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Type: HR, Report if not a HR topic
Thanks Harish Sir for your valuable contribution..
Hai Veena,
Its really a good idea...
But in current scenario its quiet difficult to include such clause in the agreement because consultants are getting more flexible in their services.
You can see the post by Ms Ashwini in this topic"http://hrlink.in/topics/are-consultants-facing-a-downslide-in-job-requirements".
So when consultant are getting flexible its difficult to add such clause.
Communication gap is a problem but there are many other factors such as:
* Some time company put the position in hold.
* Communication gap between Recuiter and Line Manager (mentioned by Harish Sir).
* Availability of interviewer, panel members etc
* Other priorities (in case of multiple openings, Key positions are filled first)
* Other engagements (leaves, functions, programs etc)
* And Many other factors...
And one more thing as the competition is high among consultants some time such clause may affect them adversly...
Dear Shipra Madam,
Thanks for your consideration but I am no more working as Recruitment consultant. I was working with some Consumer Durable, Fmcg and Pharma clients but now I changed my functional area.
I had posted this topic because I seen many recruitment consultant facing similar problems.
Thanks Shipra, for the answer. I now understand the difficulty
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Problem faced by HR Consultant...
Type: HR, Report if not a HR topic
Posted 15-07-2009Reply
Hai Friends,
I worked as Recruitment executive with a HR Consultancy few months back.. I faced a common problem over there.
We were only concentrating on Recruitment services. So, all recruitment executive were working on more than 5 requirements at a same time.
I use to source some 5-10 potential candidates in a day for a requirement. As recruitment is a time consuming process (It involves sourcing candidates, pre screening if required, sending profiles to HR, Getting feedback from them and scheduling interviews etc).
I had some experience where company had taken more than 25-30 days for giving feedback. In such case some candidates step back/drop out due to the delay in the process, some had opted other jobs, some just forget about the opening and some showed disinterest towards our service.
We cant blame candidates because:
* They were in need of job
* There are N no. of consultancies doing telecalling (and many consultancies are working on same openings)
* Our regular excuses(your resumes are forwarded, waiting for feedback and all) leads to disinterest among candidates.
We cant even blame companies because we have to maintain long term relation with them.
To resolve this problem I started updating candidate about their status of application through mail/msg but still we use to face such problems.
Please share your valuable advice/solutions to solve such problem to avoid drop out during interview.
With regards,
Vinay
Dear Vinay,
The question you posed is a very genuine problem faced by every recruitment professional, not only in consultancies but also in corporates. In corporates, after you send the cv to the concerned line manager or in other words your internal client, there are occasions when they fail to revert with a feedback on the CVs for days/weeks together. Sometimes even months. In this scenario, the only thing you can do is to keep in touch with the candidate and keep him warm.
But having said that, there is a personal threshold limit for each candidate in terms of the wait-period. When a professional is looking for a job change, there are various factors which influence his decision to look out. They can vary in magnitude from a candidate to candidate. For example, if there is a candidate who is expecting to be laid off and hence looking out, he would not bother too much about waiting for the prospective employer. It would be based on first come first served basis most of the time.
We have to admit that as long as recruitment is there, no-shows would be there. By no-shows I mean both during the recruitment process as well as post-acceptance too. These are beyond the control of not just the recruiter but also the company which is hiring. No-show is at the end of the day, inspite of all our best efforts, an individual's prerogative and when it comes to individual prerogatives, there is a limit to which external factors can play a role.
I am glad you are keeping in touch with the candidate in the interim and keeping them warm. It helps to have a healthy rapport with candidates.
Having said that, I follow a simple principle when it comes to Recruitment.
NEVER FALL IN LOVE WITH A CANDIDATE.
This means that a candidate is a part of the system that the recruiter operates, albeit with much lesser control. The best part is, there are many around. So, instead of feeling bad about a no-show, it would be a good idea to make an analysis of the no-show percentage as per your past hit rates and factor that percentage as a backup. For example, if your MIS shows that you have been having a 10% no-show for a particular client, it would be a wise thing to keep a back up of 10% candidates prescreened and ready to be sent to the client. This would save you the trouble of going back to the sourcing stage when a candidate is a no-show.
Good luck.
The question you posed is a very genuine problem faced by every recruitment professional, not only in consultancies but also in corporates. In corporates, after you send the cv to the concerned line manager or in other words your internal client, there are occasions when they fail to revert with a feedback on the CVs for days/weeks together. Sometimes even months. In this scenario, the only thing you can do is to keep in touch with the candidate and keep him warm.
But having said that, there is a personal threshold limit for each candidate in terms of the wait-period. When a professional is looking for a job change, there are various factors which influence his decision to look out. They can vary in magnitude from a candidate to candidate. For example, if there is a candidate who is expecting to be laid off and hence looking out, he would not bother too much about waiting for the prospective employer. It would be based on first come first served basis most of the time.
We have to admit that as long as recruitment is there, no-shows would be there. By no-shows I mean both during the recruitment process as well as post-acceptance too. These are beyond the control of not just the recruiter but also the company which is hiring. No-show is at the end of the day, inspite of all our best efforts, an individual's prerogative and when it comes to individual prerogatives, there is a limit to which external factors can play a role.
I am glad you are keeping in touch with the candidate in the interim and keeping them warm. It helps to have a healthy rapport with candidates.
Having said that, I follow a simple principle when it comes to Recruitment.
NEVER FALL IN LOVE WITH A CANDIDATE.
This means that a candidate is a part of the system that the recruiter operates, albeit with much lesser control. The best part is, there are many around. So, instead of feeling bad about a no-show, it would be a good idea to make an analysis of the no-show percentage as per your past hit rates and factor that percentage as a backup. For example, if your MIS shows that you have been having a 10% no-show for a particular client, it would be a wise thing to keep a back up of 10% candidates prescreened and ready to be sent to the client. This would save you the trouble of going back to the sourcing stage when a candidate is a no-show.
Good luck.
Dear Vinay,
The question you posed is a very genuine problem faced by every recruitm... See Harish's complete reply
The question you posed is a very genuine problem faced by every recruitm... See Harish's complete reply
Thanks Harish Sir for your valuable contribution..
Hi,
I dont have any experience in recruitment, i am a fresher. But by seeing the above article i thought is..There is absence of Communication.
Not between the Candidate and Consultancy but between the Consultancy and the Company.
While entering into an agreeement, can there be a Clause included as to by what time the company shall let know the feedback.
I am not sure..if this clause can be added up or whether its there.
I believe there should be a Deadline for either openings are closings, if it needs to be systematic.
I agree to get a contract is Difficult in this immense competition but if this problem needs to be avoided, its better.
I dont have any experience in recruitment, i am a fresher. But by seeing the above article i thought is..There is absence of Communication.
Not between the Candidate and Consultancy but between the Consultancy and the Company.
While entering into an agreeement, can there be a Clause included as to by what time the company shall let know the feedback.
I am not sure..if this clause can be added up or whether its there.
I believe there should be a Deadline for either openings are closings, if it needs to be systematic.
I agree to get a contract is Difficult in this immense competition but if this problem needs to be avoided, its better.
Hi Veena/Vinay,
As far as contract is concerned it is not at all possible to make a dead line for the feedback. Feedback depends on many factors, so better to avoid drop outs after the interview and your hard work on the candidate and with the client as well, at the time of screening try to know about candidate background and urgency for the job.Also try to give them hint about the time results can take.
Its better to loose a candidate at initial stage rather then after many steps.
Be honest, never tell fake or manipulated information just to have a candidate, at later stages you will surely loose the game.
As far as contract is concerned it is not at all possible to make a dead line for the feedback. Feedback depends on many factors, so better to avoid drop outs after the interview and your hard work on the candidate and with the client as well, at the time of screening try to know about candidate background and urgency for the job.Also try to give them hint about the time results can take.
Its better to loose a candidate at initial stage rather then after many steps.
Be honest, never tell fake or manipulated information just to have a candidate, at later stages you will surely loose the game.
Hi,
I dont have any experience in recruitment, i am a fresher. But by seeing the above ... See Veena's complete reply
I dont have any experience in recruitment, i am a fresher. But by seeing the above ... See Veena's complete reply
Hai Veena,
Its really a good idea...
But in current scenario its quiet difficult to include such clause in the agreement because consultants are getting more flexible in their services.
You can see the post by Ms Ashwini in this topic"http://hrlink.in/topics/are-consultants-facing-a-downslide-in-job-requirements".
So when consultant are getting flexible its difficult to add such clause.
Communication gap is a problem but there are many other factors such as:
* Some time company put the position in hold.
* Communication gap between Recuiter and Line Manager (mentioned by Harish Sir).
* Availability of interviewer, panel members etc
* Other priorities (in case of multiple openings, Key positions are filled first)
* Other engagements (leaves, functions, programs etc)
* And Many other factors...
And one more thing as the competition is high among consultants some time such clause may affect them adversly...
Hi Vinay,
I am totally agree with you. In every consultancy Recruitment Executive face same type of situation.
However,as Harish and others suggested,its alwys better to keep a back up of screened candidate for the lasd minute back out candidates.And try to be in touch with the shortlisted candidates n update them time to time.
Rest, the coordination should be tandem with the client as many consultant will be in the same pool.And its the most important part of the recruitment system.Many a time a good candidate couldn't find the right job because of lack of coordination.
Keep the spirit high n all the best.
Regards,
Bichi
I am totally agree with you. In every consultancy Recruitment Executive face same type of situation.
However,as Harish and others suggested,its alwys better to keep a back up of screened candidate for the lasd minute back out candidates.And try to be in touch with the shortlisted candidates n update them time to time.
Rest, the coordination should be tandem with the client as many consultant will be in the same pool.And its the most important part of the recruitment system.Many a time a good candidate couldn't find the right job because of lack of coordination.
Keep the spirit high n all the best.
Regards,
Bichi
Let me know in which vertical you are working, may be i can suggest you other options as every secto... See Shipra's complete reply
Dear Shipra Madam,
Thanks for your consideration but I am no more working as Recruitment consultant. I was working with some Consumer Durable, Fmcg and Pharma clients but now I changed my functional area.
I had posted this topic because I seen many recruitment consultant facing similar problems.
Hi Veena/Vinay,
As far as contract is concerned it is not at all possible to make a d... See Shipra's complete reply
As far as contract is concerned it is not at all possible to make a d... See Shipra's complete reply
Thanks Shipra, for the answer. I now understand the difficulty
Hi Vinay,
Interesting Topic !
Well, to begin with let me share the figures you have given us... More than 5 requirements at any given point of time, and on an avg. 5-10 CVs generated on a given day... It comes to around 50 CVs / week.
In case the feedback is not there in a week, on let us say, 50% of the positions, you have 25 candidates to keep warm...
The next week, again you generate 50 CVs, and the same process happens, you have to keep 25 candidates warm. Say out of the 1st weeks 50%... you get a feedback on 10 candidates, so you have now 40 candidates to keep warm. And so on....
After 4 weeks, you will probably have about 80 candidates to keep warm, who will be actively calling you, or mailing you.So you will be actively spending effectively a day in a week just to RETAIN them. (spending on an avg 5 minutes per candidate per week)!!!
Also they will be creating a bad image of you and your unprofessionalism within their small community of friends & colleagues that it has been a month but you have not given them any opportunity so far.
A much better option is to create a team which is working on similar positions in similar organisations, so that in case a profile is not useful in one organisation, he can be used for some other similar organisation. That creates a NICHE for you, wherein anybody looking to work in a particular area and haveing experience and expertise in it will come to you on his own, (and there are far fewer chances of these candidates being a no show) and the companies also value your work.
It is a decision the recruitment companies have to take as they need to decide what areas they want to operate in, and at what costs. In case the company wants to work in three areas (In your instance FMCG, Consumer durables & Pharma) with only one executive handling all three or parts of all three, they are asking for trouble.
In my opinion, it is a specialised work, and one executive should be given a similar set of clients, to leverage his database, knowledge, skills, interpersonal relations, and simply to avoid duplicacy of efforts. In such a scenario, the consultancies have to decline the opportunities they get in their non core areas, and they have to tell their friends in HR that they cannot take these assignments at this point of time, which is very difficult to do. Let them create a team and a similar set of clients. (Which requires tremendous amount of understanding of the industry, company, target companies & different roles!!!)
The consultancies have to look at long term profit rather than short term gains, but unfortunately, I have not seen many consultancies declining any new assignment. (WE DO DECLINE!!!)
The whole problem is that everybody is doing everything, and that is creating the chaos.
Interesting Topic !
Well, to begin with let me share the figures you have given us... More than 5 requirements at any given point of time, and on an avg. 5-10 CVs generated on a given day... It comes to around 50 CVs / week.
In case the feedback is not there in a week, on let us say, 50% of the positions, you have 25 candidates to keep warm...
The next week, again you generate 50 CVs, and the same process happens, you have to keep 25 candidates warm. Say out of the 1st weeks 50%... you get a feedback on 10 candidates, so you have now 40 candidates to keep warm. And so on....
After 4 weeks, you will probably have about 80 candidates to keep warm, who will be actively calling you, or mailing you.So you will be actively spending effectively a day in a week just to RETAIN them. (spending on an avg 5 minutes per candidate per week)!!!
Also they will be creating a bad image of you and your unprofessionalism within their small community of friends & colleagues that it has been a month but you have not given them any opportunity so far.
A much better option is to create a team which is working on similar positions in similar organisations, so that in case a profile is not useful in one organisation, he can be used for some other similar organisation. That creates a NICHE for you, wherein anybody looking to work in a particular area and haveing experience and expertise in it will come to you on his own, (and there are far fewer chances of these candidates being a no show) and the companies also value your work.
It is a decision the recruitment companies have to take as they need to decide what areas they want to operate in, and at what costs. In case the company wants to work in three areas (In your instance FMCG, Consumer durables & Pharma) with only one executive handling all three or parts of all three, they are asking for trouble.
In my opinion, it is a specialised work, and one executive should be given a similar set of clients, to leverage his database, knowledge, skills, interpersonal relations, and simply to avoid duplicacy of efforts. In such a scenario, the consultancies have to decline the opportunities they get in their non core areas, and they have to tell their friends in HR that they cannot take these assignments at this point of time, which is very difficult to do. Let them create a team and a similar set of clients. (Which requires tremendous amount of understanding of the industry, company, target companies & different roles!!!)
The consultancies have to look at long term profit rather than short term gains, but unfortunately, I have not seen many consultancies declining any new assignment. (WE DO DECLINE!!!)
The whole problem is that everybody is doing everything, and that is creating the chaos.
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