So don’t let high “applicant” counts on LinkedIn scare you away. That’s not even accurate data – let alone the smaller percentage of folks who can even be considered!

You ALSO have no way of knowing how the recruiter on the other end does their job. Do they rely on knockout questions? Do they trust their ranking system, or do they do a keyword search? Unless a recruiter tells you specifically this or that is how they operate? Don’t assume.

Let go of what you cannot control

There may be 100 other well qualified applicants. Can you do anything about it? The recruiter might suck at their job and leave your application to the whims of a shitty boolean string. Can you fix it? Nope. So why sweat it?

What you CAN control, is the information you put in front of the hiring team. Ideally your resume leave no doubt that you meet the qualifications and then some. If you run into clear “yes/no” required questions, there’s a very good possibility those are knockout questions – saying “no” may be a one way ticket to rejectionville. It MIGHT make sense to spend that precious job search energy on roles you’re fully qualified for.

You can ALSO engage with recruiters at your favorite companies on LinkedIn and other forms of social media. Unsure of how Company A does this or that? ASK SOMEONE! Don’t take bullshit “guidance” from cotton candy career coaches – go straight to the source and get the truth.

Not every recruiter has the bandwidth to reply to every message, but reading up on their careers pages, talking to friends/colleagues who work at those companies and following the hiring authorities on social media will get you a lot further than stressing over what you can’t confirm – or control.

Check out this week’s video HERE

What Does Your Social Media Content Say About You?

April 7, 2023 /

This might sting a little.

Now I say this as someone who is pretty darn transparent on social media… I’m far from the example anyone should be following! That said – I am a recruiter, and I read profiles for a living (along with some other stuff 😉 ) So what is an active job seeker to do? Now this is not your profile – we have another video about that you can check out HERE. We’re talking about posts, comments, and engagement.

Get ready for some very loving truth bombs…

Truth Bomb #1 – Your posts are incredibly vague

You’ve seen them – “don’t ignore my post!” or “I need a job!” Well, yes. I believe those things are true. Unfortunately a lot of those posts don’t say much else. They often lack context or a clear call to action – so what’s a reader to do? Unfortunately a lot of readers will make comments like “you got this!” or the dreaded “commenting for reach!” but seriously…. does that actually get you anywhere?

Truth Bomb #2 – your post is about YOU, not how you solve THEIR problem

This one sucks. I want you to think about this though – there’s a difference between “I need” and “I can do”. One is self-serving, the other is value adding to the audience. The reality is a stranger on the internet doesn’t care if you’re about to be homeless. YOU care, hence your content asking for help. The readers of your content? Not so much. They have their own wishes/needs/agenda, and if you speak to that, you’re way ahead of your competition. Instead of “I need a job” try “I am excited to land my next role where I can provide X by doing Y” or something to that effect.

Truth Bomb #3 – you need a talent shaped box

Another tough one – so many folks are hesitant to get too specific. If I post about how great of a recruiter I am, and that I’m really good at sourcing engineers, no one will consider me for a marketing gig! Well… that may be true… but are you QUALIFIED for a marketing gig? It’s absolutely ok to consider a career change – and your content should speak to that. The reality is the more targeted and specific your pitch is, the more likely it’ll get noticed by the right people!

The goal is to create a mental picture of how you can solve someone’s problem. Companies hire people to DO things. Buy, sell, build, consult, influence, direct, manager, manufacture… you name it. Show you can do that thing, and watch your engagement go up.

Check out the video HERE.

The “Right” Way to Reject A Candidate??

March 17, 2023 /

Y’all. Why are recruiters the way they are??

Alrighty let’s dig in – a recent LinkedIn post had my head spinning. It said (I’m paraphrasing a bit here) that recruiters should ALWAYS reject candidates over email and NEVER by phone or video call.

ALWAYS.

NEVER.

The two most dangerous words in recruiting.

But let’s get back to this idea around rejecting candidates. First of all, we have to acknowledge the very real rule that many companies have – CALL. That’s right. The last several employers I’ve personally worked for had a rule that if someone had gone through a full interview round, they got a CALL with the news (good or bad).

Now unfortunately many of those companies also have no feedback rules… so that call can be a little awkward in spite of our best intentions. Here’s how I do it:

Interview Prep
During this conversation, I let my candidates know two things: 1. I’m not able to provide specific feedback and 2. I will pre-schedule our outcome call if possible OR send them a link to schedule a call once we have a decision. If I’m able to kick off my candidate’s interview day (probably 70-80% of the time) I use those few minutes to schedule our follow up conversation. If I don’t do a kick off, I send an email include my calendar link so candidates can self schedule. It looks like this:

Hi CANDIDATE, thanks so much for taking the time to interview with us! I have an update for you. Here’s a link to my calendar (hyperlinked 15 min time slot) – feel free to schedule whatever works best for you. Otherwise, feel free to text me directly at (number) whenever you’re free for a chat.

I really want my candidates to feel empowered to tell me what works for them, and particularly WHEN works for them – no one should get a “surprise” call especially if it’s’ bad news.

The Call
This is more or less the “script” I follow when having this conversation. It should be an organic, free flowing conversation and candidates should feel comfortable asking questions or sharing any feedback / thoughts they may have about the process or anything else!

Hey Candidate, unfortunately we didn’t get the outcome we had hoped for. While we won’t be moving to an offer on this role, we definitely saw strengths in (positive areas).
(If true/appropriate) We didn’t see enough (strength / scope) in X, but would love to keep in touch for (future role, different role/level).

Obviously every recruiter needs to pick the language, style and verbiage that works best for them AND follows their company policy. This is also a good time to share if there’s a cooling off period, or if/when a candidate should follow up for future opportunities.

Great – so what’s a job seeker to do?

Clarify timing! It’s perfectly acceptable to ask the recruiter WHEN you can expect an answer. If the recruiter doesn’t offer to schedule something, request it yourself! Get confirmation on when you’ll hear back, or confirm yourself when you’ll be following up.

For more thoughts on this, check out the video HERE.

How To Request An Informational Interview!

December 9, 2022 /

Basically, networking. But networking with AN AGENDA!! My favorite kind!

So how do you do that exactly? Easy – four simple steps:

  1. Set Your Intentions! This is critical at the beginning of ANY job search but before you start asking people for help, make sure you know WHAT it is you want help with! Are you trying to pivot to a new industry? Relocate to a new area? Pick up a new skill? Now that you have an “ask” – put it out there! This can be a LinkedIn post, a tweet, wherever the people you want to reach are hanging out.
  2. Engage with experts! Once you make your request, folks will either start sharing THEIR expertise or recommend names for you to follow. GO DO THAT. Follow, connect, comment, share… Learn everything you can from what’s already available and what folks you’re being introduced to can offer you. You’ll probably find that many of your questions are already answered in existing content.
  3. Send targeted 1:1 requests! This does not HAVE to be a 15 minute “can I pick your brain” call. It can be a carefully written email asking for 3 specific things – make it easy to respond! If I know EXACTLY what you want, I can almost always pretty quickly write a response or drop a link that answers your questions.
  4. Show gratitude. That’s it. Lots of coaches and “experts” will claim that you MUST “build a relationship” or “show your value” before asking for anything in return. I don’t think so! Again, you’re seeking to learn something from folks who know what you don’t. It’s perfectly ok to not have anything to offer – yet. Simply showing gratitude and promising to pay it forward is all the thanks a lot of folks need (or expect).

Here’s a template you can use when you’re ready to hit step 3:

Hi (Name),

We recently connected/(name) recommended you as someone to talk with about (industry or topic). I am (quick intro) hoping to learn more about (topic).

I’m hoping you can give me some guidance on (bullet points).

If there is anyone else in your network you recommend I follow or other resources I should check into, I would be grateful! Thanks in advance for your guidance!

Me

Let’s say someone like me wanted to pivot to career coaching (bwhahahahaha wouldn’t that piss some people off). I’d write something like this, to coaches I admire or have been referred to me:

Hi (name),

We haven’t met, but your name came up in a conversation about coaching and I would love to understand a bit more about your industry. I’m a tenured recruiter in the Seattle market mostly focused on tech, and I am interested in exploring full time coaching. I recently read (something they shared/wrote) and was intrigued by (takeaway). Specifically, I’d love to learn more about:

  • recommended certifications / industry trainings
  • Workload balancing / how you structure your day
  • Business development / advertising of your services

I would welcome any other suggestions or topics you think I should research. Thanks so much for taking the time to read this! Hope to hear from you soon.

Best,

Amy

Easy peasy! Not every informational HAS to be a phone call or video chat. You’re requesting information. That’s it. That’s the purpose of the informational!

Not try it for yourself and let me know how it goes!

Link to video HERE.

Can A Recruiter BLACKLIST A Candidate?

December 2, 2022 /

Y’all.

I’ve seen some recruiters say some pretty crazy stuff in the last couple of decades, but the idea that we (they) can actually BLACKLIST someone is… well. a bit out there for me.

Let me explain – but first let’s unpack the definition of “blacklist”

Alrighty! So CAN recruiters “blacklist”? Not necessarily… but what could happen:

Recruiters can record specific, actual conversations or communications that happen between recruiter/hm and candidate. So – if you cuss out a recruiter it’s quite likely that will be documented in the ATS and recorded for future recruiters to read.

Of course recruiters ALSO have the authority to decide who they want to work with and submit to hiring managers. It would be VERY UNETHICAL to not submit a candidate solely because you don’t like them. It would be REASONABLE to not submit a candidate because of repeated or highly problematic behaviors.

I don’t say any of this to freak people out. MOST recruiters are fair, realistic, and understand the difference between data points (had a bad day) and trends (consistently inappropriate or poor behavior).

Finally, if a recruiter is recording personal biases or making decisions based on anything OTHER than fit for the role / verifiable data points, it can reflect very badly on THEM.

Bottom line – NO – recruiters typically do not have the authority or influence to “blacklist” anyone for any reason – but they can definitely track factual data and let the actual hiring authority (typically hiring managers) decide for themselves.

The Golden Rule – treat others how you want to be treated – is always a best practice no matter what side of hiring you’re on.

Recruiter Accountability! Candidate Edition

October 21, 2022 /

Who’s holding the recruiters accountable?

Everybody. Freaking everybody.

In the first of a 3 part video series, we’re going to dig into how recruiters are held accountable to (and by) CANDIDATES. Please understand we are talking about ACTIVE CANDIDATES here. Recruiters do NOT owe emotional labor to people who are not actively engaged with their clients/active requisitions. We DO owe accountability / closure to anyone we HAVE engaged with, even if it’s a simple “no longer under consideration” email after an application or a phone call after an interview.

So how does that work exactly?

ATS Reminders and SLAs

Many companies have rules around how quickly we need to respond or close out on active candidates. Some systems will have reminders, and some teams pull weekly status reports to make sure activity is progressing. We recruiters have to answer for any missed connections or lack of closure.

Candidate Contact Points

Now this may be an “Amy” thing – but something I have consistently done is made sure my candidates have my personal cell phone number so they can call or text me any time. Now the downside is that eleventy billion people have my number and I have an embarrassing number of unread texts / voicemails but I’m trying y’all!

Surveys

Not every company does this, but many have a post interview survey! This can be a free form text field, or perhaps “rate this process” on a scale of 1-5. Those surveys go to recruiting leadership AND they do get read and discussed! I’ve absolutely had to explain negative feedback or follow up on mistakes I’ve made (I told y’all I wasn’t perfect).

Any time we’re dealing with people (recruiters, candidates, hiring managers alike) there’s always a possibility of making mistakes. The most important thing we can do is try our best, get it “right” more often than not, and be willing to admit when we’ve screwed up / try to make it right if possible.

What would you add to help with accountability?

Networking With Recruiters! 2022 Amy’s Version

October 15, 2022 /

I wrote about this back in 2019 and hahahahaha OMG how things have changed since then.

You can read it here, if you’re curious.

So what’s changed Ames? Well, the SHEER VOLUME of requests I get. Every. Single. Day.

Simmer down haters. I know how y’all like to get confused about how recruiting works. Keep reading.

So let’s start with WHAT recruiters actually do anyway. We are hired by companies (internal or agency) to find, engage, and deliver qualified candidates. As such, our PRIMARY FOCUS is on engaging with people in our specific niche/line of business/talent populations. There are other business facing priorities, but let’s focus on the candidate/applicant/prospect side.

For many recruiters, our priorities are as follows:

  • Applicants (folks who applied directly to our open roles)
  • Employee Referrals
  • Sourced prospects

My personal policy and what I encourage my team to do, is to check the applicant buckets first thing every morning. Yes, some roles get hundreds of applicants, but rarely overnight. Even in those cases it’s still a good practice to quickly review/forward/disposition on a daily basis. Over the last few years direct applicants have been my personal best source of hire! Sourced candidates (found by me / my team) and formal employee referrals (via my company’s internal career site) round out our list.

OK Ames, we get it – but what about people who want to approach you?

Let me clear up one ridiculous misconception RIGHT NOW – I LOVE interested, qualified prospects sliding into my DMs. Love it. Absolutely love it. You think I dress up in silly costumes every week and come up with funny ways to bring attention to my open roles for the hell of it?

Y’all – I WANT people who could fit my roles to find me and talk to me.

Those folks are my SECOND priority, after direct qualified applicants. I try to quickly scan my various inboxes daily to make sure I’m not missing any hot prospects or urgent requests. I also share contact info for our entire recruiting team, which is the single best way (AFTER applying directly) to get in touch with us about roles we’re hiring for.

But what about everyone else? Job seekers need help!

Y’all have to understand that my day job is what allows me to create all the other content for folks I will never hire. That means my day job HAS to be my priority. I started this blog and later YouTube channel BECAUSE I was no longer able to keep up with all the one to one requests. I have no special skills. I was not born into privilege, nor was I handed any opportunity. I had to figure out the hard way what worked for me, how to network effectively, and what a proper job search strategy (FOR ME) looked like. My primary goal with this “side hustle” is to help the average, every day job seeker who does NOT have certain privileges navigate all this better. My content is FREE, no strings attached, and available to anyone who wants it.

I sincerely welcome any and all messages from anyone who wants to get in touch – I’m merely asking for a little grace and understanding if I can’t respond right away, or worse – completely miss your message and fail to respond at all. I will never – EVER – be mad that someone reached out to me.

Now there are SOME individuals who think I could provide more value by responding to hundreds of people every week with “sorry can’t help you” instead of “making videos every day”. (Once a week, sparky. I make videos once a week. Math is hard I know).

Now that we have a bit more CONTEXT, let’s dig into what job seekers CAN do to stand out and get helpful responses!

Get clear on your ask

If you just want to network or add someone to your LinkedIn connections, that’s totally ok! You can say that! Unfortunately I’m at the max LI allows, but I encourage folks to follow me to stay connected. Feel free to engage in comments, tag me in posts, I’m cool with that! If you want to DM me, please tell me EXACTLY what it is I can help with. If I see the message (and honestly, I get SO MANY I know I miss a bunch) I’ll do my best to answer quickly – even if it’s redirecting you back to a video or post I already made.

Do your homework!

I cannot stress this part enough – contacting the RIGHT recruiter(s) is such an important first step. Most of us are pretty good at highlighting our industries, the company we recruit for, and the kinds of roles we’re looking to fill. Simply targeting your message to the RIGHT kind of recruiter is already a game changer, and fairly low lift.

Connect with / Follow industry pros

So many job seekers default to RECRUITERS, which is fine! Most of us really do want to help and it’s like Christmas when qualified folks land in our inboxes. However, those messages can be accidentally missed in a sea of other requests. Don’t sleep on networking with fellow (insert title here) and their leaders! If I was looking for a new recruiting job, you better believe I’m hitting up RECRUITERS and recruiting MANAGERS at companies I want to work for.

OK Ames you’ve convinced me – now what do I SAY?

I got you! I’ve written targeted networking templates you can access HERE. These templates are intended to give you a framework you can personalize to your specific requests and target audience. I have lots of other content like Salary FAQs, Recruiting FAQs, all kinds of stuff to help you navigate this all more effectively. If you like videos, I’ve curated a whole playlist you might want to start with. – Job Seeker Survival Guide

To sum it up –

Friends, let me be vulnerable with you for a moment. While 90% or more of the reactions I get to my content is positive, I get my share of very loud haters. I’ve had people tag CEOs of three major tech companies (my employers) trying to get me fired. I’ve been insulted, threatened, and accused of all kinds of nefarious nonsense. I refuse to share my family on social media (rarely even pictures) because my KIDS have been targeted by strangers angry that I didn’t give them something they demanded of me.

There is NO profession – including recruiters – that deserves the vitriol certain folks lob our way. The fact that recruiters remain accessible after what we go through should be celebrated! I know my content (let alone my style) is not for everyone, and that is OK! My only ask is if you HAVE benefited from anything I’ve shared, please pay it forward. Share with your friends. I don’t want lifelong followers – my hope is that folks leverage my insights, get the role(s) they want and help the next group of job seekers.

I never want to shame anyone for seeking help. EVER. Asking for help is a sign strength, in my opinion. Recognizing your gaps, or where you need a lift, is a wonderful thing. I sincerely want to be that lift to as many people as I can, as effectively as possible.

Recruiters are human too – don’t forget that when asking us to put the HUMAN back in Human Resources.

P.S. – for the salty little potatoes in recruiting who think I owe literally every single person who contacts me a response – please leave your contact information below. I will add it to my auto-responder so that these folks can go to YOU for the direct, one on one assistance I am unable to provide. We thank you for your service. Alternatively, you can see if shutting up is right for you.

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