Published 24 June 2011 by David
Welsh
I have unearthed a secret shame that
blights recruitment consultants at all levels of the profession.
It can ruin relationships, leave all
concerned deeply dissatisfied, and potentially inflict untold damage on the
sufferers, those they are supposed to care for, and the economy as a whole.
The recruitment profession is
suffering an epidemic of premature evaluation.
It seems many recruiters have been
suffering for a very long time, although the economic stress and pressure of
today’s world is exacerbating the condition. Consequently, premature
evaluation is now reaching epidemic proportions.
Like most private, shameful
syndromes, its sufferers are largely in denial about it. In fact, some
only feel free to discuss it in internet chat rooms, like LinkedIn. Many blame
their partners. They lie to hide its existence, or say that premature
evaluation is not a problem.
Let’s talk a little more about this
condition.
Many recruiters sometimes last no
longer than twenty seconds when presented with a candidate's application before
evaluating. Oh sure, they have their excuses. They don’t have time to be more
considerate. The pressures of work create stress and that aggravates the
condition. Anyway, if an application prompts a premature evaluation it must be
the candidate's fault.
Premature evaluators are in fact
more or less incapable of seeing the problem as theirs, and not the
candidate's. Length, untidiness, unattractive presentation and other ephemeral
characteristics get the blame. In fact, premature evaluators lack the
patience, depth, knowledge and often the experience to build a more mature
appreciation of a candidate's application.
They just want to evaluate and move
on quickly to the next application.
Premature evaluation would be less
of a problem if the recruitment profession was more honest about its
prevalence, and showed some interest in addressing it. Sadly, many, perhaps
most, lie to protect their dark and secret predilection.
Anyone who has read a recruiter's
website, or had to listen to one of their pitches, will know the words they
use. They tell their clients they have the most rigorous methods. They
talk about the care with which they treat candidates. They attract both
with a veneer of knowledge and sophistication, perhaps tarted-up a little but
nevertheless promising nothing less than a first class performance.
Sadly, both clients and candidates
discover too late they have been seduced by a premature evaluator. Great
candidates are cast aside after an over-hasty encounter with their application.
Wildly inappropriate job seekers are placed before hiring officers.
Frustration, anger and shame are the result.
Many do not even know they have been
let down, because premature evaluation does not require the physical presence
of a candidate. The CV alone is enough. Suspicion, however common, can
rarely be proved, and the victim of a premature evaluator can live in twilight
of half-knowing, and blame themselves.
The condition came to light a few
days ago when I was busy reading discussions on various LinkedIn groups for
recruiters – strictly research you understand. There you can find recruiters
admitting just how little effort they put into evaluating CVs. I was shocked
with the freedom many of these premature evaluators felt able to flaunt their
condition. Twenty seconds, thirty seconds, anything longer than a minute was an
unusual time to spend with an application.
Just as an experiment I looked up
the websites of some of these recruiters and there are all the old lines about rigor,
experience and care.
How can the rest of us protect
ourselves from premature evaluators? Until the sufferers are ready to
abandon denial and start to grow out of their condition, we will have to take a
few precautions. Premature evaluation is so widespread among recruiters you
will rarely be able to spot someone with it in advance.
For now, the best prophylactic would
seem to be a good application – one that is reasonably short, crisp, direct,
and to the point. It should have some attractive features near the top, and
punchy one liners that grab, and keep, their attention. You need to keep the
recruiter fixed, delaying evaluation until a later session or at the very least
until a more thorough evaluation has been performed.
Sadly, a cure seems a long way off.
Those suffering from it have taken refuge in deceit and secrecy. It may be
eventually the Government will be forced to act. Until that day the best thing
we can do is protect ourselves using the techniques I prescribe above.
