Recruitment is full of ups and downs. When you find the perfect candidate and they get their perfect role it feels really rewarding. However, there are certain candidates who do not instil such a warmth in our hearts, and this blog post will tell you five of these candidates and how to deal with them!
The Unprepared One:
They’ve never researched the company they’re interviewing for, they probably don’t know what job they’re interviewing for, and every sentence includes an ‘errr’ or an ‘ummm’. While this can be super frustrating, we should consider that they may just be young and inexperienced, and simply don’t know how to prepare for an interview. So, if you think they have potential, take the time to walk hem through the interview and give them some tips so that they smash it.
The Entitled One:
This candidate has no relevant work experience and irrelevant education to match (I’m thinking along the lines of that Meme Degree…). They don’t understand why you can’t find them an instant job. If this candidate has skills, they expect much more from their next career move is likely. So, try to get them to face their skills gaps by asking them to justify their being put forward for a senior role (as if speaking to the hiring manager), which should put their career move into perspective a bit more.
The Rude One:
We’ve all dealt with these people before, the one who acts condescendingly to everyone they ever encounter. If they are a great candidate other than their rudeness then you may want to figure out what has made them act this way – they may be completely oblivious so question it if you are unsure! Similarly, address your own behaviour, make sure you get to know them and figure out what they want from the recruitment process and work with them to achieve that.
The Needy One:
This candidate will contact you with every question they think of, and within 20 minutes of their interview you have several missed calls waiting on your phone. As recruiters deal with a whole bunch of candidates on a daily basis, this candidate can be a huge drain on time. Don’t get me wrong, keeping in touch with candidates is vital, and making them feel valued is one of our biggest jobs, but excessive contact is unfeasible.
The Uncaring One:
On the other hand, there are plenty of candidates who literally could not care less. They think that hard work is for losers and see the recruitment process as completely beneath them. If this attitude is as a result of something you have done, then make sure that you apologise and attempt to rebuild the relationship. If not, make them aware that their behaviour creates a bad impression on employers – don’t risk your reputation on a candidate who is undesirable.
Hopefully by now you have an idea of how to deal with the worst types of candidates, and if you work in recruitment I’m sure you’ve dealt with at least one of these examples. If you need help advertising for (better) candidates, we are offering a free guide on writing job adverts, which you can find below!