Saturday morning I awoke to find an email nasty-gram from one of my candidates. I first heard the term "nasty-gram" from a former Boss to describe a certain type of negative, personal memo. It seems this candidate was miffed that I had not responded to his email earlier in the week indicating that we could not schedule a meeting until later in the week. Mea Culpa! No excuses. I thought I had acknowledged his email. My priorities for the week had changed and I failed to close the loop with this candidate. On the other hand, I did not receive a follow up note or a reminder from him either.
I must say that I was naturally taken back. Mad even. When dealing with professionals one expects a certain amount of discretion, giving one the benefit of the doubt, as it were. I took responsibility for my oversight and apologized. I invited him to call me at his convenience for an update on the search. This is a younger candidate who may not have worked with an Executive Recruiter before. In any event, if he knew how to craft a note to obtain a favorable result he chose a different direction, taking the unprofessional route. On the other hand, he may have an over-inflated ego, or anger management issues. Whatever the reason for the tone of his missive, it spoke volumes about him as a person. He was not my strongest candidate for the search in question, by a long shot, but he was a possibility. After the receipt of his email, his status dropped significantly. Seriously, is this the kind of person I want to put in front of my client? Do I want this guy representing my reputation? Doubtful!
When you are working with a recruiter, whether a company recruiter or a third-party Executive Recruiter, your behavior is being evaluated at every contact point of the recruiting and selection process. Looking for a job is stressful, but one must deal with stress on the job too. If you are perceived to handle stress poorly as demonstrated in the recruiting process then your ability to handle normal job stress will be questioned.
Communication skills are critical in professional callings. The ability to express yourself persuasively in verbal and written form is mandatory. No company wants to deal with the drama created by strained relationships due to less than professional communication and behavior. The way you interact with your recruiter and prospective employers during the selection process gives them a window into how you will behave if hired. It will definitely affect your ranking in the process.
When you are under consideration for a job you must be at the top of your game, all the time! The last thing you need to do is create doubt about your viability. The slightest slip can diminish your standing. Creating strained relationships with anyone who has a vote in the hiring decision is very unwise. You must make those folks your friends and supporters.
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Jim Weber, President
New Century Dynamics Executive Search
www.newcenturydynamics.com