I do a lot of searches, and one of the critical mistakes I see hiring managers make is that often they feel like there's a better candidate right around the corner. Never fails. No matter how good my first batch of four candidates is, hiring managers always ask "Who else is out there? What else you got?"
Assuming that you are not simply stalling my best candidates until you can source a comparable one without a search fee, this is a fair question. But if you are partnering with a reputable recruiter who knows your industry, company, and the position, then there's a good chance that the first batch of four candidates will be better than the second or -- heaven forbid -- the third. Remember, we recruiters make most of our fee when a deal closes, so we will usually hit you with our best shot in the early innings of a search. Also understand that in all selling situations, ...
when they are in HEAT.
Fact is, your odds of closing an A-player decrease the longer you allow the deal to drag on. Recruiting is selling and selling requires momentum in much the same way a jumbo jet needs speed to gain lift. If I send you an A-player and you tell the him that he did very well in his interview, then he assumes that you will move him quickly through the hiring process.
But if you subject an A-player to a herky jerky, hurry-up-and-wait hiring process, then he is likely to get a bruised ego and tell his friends about his bad experience. This damages your employment brand and my reputation.
You and I need to sell in tandem. Nothing will help us close a great candidate more effectively than a sharp, well coordinated attack. Such an attack starts on the drawing board, where you and I have agreed on all of the attributes of a perfect candidate beforehand.
Why recruiting is like Blackjack
When I first speak with a hiring manager, I will explain that recruiting is like Blackjack. You know the rules: Players are dealt two cards in the hope of getting a total of 21. The player who gets the closest to 21 without going over, wins. Naturally, 20 beats 19, 19 beats 18, and so on. A score of 21 is called Blackjack, and anything over 21 is called a "bust." For recruiting purposes, it's merely overqualified.
In an executive search, I will always "deal" the hiring manager my four best resumes. Based on our "drawing board" sessions and my knowledge of my client's industry, company, and the position, the resumes are usually on the money. Next, after reviewing the write-ups of my own interviews with each candidate, it's up to the hiring manager to perform on-site interviews with any of them he chooses.
Let's say that he opts to meet with three of them, Candidates A, B, and C. After his interviews, the hiring manager advises each of these candidates that he likes them and will be in touch shortly regarding next steps. Based on my debriefs about the interviews, the candidates are usually hopeful -- especially Candidate A, who enjoyed an excellent chemistry with the hiring manager. Based on the interviews, the hiring manager scores my candidates as follows:
- Candidate A: 20
- Candidate B: 18
- Candidate C: 17
Now he has a problem. He wonders "Is it possible that if I held out, I could draw a 21?" My answer is always "Absolutely! With much less overlap than you'd think, there are 44 million resumes on Monster, 17 million on CareerBuilder, and 4.5 million bios on LinkedIn -- and that's just the tippy tip tip of the iceberg. There is always a perfect candidate out there somewhere." The problem is finding them quickly, and you've got a job to fill.
Nobody's Perfect
According to the Wizard of Odds, the odds of getting a 21 in Blackjack are 4.8%. Similarly, if your best candidate is a 20, then it does not behoove you to stall Candidate A while holding out for someone better. Best case, you could interview a dozen candidates before the perfect one comes along. Worst case, you could interview another twenty and be no better off than you are now.
Realistically, all you will do is take the momentum out of the deal for Candidate A and allow him to unemotionally analyze your opportunity -- and others. Remember, as part of our recruiting efforts we have awakened Candidate A to the fact that he could be doing better elsewhere. Since first taking our call, Candidate A has gone from "passive" to "active" in the job market. By week three, he may be talking to your competitors. Not good.
The key to winning with Blackjack as a recruiting metaphor is in knowing what constitutes a 21. If you haven't defined what the perfect candidate looks like, then you won't know to what extent a candidate is nearly perfect. Nor will it make sense to hold out for a better candidate if the first four don't "feel right." Define the perfect candidate so that you'll know him when you see him, and don't be afraid to pull the trigger when you do.
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