Here at The Internal Recruiter we know the day to day struggles of the staffing industry and how a Recruiter can go from hero to zero at little fault of their own.
No matter how many questions we ask and how hard we try, the truth about recruiting is that you will have candidate falloff of an assignment (relieved of their duties prior to project completion) after being successful placed multiple times throughout in your career.
As a current Recruiter, having a candidate go through our hiring process and starting with a company only to see them fall off within the first few months is an extremely frustrating issue I have had to deal with (as recently as last Friday) although it is important to ensure we are making the most of the bad situation and gaining valuable insight so we do not run into the same issue in the future.
When I see a candidate falloff I make sure to do the following:
Find Out Why
First and most importantly, we need to understand why the candidate was removed from the opportunity. Was it something they did wrong? Did they not have the right skills for the position? Or was it something out of their control?
Knowing the true reason is essential to help coach the candidate and make the determination if they are someone you will consider working with in the future. If the candidate was let go because for example they did not have a strong understanding of a software, that is a skill they can learn and improve upon for a future assignment.
Although on the other hand, if the candidate might have displayed an abrasive personality and could not get along with others, that is an issue to consider if you feel comfortable putting your name on the line and representing them to a future client.
Review Your Notes
Once you find out the reason, make sure to go back into your applicant tracking system and see if there were any notes you had written that could have indicated any worries that this could have been foreseen.
If the candidate was let go for example, due to their inability to work a specific schedule and you see in your notes that they made you aware of that in an early conversation, make sure that you realize the importance of that issue so that you do not find yourself taking risks on similar candidates in the future.
Be Honest with Your Hiring Manager or Account Manager
We all make mistakes, if you realize that the issue could have been avoided, don’t run away from it and blame others. Tell the Hiring Manager or your Account Manager that it was an unfortunate error that you have learned from and will mitigate similar issues in the future can go a long way to build trust.
Anyone who has hired understands that falloffs happen and candidates of poor quality can be replaced although staffing industry professionals who place blame elsewhere or not taking responsibility for overlooking an issue can fracture the trust between Recruiter and Manager and can easily lead to the Recruiter being replaced without earning the opportunity to backfill the position.
Learn from Your Mistake
Take the time to compartmentalize the issue or issues that lead to the candidate being removed from the assignment. Store those issues away so that the next time you hear of a future candidate voice a similar concern that you are able to immediately recognize it as a “red flag” and to proceed with caution before presenting this candidate to a Hiring Manager.
Every Recruiter wants to make as many placements as possible although understanding the risks that come from presenting certain candidates is essential to keep your account relationships strong. This is essential so that you do not turn into a Recruiter with the reputation of having to constantly replace previously placed candidates due to an issue that should have been identified within your screening process.
If you follow these steps, remain honest and control what you can, you will earn the trust of Hiring Managers and build long term relationships regardless of the unforeseen candidates issues that are bound to happen within the staffing industry.
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