Monday, October 12, 2015

Get a Real Job Mr. “Recruiter!"




So here’s the scenario:

 While we are traditionally a direct placement firm, we have a contract employee solution for firms seeking contract staffing. We have had a Work Comp Adjuster contract employee out on assignment with an insurance carrier, and this contract employee has been assigned a pending case load of claims for one of this carrier’s larger organizations. This organization for the carrier was looking to hire an adjuster to handle their claims internally.

The organization had this position posted to their website. A “recruiter” saw this adjuster job posting, then went onto LinkedIn and found a profile for a Work Comp Adjuster and presented/referred this profile to the organization for review. The organization actually knew the candidate who was presented by this “recruiter” because it was the contract employee handling their claims through the carrier as mentioned above.


Now the organization feels obligated to pay this “recruiter” a fee because he “referred” the candidate to them. Okay let’s stop right there. I had never heard of this “recruiter” beforehand, so I took to Google to do a little research. They call themselves an IT recruiter. They are located in CA. So….

First thing to take note is that this person is outside their area of expertise. They are not an insurance recruiter. They do not recruit claims. They recruit IT, or so they state.
Next thing to take note. This type of practice is precisely what gives the recruiting profession a bad name. The good, respectable recruiters are constantly battling this type of behavior. It is not acceptable to ambulance chase in our profession. Respectable recruiters don’t peruse employer websites looking for openings, then locate a profile on LinkedIn, and then send in that profile with never even telling the candidate. This is a completely unacceptable practice.

To make things even worse, the organization tells us that this “recruiter” was hard to reach, did very little to assist them when they did start the interview process, and the candidate even stated that the “recruiter” bullied and threatened them.

Get a real job Mr. “Recruiter,” there is no place in this profession for people like this.


Dear Hiring Manager/HR Professional,

This is not an acceptable practice. You do not owe this “recruiter” anything. First, you knew the candidate before this “recruiter” ever shared the LinkedIn profile with you. Second, the candidate didn’t even know their profile was being sent to you. Third, this “recruiter” had no business sending you this profile…period. Their tactics are despicable.



Scot Dickerson, CPC
President, Capstone Search

Monday, October 5, 2015

Job Interviewing To Get to the Heart of What You Really Want to Know, and Quickly…….




The right hire can create excitement and energy among team members. A hiring mistake can quickly undo employee productivity.  

Focusing on achievements and accomplishments comes in a number of forms, but particular interview questions get to the bottom line more efficiently than others.

“Tell me about your career progression, leading me up to what you do now in your current role.”

Focus on progression and assuming of greater responsibilities. Often people who strive for progression also have a greater achievement awareness that translates into higher productivity, creativity, and employee engagement. Keep in mind that progression doesn’t always meet changing in position. A person can add to their experiences and skill sets by taking on added responsibilities without change in position/title.

An interview question such as, “What makes you stand out among your peers?” can be an excellent measure of an individual’s level of self-esteem and awareness of accomplishments. 

If the job candidate stumbles in coming up with an answer, you could gently lead them to a similar interview question, “Why would your former bosses say you’re a valuable employee? What do you think they would remember most about you?” Be sure and watch interview body language and eye contact while a candidate responds.

A good question to give you insights into how well candidates can quantify their achievements could be done by asking, “What have you done at your present/last company to increase revenues, reduce costs, or save time?”

Remember that intelligence, prior experience and credentials don’t mean much unless new hires are willing to apply themselves to the new job. An excellent interview question to learn more about a candidate’s initiative is, “What’s the one achievement that you’re most proud of in your career?”

People who focus on achievements and accomplishments tend to get to the results faster.


Scot Dickerson, CPC