Recruiting in China

Last week we introduced what we like to call the job search obstacle course. We¡¯re determined to break down the obstacles that are standing in the way of job candidates, recruiters of all kinds, and hiring managers of every ilk.

We all know that matching the right candidate to the right job involves a lot of jumping through hoops, swinging over moats, and countless other travails for all parties involved. Today, though, we want to focus on one of the major obstacles corporate recruiters have to deal with on a regular basis: hiring managers.

In a perfect world, these two forces would work together for the greater good. Unfortunately it doesn¡¯t always work out that way, and corporate recruiters continue to express their frustration with the folks they¡¯re trying to help. The recent results from a recruiter survey don¡¯t bode too well for anybody:

¡°A total of 80% noted struggles with hiring managers. Fifty percent of the survey respondents indicated that dealing with hiring managers was the biggest problem they faced, while another 30% indicated it was the second- or third-biggest problem they faced. Collectively, these problems had to do with their belief that managers are not strong at assessing competency or recruiting, and that many overvalued skills and experience when determining which candidates to interview.¡± (From Adler Concepts)

While opinions about what is important in a candidate can cause problems, they are problems that seem to relate back to a lack of communication, an issue we continue to see in all aspects of the job search. Sitting Xlegged highlighted this all too common occurrence in their recent list of challenges and frustrations corporate recruiters are forced to face:

¡°I¡¯m in a desperate need to fill my position. When will you send me some candidates? I¡¯m dying here.

¡°Don¡¯t you just love getting calls like this from hiring managers who spent a month creating their requisition and the day it opens they expect results from you? Three words: communication, partnership, and service.¡±

Some of the obstacles standing between corporate recruiters and hiring managers may never quite disappear. But if we can create a space for these two groups to communicate effectively with each other and with job candidates they might remember that ultimately they want the same thing: to effectively match the right person to the right job.