Back in college, an advisor suggested that kicking off my career in a sales role would be a great way to gain valuable skills that I’d use throughout my professional life. I feel the same about taking a role as a corporate recruiter.

As a working adult, statistically speaking you’ll be looking for a new job about once every 4 years, which over a 50 year career, adds up to a lot of job searches. So wouldn’t it be beneficial to understand the hiring process from the inside?

I mean, have you ever thought about how recruiters are measured in terms of success from a company standpoint? Or how they interact with hiring managers, and if they read your cover letter? Maybe you didn’t realize that recruiters can easily tell who applied through a big job board versus who sought out the company website directly to apply.

We’re often blind followers of authority, believing that physicians are skilled in the latest procedures, officials always uphold the law and hirers are objective.

However, the common thread is that we’re all human, and as one yourself, you know that people sometimes cut corners, are swayed by emotions and harbor unconscious biases.

If you spend a few years in a corporate recruiting role, here’s what you might see:

Job descriptions don’t align with performance measures. Many hiring managers speculate about the skills they believe will make a candidate successful before writing a job description based on SEO and interesting projects to attract the best candidates, versus spending time building a job description that reflects what an employee will actually be measured on. That’s why many job ads focus more on the company overview and benefits than what they expect a candidate to specifically achieve. You’ll also see similar qualities — team-player, problem-solver, strong communication skills, Bachelor’s Degree — in many descriptions. Yet if you ask why a 4-year degree is a necessary qualification, you probably won’t get a performance-related response. So whether you’re hesitant to apply because the job seems beyond reach or believe you’re a perfect match, be careful not to get too attached to what’s on paper. Instead, do your research, check with your contacts and ask clarifying questions.

**Many jobs are filled before they’re posted. **You’ve likely seen it in your own organization. A hiring manager identifies an internal candidate, but needs to go through the motions of posting the job publicly and interviewing other candidates (who have no shot at landing the role) to adhere to organizational policy. Even if the job is truly available, referrals will get priority before internet applicants, so if you’re going to apply online, it’s worth reaching out to your network to 1) learn if the job is already filled, and 2) get a personal introduction to the recruiter or hiring manager.

**Hiring Managers aren’t trained to hire. **As a recruiter, I’ve lost count of the times I’ve cringed when I’ve heard what an interviewer has asked an applicant. Questions such as “What kind of animal would you be?” are benign (yet have no validity in determining if you’re qualified) as compared to the clearly illegal questions (e.g., “Are you planning to have kids?”). And if you believe that the higher-ups in the organization know how candidates are truly treated (e.g., ghosting, application gymnastics, etc.), it’s unlikely. At the most senior levels, hiring is conducted through referrals, networking and headhunters. Want to better understand what’s happening in the mind of a hiring manager? Click here. Once you realize how bias and emotions impact hiring decisions and the unexpected obstacles you’re likely to face, you can compile a better strategy to clearly demonstrate the value you bring, regardless of who is leading the interview.

#recruiting #interview #careers #hiring #jobs