When a client is unhappy with a recruiter's handling of a tough situation, a properly handled time-out is more professional and probably more effective than a vengeful act of bad-mouthing

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RECRUITERS BEHAVING BADLY: Does
somebody need a time out?
By Nanci Lamborn, SPHR and BrightMove Recruiting Software
When we were all somewhere between the ages of 3 and 7 years old or so, we began
to recognize the difference between unintentional sins of omission or negligence and
the intentional choice to do whatever we jolly well pleased. What spirited adult doesn’t
recall at least a small block of time from a childhood of headstrong precociousness
being spent in the dreaded time-out chair? I would venture to say that even the word
“time-out” evokes certain images for each of us, whether or not we really meant to paint
the cat or make sissy’s ponytail go bye-bye. And anyone who has enjoyed watching Brit
Jo Frost as ABC’s The Supernanny http://tinyurl.com/2c2t59l can certainly respect the
behavior altering power of a well executed time-out period.
So can it alter the habits of badly behaved adults as effectively?
Stories abound of late regarding potential employers behaving poorly towards
candidates http://tinyurl.com/nx9w7m, and job seekers who are warned to use caution
with recruiters http://tinyurl.com/39tkczl. But go looking for accounts of professional
responses to these sorts of corporate behaviors, and the results are non-existent. So
here’s a novel concept. What about a professional time out?
Case in point: A company seeks the services of a recruiter for a hard-to-fill position and
provides a job description and a clearly budgeted salary range. A few presented
candidates miss the mark slightly until the recruiter presents the Pièce de résistance
aspirant, with a pricey catch of course, and the employer agrees to consider the
superstar even with the recruiter’s clarification that this hire would command a specified
chunk of cash over their top limit. But, per the recruiter, “he’s SO worth it.” Fast forward
through stellar interviews to what becomes uncomfortable negotiations for everyone,
until the company finally learns that Mr. Pièce was actually earning many more chunks
above the base need identified by the recruiter and was never really planning to jump
ship. So the company feels played by the candidate and very poorly served by the
recruiter, with countless hours wasted by everyone involved. If this story sounds all too
familiar to you, hopefully it isn’t because you’ve presented your share of Pièces.
So what’s the company to do? One brilliant manager has an ingenious response. The
recruiter should be placed in time out. (Collective eyebrows furrow, then raise, and a
smile of understanding begins).
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The recruiter does indeed deserve an explanation for the punishment. First and
foremost, for the very same reason that adults must explain to their younglings exactly
what rules were broken to warrant such a penalty, the recruiter must be told plainly (in
case of daftness) where the missteps exactly occurred. (In the example situation, there
are several; intentionally failing to honor the client’s specified budgetary boundaries,
and failing to adequately vet the candidate before presenting). This is also a time for the
angry client to do some well-deserved cooling off, during which the recruiter is
instructed not to call or refer any candidates or initiate communication of any kind.
None. Zilch. Zero. (That’s why it’s called a time-out).
Another beauty of this process is that a properly handled time-out is more professional
and probably more effective than a vengeful act of bad-mouthing or holding a heated
shouting match or playing a cagey dodging game. And just like a parent welcomes a
hopefully now slightly humbled and more obedient child back into their good graces
after a time, this isn’t forever unless the recruiter repeats the offense.
So, Recruiters, would anyone say that you need a time out?
Nanci Lamborn, SPHR, is a freelance writer and a senior generalist with a global
investment software firm based in Atlanta, GA.
About BrightMove Recruiting Software
BrightMove is a leading provider of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) recruiting software
and talent acquisition solutions for staffing, Outsourcing and corporate HR recruiting.
Incorporated in 2003, BrightMove has quickly grown to become a system of choice for
recruiters who want to use advanced tools designed to find and manage only the best of
talent. With more 60 clients worldwide including Subaru of America and Maidenform,
BrightMove is one of fastest-growing ATS providers in the industry.
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