I think we’re experiencing a very interesting phenomenon right now within the professional services industry and particularly in terms of recruiting highly sought after candidates and certainly candidates in those hard to attract levels such as BD/Client Advisors/Consultants/Specialists. I’ve noticed this happening for some time, and I thought I’d share my views. Of course, these are purely my views and observations after coming up to 14 years recruiting for our industry and I’d love to hear others viewpoints, whether you agree or not.
So, very often I hear this from outstanding candidates who are being wooed by one or more firms including their own and it’s this “I’m not really ready to move, but I wouldn’t mind having a coffee and a chat as the firm/role/BD team/(insert phrase here) is interesting to me and I kind of wouldn’t mind exploring them/it a bit more”
OK, often not what you want to hear but what is a way forward?.
My response is always to talk to the client and set the scene and the expectations, naturally. Some clients are very happy to have an exploratory coffee if the candidate is an excellent one, and believe me, excellent candidates know they are excellent! Really switched on Managers know that when the candidate leaves that coffee meeting, and if they have done their job well and that means being honest about the firm and the opportunity but demonstrating also the potential career development and team esprit de corps etc., they should hopefully have made such a good impression on that that candidate that they are sufficiently intrigued or interested to want to continue the conversation. It’s a golden opportunity for the person doing the interviewing to showcase themselves and their firm – I know, a switch from the old ways of doing things isn’t it but the idea is to ensure that candidate really feels a positivity when they walk away.
Other clients might be a bit more closed off to these exploratory meetings, or say yes and then conduct said meeting as though it was an official interview, which happens and is highly non productive for everyone.
This small article is to encourage every client who is reluctant to take such an exploratory meeting, or to take it and then turn it into a formal interview to think twice. Yes, it might not come to anything, but more formal interviews often don’t either. If you trust your recruiter and they are telling you the candidate is fantastic, then take a leap of faith and have that coffee. The best Heads of Marketing and BD Directors are adept at this and get the best candidates from being open to it! I promise you!
I say this because I’ve seen coffees turn into job offers and placements time and time again. An interview is a two way street – it is no longer a situation where the client has the upper hand – great candidates are in great demand, the counter offer is in play, savvy firms want to keep their exemplary candidates, so if their exemplary candidates say they wouldn’t mind having an exploratory coffee, do it! Those candidates know their worth, they really do – you have to woo them!!!
A word from the wise – it might not happen this time for client/candidate, but you never know how these things are going to pan out long term. I’ve seen it happen. What do you think?
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