Recruiting Tip: "It ain't over 'til it's over."

DENVER, CO - Here's a sweet little executive recruiting tip for all you hiring managers + corporate and third-party marketing recruiters who read this blog:

An executive search isn't over until the winning candidate quits his current job and leaves the building!

Some cynical executive search pros would say that a search ain't over 'til the winning candidate starts in the new position -- but that's a little too paranoid even for a glass-is-half-empty optimist like me.  I'm not going to manage my desk by exception.

But the cynics have a point.

Currently, I have a Denver executive search where the offer has been verbally accepted by the winning candidate, and he and the hiring manager are haggling over a start date.  This has been going on for a week.

Naturally, the candidate has not given notice at his current job on the grounds that he needs the paycheck.  That's fair.  I don't like it, but there's not much I can do about it -- other than politely threaten to submit additional A-player candidates to my client.

Meanwhile, the hiring manager wants me to release all of my other candidates, one of whom was a very close second in this executive search.  I have strongly advised the hiring manager against dumping the field.  Frankly, until the winning candidate quits his job and leaves the building -- there's always the ugly possibility of his taking a counter offer.

Seriously.  Until he resigns and leaves, he is less committed to either company than he was before he had a firm promise of employment from both.  He has "two birds in the hand and none in the bush," so to speak.

So take a tip from the Hairman:  Don't release a single candidate until you are 110% sure that the winning candidate has resigned his current job and left the building.  It ain't over 'til it's over.
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Comments

[Neuromarketing]

This can cut both ways.

Yesterday, the hosts on the Fox News morning show were discussing the fact that Rosie O'Donnell apparently lost her job offer from MSNBC after she prematurely spilled the beans at a book signing.

One of the commentators noted, "You don't really have the job until they give you the key to the bathroom." From a candidate's standpoint, I guess that's as good an indicator as any. :-)

Roger

[Ted Grigg]

If I were in your client's shoes, I would make an offer to candidate number 2 immediately. If the #2 candidate accepts and agrees to a reasonable start date before candidate #1 commits, then tell #1 he has lost the opportunity.

Without a start date, they are still negotiating. And 1 week for a start date decision seems like a low level commitment from the candidate IMHO.

Let's get on with it already.