Get the best result from a recruitment agency interview
Unprofessional and shoddy recruitment agencies
We've all heard the stories and some of us have actually experienced them. You get a call from a recruiter. They're describing a fantastic job with a company you're really interested in. They demand that you take time from your busy work schedule to interview with them, in order to then recommend you through to the employer. You beg/borrow/steal time away from work. You incur travel expenses to meet the recruiter somewhere on the other side of town. Of course, its always really urgent and important that you meet "right away".
Then they go through a random "tick the box" exercise, leaving you wondering why the heck they didn't just go through this on the phone in the first place. Worse, they ask you to talk about your roles from 20 years ago. They assure you you're a perfect fit and they're getting their recommendation through to the client right away.
And then........nothing. No feedback. No returned calls. If you do manage to track down the recruiter, there might be some mumbled excuse about the job being pulled. All that urgency, time, expense and inconvenience for you, for nothing.
Ok. I know that the recruitment industry has some very average consultants and even some bad ones. And this is right across the industry from contingency firms to top level specialist search firms. Aside from issues with expertise, ethics, timeliness, feedback (you probably have your own list of gripes), any interview with these bunnies invariably feels like a waste of time – just going through the motions before you get to the “real” interview with the employer.
Are there any really good recruitment agencies?
Absolutely there are good and great recruitment consultants who are trusted advisers to their employer clients. Experienced professionals who really do have in depth knowledge on the company, its culture and politics, and the challenges of the remit – who know so much more about what will make the hire work over and above the spiel on the job description.
So when you strike one of these people, and you’ve been asked to interview with them, you really should be treating this as seriously as if you were meeting the employer. Miss a trick here and you won’t even get near the hiring leader, regardless of how good your CV or Resume is.
11 basics you need to get right with your recruitment agency when HR job seeking.
Manners.
You don’t have to like your agency interviewer. You don’t have to respect them. But if you’re rude to them, or to any of their support team, guess what will be reported back to the client. And it’s the agency interviewer who already has a proven and trusted relationship with the employer….
Technology
Turn off your phone before the interview unless you’re expecting a life/death emergency call. If you’re taking part in a VC/Skype type interview, test and recheck the tech in advance. Basic tech savvy is now a mandatory part of HR hires. If your incompetence is wasting the interviewer's time, the client is going to hear about it.
Virtual interviews
Move the kids/dog/party/distractions out of the room and out of earshot. If it’s a visual interview, then additionally move the dirty dishes, raunchy pictures etc. out of the interviewer's sight line. Lose the t-shirt/pyjamas/bosom heaving top. Many employers are utilising tech for virtual workplace meetings. How you conduct yourself in an interview gives your recruitment contact great insight to how professional you would be in the workplace.
Grooming
If we’re meeting in person, don’t fail to munch mints after that last cigarette, polish your shoes, iron your shirt, dye that grey hair stripe, press your suit…..
First impressions
Along with poor grooming, you're doomed for failure with a bad handshake, showing up with a chain store coffee cup (unless of course you're interviewing for that particular company!), sitting for a crotch display, showing up late without an apology…..why would I risk the embarrassment of you presenting like this to my client?
Answer the questions
I have clear objectives for this interview. Critical aspects that I want reassurance on. Don’t tell me what you think I should be asking. Don’t ignore the questions. If you can’t partner with me I’m not going to want to work with you.
Have the ‘hygiene’ aspects ready and to hand
I have lost count of the number of times when I hear “oh, I didn’t expect you to ask that” for something as simple as “what is your notice period/impact on bonus payment if you resign in the next 3 months”. It doesn’t fill me with confidence that you’re doing anything more than kicking tyres. And I won't risk wasting the time of my client.
Prepare with the right experience examples
Yet again this week I experienced the frustration of someone who knew in advance all the requirements of the job, but still wanted to talk about his experience with factory workers in a scaling down manufacturing environment when I kept asking him to describe relevant actions within a fast paced high growth white collar scenario. If you cannot apply your experience to the needs of the role, you won't be giving my client any reason to hire you.
Know the format of the interview and again prepare
I haven’t run my stats on this but my guess is that despite our warnings in advance, four out of five HRDs fail the most basic of behavioural competency interviews. Sure you know the theory and probably coach folks on this, but it’s very different being on the other side of the desk. If you cannot master this very simple format there is no way I’m going to risk you wasting my clients’ time with illogical and unfocused explanations.
Feedback
Ask for it. You may learn about habits you didn’t know you had. You don’t have to agree or even take the feedback on board. But any decent interviewer at this point has a vested interest in helping you to succeed. Hear them out. They may well be highlighting the one tiny thing that will stop you from connecting with the employer and landing the job.
Good grace
We make a point of advising our HR professionals right away whether we’re recommending them for the next stage of interview with our clients, or not. We also make a point of providing the reasons why. 99% of people (whilst they might not like this outcome) do agree with our assessment. Threatening to phone your father who plays golf with the company CEO won’t get you back into the hiring process. Neither will a direct approach to the employer – they’re relying on the counsel of their recruiting partner for a reason. In fact, showing anything less than good grace just calls into question your professionalism, damages your reputation with the agency, and shuts you out of any future hires they would have otherwise flagged through to you.
As a senior leader in the HR profession, you simply have no excuse not to get these basics right. Even when you’ve struck a rubbish recruiter it’s better to adopt this professional approach yourself rather than not. And of course all of these points apply once you get to interview directly with an employer.
Finally, let me share a secret with you. If you cannot impress me at interview, there is no way I will risk my relationship and professional reputation with my employer client, in the wild hope that you might be able to impress them. A faint and random chance of a placement fee, just isn't worth that kind of irreversible damage.
About the Author
Ian Mael is valued across his HR network for his diligent communications and authentic partnerships. As the leader for interim HR executive hires at Carter Morris, he brings over 15 years of recruitment experience for multi sector hires within demanding deadlines for the full range of specialist roles within the HR profession.