News and Insights

When hiring managers say one thing but it really means something else, Part 1: “We want to really take our time to find the best fit and don’t want to settle.” 

What they really just said:  “We aren’t sure how to qualify what we are looking for and will compare good candidates to the myth of the perfect candidate. We are going to interview more candidates than necessary and regret not having hired the first or second person interviewed because we wanted more comparisons to evaluate.”

What a qualified candidate hears: “the hiring manager seems indecisive.  Is this common for this company?  Will this happen in other decision making processes? Can things get done here?”

What experienced recruiters hear: “This might be a problem client and our team will likely have to perform the search 2 or 3 times as the client will be defining the role and moving the target along the way.”

What inexperienced recruiters hear: “We just need to find more candidates. After 12 interviews, the “one” has to be out there somewhere. The hiring manager now knows what they are looking for even if they had that in candidates #2, #4,and #5.”

We get it. Hiring decisions are tough and there is a lot at stake if you make a bad hire. Hiring managers often express the desire to meticulously find the perfect fit, but what lies beneath this can impact the entire recruitment process. Recognizing that uncertainty might be causing delays, it’s crucial for hiring managers to define crystal clear qualifications early on and grade candidates against those. 

We usually recommend the 80% rule. If a candidate seems to be 80% qualified for the role and a strong cultural fit, make the hire. No reason to continue shopping. Rather than chasing the elusive “perfect candidate,” focus on outlining the key skills and attributes essential for success in the role. 

The recruiters at Bell & Associates, Inc. consult clients on hiring best practices all the time. Whether you know exactly what you are looking for in the ideal candidate or you could use some guidance to define that, we can help. Reach out to one of our recruiters to learn more.