This one’s going to sting a bit.

One of the favorite games recruiters like to play is HOW MANY REQS ARE TOO MANY. Now this is probably more of an issue for my corporate brethren, but if my agency friends will indulge me, you’ll perhaps find something useful here too.

I won’t argue if you have 30, 40, 50, or even 100 reqs. Of course you do. What I will ask you – are all those reqs created equal? PROBABLY NOT.

There are so many variables at play here. Some things we need to consider –

  • Which reqs overlap? Let’s say I have 10 openings for a call center representative. If the profile is EXACTLY the same (or damn close) and I’m working with a single hiring authority, that is a far cry from 10 reqs with wildly different requirements and hiring managers. There are lots of creative ways to do high volume hiring – treating each headcount as an individual hiring need may not be the best use of your time.
  • Internal Only posts. Here’s the hard truth – some roles are just not yours to fill. AND THAT’S OK. If a hiring manager already has people in mind, or just isn’t that into external talent for whatever reason, LET THAT SHIT GO. You can follow along and/or keep track of the hiring process (depending on how your company does it, you might have internal transfer responsibilities) but you are NOT launching a full scale recruiting effort. So stop acting like it.
  • It’s not a priority. One of my favorite lines to use following an intake with a new hiring manager – “I’ll give this as much priority as you do”. Here’s the simple truth – if the HM is not willing/able to play ball, why should you? This doesn’t mean you won’t put in ANY effort – but again, not all reqs / hiring needs are created equal, and it’s totally ok to have a different strategy for each.
    • Pro-Tip – clear this with your boss / HM’s boss or someone who can cover your ass when the HM bitches that he/she never hears from you. Also, thorough notes/emails to prove your effort (and their lack of) can go a long way to CYA.
I know some of you might be thinking this doesn’t apply to you. I can’t possibly understand YOUR situation. I have NO IDEA how bad you have it, how busy you are, and how every single one of your 100 reqs require daily, individual, and specialized attention. So let’s talk about it.

Send me an email at amy@recruitinginyogapants.com and I’ll schedule a 30 minute check in. We’ll review your req load, talk about your hiring partners and I’ll give you a strategy or two on how to straighten out the mess on your desk.

I’m in. Are you?