Your ability to express yourself in an effective manner is critical to landing a job. We will explore this issue in greater depth in the next few weeks, but at this time I would like to focus on your interface with the Executive Recruiter. As you now understand, the recruiter is the gate-keeper. You must do an effective job selling her before you will have an opportunity to sell the hiring manager. So let’s discuss those critical touch points and your responsibility during each.
My preference is to make my initial contact via email. It is more productive and eliminates the embarrassment of catching someone off guard. In that email I indicate the basic parameter for the search I am working and ask the recipient for their interest or referrals. If there is interest we will schedule a preliminary phone conversation. Phone conversations have their limitations, however, the best candidates understand and overcome those limitations. I have found that some otherwise solid candidates do not perform well on the phone compared to weaker candidates who may have a very good telephone presence. Generally speaking, however, good telephone skills follow the better candidates.
The preliminary call is my first opportunity to take the measure of the candidate. I want to gauge the individual’s ability to communicate their interest, enthusiasm, motivation, and personality. It will be a short conversation so the prospect (not really a candidate yet) must get to the point and resolve the most pertinent and immediate questions. Vague, non-committal responses will likely eliminate one from further conversation. If we decide to move to the next step, I will provide more information so the candidate can begin his due-diligence. When the candidate becomes comfortable with the client and the job, we will schedule a more in-depth phone interview. This is usually a 60 minute conversation designed to fully understand her background, strengths, and skill-set.
As I discussed in last week’s post, I need to understand my candidate’s complete work history. I like to listen to their career “story” and ask questions that focus on specific accomplishments that dovetail with the job requirements. The savvy candidates have given a lot of thought to their career and know how to present their history in an interesting way. This is my opportunity to gauge their communication skills for content and language. If an executive has difficulty telling their career story, they will likely have difficulty performing effectively in the job. I expect the candidate to talk in complete sentences, using appropriate grammar. Communication skills matter! The questions I ask about specific accomplishments are meant to reveal the candidate’s approach to leadership, problem-solving, and project management. Questions about job changes reveal the candidates thinking about career management.
I usually leave time for the candidate to ask a few questions. Oftentimes I do not have the answers to questions about broader corporate strategy, but can be helpful with questions related to the specifics of the job. The questions asked by the candidate and the timing of those questions are revealing. If the candidate does well on the in-depth phone screen we will schedule a face-to-face meeting.
In summary, communication matters! The savvy candidate understands the recruiting and selection process and prepares for each conversation as appropriate. Telephone conversations have their limitations. It may be difficult for some people to make a meaningful emotional connection over the phone. If you are one of those people, I suggest that you practice becoming more demonstrative over the phone. If necessary, seek out professional help.
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Jim Weber, President
New Century Dynamics Executive Search
www.newcenturydynamics.com