Prepping your client

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 | By Tony Seager

Perhaps one of the most overlooked areas of the recruitment process is preparing the client for interviewing the candidate, or the ‘prep’.

Preparing the client before interviews provides them with in-depth information on how the candidate’s skill sets and motives for exploring the career opportunity match what the client is looking for in a quality candidate.

The prep is your opportunity to ensure that the client has all the information necessary to close your candidate; it is also a chance to outline the concerns the candidate has about the role. You can even tell the client why the candidate is keen on the role!

There are four basic areas that should be covered during the preparation call to the client:

     1.        Candidate background and qualifications

     2.        Candidate “hot buttons”

     3.        How to interview

     4.        Expectations after the interview

There are two distinct benefits from the prep conversation:

     1.        Ensures the client that they are getting the necessary information to make an informed hiring decision.

     2.        Allows the client to know in advance what questions are critical to ask so that they can spend more of their interviewing time getting to know the candidate on a personal level.  Remember that 60 percent of the hiring decision is based upon chemistry!

Coaching the client on the prep call

Coach the client on:

     1.        Possible questions to ask to bring out the candidate’s benefits

     2.        Importance of listening carefully to the candidate.  Listening demonstrates interest and shows positive non-verbal suggestions as to the type of person that the manager really is.

     3.        How to ask questions that will draw out the candidate’s accomplishments.

     4.        How to ask questions that reveal how the candidate feels they will benefit from employment with the company.

     5.        How to organise an agenda for the meeting.  This helps to relax the candidate and allow the employer to show that they are prepared and organised.

     6.        How to sell to candidate’s hot buttons.

     7.        How to address any negative rumours about their company.  Have them acknowledge the situation and then focus on the positives of how the situation is turning around or being done differently.

Most clients feel that they are competent and comfortable interviewers.  All too often, however, the very opposite proves to be the case.  As with candidates, clients are spending their time and energy on developing the skills that they need to grow within their company. 

Interviewing skills are typically a secondary thought. A recent survey conducted by a major US recruitment magazine points out that many professionals lack interviewing skills. The survey found:

— 39% of interviewers were not prepared and not focused

— 27% had unclear job descriptions

— and 23% of the employers were not clear on the steps after an interview. 

Putting these statistics into perspective, 70% of the candidates surveyed said they used the interview to evaluate how a company operates.  Companies should to understand that poor interviews can impact their ability to attract top talent, and they also need coaching on how to interview. 

The prepping conversation also offers the consultant numerous opportunities to trial close the client before the interview takes place.  If prepping is done professionally, the interview itself should be nothing more than a meeting to confirm what both parties already know about one another.

Many consultants tell me that they are not permitted to speak to the decision makers and that everything MUST go through HR; indeed if they do contact HR they run the risk of being dropped as a supplier. There may be no way around this situation at the moment but it is always good practice to work towards improving your relationship and, ultimately, your hiring success. Explain to your client the benefits of prepping and debriefing directly with the interviewers.

Demonstrate that where you do have decision-maker access, hiring success is increased. Keep trying… just because they say no today, they may say yes tomorrow…

Remember that your role is to help clients make informed hiring decisions. By asking trial closing questions, you are allowing the client to evaluate all information and help them through the process. As a professional consultant, you get paid to help people make decisions. 

Tony Seager is the co-founder of Seal Recruitment Training Solutions. He also still manages a successful recruitment business. Email tony@seal-rts.com