Top Five Recruiter Lies (and How to Avoid Them)

Top Five Recruiter Lies (and How to Avoid Them) Top Five Recruiter Lies (and How to Avoid Them) Top Five Recruiter Lies (and How to Avoid Them) Charney, Social Media Engagement Manager Last year, we took a look at the top lies candidates tell recruiters, warning employers of common tactics used by job seekers to embellish their resumes. With the hiring market showing signs of life and the war for talent heating up, it was time to turn the tables for an honest look at the top lies recruiters tell candidates. Obviously, these statements are often true and crucially important when communicating with candidates. Most recruiters are honest and upfront with job seekers.Largely caring and committed, recruiters really care about every candidate. The bad news is that many of the most common put offs, while usually well-intentioned and largely innocuous, are as integrated with the recruiting process as applicant tracking systems. The good news? Avoiding these worst practices instantly translates into observing best practices, an improved candidate experience and an easy win for your employment brand. Here are 5 lies thatrecruiters oftentell candidates: 1.When a recruiter says: Ill keep you in mind for future opportunities. It might really mean:Your resume will sit in our database untouched until you apply for something else. If youre not right for any of my open reqs, any memory of you ends the moment I hang up this phone. Best Practice: Tell candidates up front whether you feel there will be other possibilities for them down the line. Offer them an explanation into your rationale. Provide suggestions for relevant training or experience to increase their chance of landing a future role. 2.When a recruiter says: Salary depends on experience; theres no real set amount. It might really mean: I already have a figure with almost no margin for negotiation. So your expectations are really the sole determinant as to whether this conversation continues or if Ill keep you in mind for future opportunities. (see above.) Best practice: An important element of every basic phone screen involves learning about a candidates motivations in seeking a new opportunity; often, salary issues top this list. While its not appropriate to require a candidate to disclose their current compensation or targeted salary during an exploratory screen, its crucial to address this directly if the candidate discloses an increase in pay as a primary driver or as non-negotiable. If youre screening for a specific position and know the range, tell the candidate if the numbers match. Disclose an even slight variance; the candidate, not the recruiter, should determine whether or not theres a willingness to negotiate for this job. Having this conversation up front can avoid complications later. 3.When a recruiter says: Youll hear from us either way. It might really mean: Well send you a templated rejection letter from a blind e-mail adddress, if youre lucky, leaving the candidate to wonder if theyre still in contention. Best Practice: Most applicant tracking systems send an automatic confirmation via e-mail to applicants; many of these same systems will also send an email to let candidates know when a requisition closes and they are no longer in contention. Monster, for instance, integrates these capabilities directly into individual job postings, ensuring this important candidate touch point can be managed without extra work. When closing a position on Monster, employers can confirm that an e-mail will be sent to candidates who are no longer under consideration. While your company probably has specific legal and HR approved language that must be included in notification letters, provides a best practices framework that can easily be adjusted to meet the needs of individual employers. Adding your name or a personalized message can help make a little effort go a long way. Its as easy as pressing send. For candidates contacted for a phone screen, its a best practice to let them know directly if theyre not selected. If they took the time to follow up and answer questions, common courtesy suggests you should do the same. Its OK to turn a job seeker down professionally; not informing a candidate about it is not. 4.When a recruiter says: Were interested, but were still looking at other candidates. It might really mean: An offers been extended to someone else, and were really hoping theyll accept so we dont have to go to Plan B: you. Best practice: Be upfront about where the search stands. If there are some outstanding questions or concerns surrounding a candidate, let them know; theres a good chance theyll be able to provide information to inform a pending decision.If the hiring managers delaying making an offer for reasons that have nothing to do with the candidate, make sure they know exactly what those are and the timeframe. If you dont know this information, let the candidate know the next time youll speak with the hiring manager and follow up with both.Status quo is almost always better than no status at all. 5.When a recruiter says: I was passed your name by a mutual contact who asked to remain confidential It might really mean:I found your information online. Best practice: This line remains incredibly common when engaging candidates for the first time. While candidates show increased willingness to speak with someone based off a referral, its important to let a candidate know how you developed the information to contact them. This ensures active job seekers know whats effective while passive candidates stay informed about the visibility of information. It also leads to better sourcing in hiring reports which is often self-reported by candidates. This information helps recruiters and employers know which resources are most effective to make more informed decisions when establishing and executing search strategies.