Talent Therapy #2

I’m baaack!

Apparently one session wasn’t enough to cover the dramas of hiring, because the dilemmas just keep coming. Candidates vanish, hiring managers move the goalposts, and every week there’s a new plot twist that could make even the calmest recruiter break into a stress-sweat.

That’s why Talent Therapy exists. To unpack the mess, the maybes and the “did that really just happen?” moments of building teams.

Let’s see who’s on the couch this week. 👀📋

💌 Dear Talent Therapist,

I’ve spent the past few weeks wooing a candidate. They told me they loved the role, the team and the company and yet when I delivered the offer? Silence. Crickets. Nothing.

I can’t help but feel like I wasted my time on someone who never intended to accept in the first place. How do I stop candidates from stringing me along like this?

– TrustIssuesInTech

🧑‍💻 Dear Trust,

I can feel your pain (actually, I think every empath within a 20km radius of Berlin can feel your pain) and my heart truly goes out to you. That said, I think we sometimes forget that we’re not the only ones evaluating opportunities here.

You surely have multiple candidates in the process per role, and it’d be silly to think most candidates aren’t engaging in more than one hiring process at a time. Unfortunately, some candidates will go ahead with your process in the hopes of using any offer as leverage for another company. It sucks, but it’s true.

The trick is to build that relationship throughout the process. Literally ask them if they’re interviewing elsewhere, and what excites them about the other opportunities. Don’t be afraid to get them to rank their opportunities or from asking what would make them want to accept your offer. It won’t stop every ghosting incident, but it will hopefully help you to see where their head is at before you even make an official offer.

P.S. one candidate’s disappearing act isn’t a sign for you to give up. Keep going, and the right one will come along sooner than you can say “you’re hired!”

💌 Dear Talent Therapist,

I need to grow my team but I’m secretly terrified of interviewing candidates. I’m fine assessing their technical skills but I break out in a sweat even thinking about pitching. HELP!

– PanickedInProduct

🧑‍💻 Dear Panicked,

Pitching for the first time can definitely feel like you’re being thrown into the spotlight with no script, but don’t worry. It’s normal, and will pass.

Don’t look at pitching like it’s some scary sales tactic. Pick three things you really love about the company and role, and simply have a conversation with the candidate about them.

In fact, most candidates will enjoy the interview more if you ditch the overly rehearsed pitch, and just guide them through a two-way chat. If all else fails, deep breathing also helps. 😉

Happy hiring!

💌 Dear Talent Therapist,

I need to hire a new batch of SDRs but I’m conflicted about choosing fresh graduates over candidates with prior sales experience. What if I take a chance on someone who’s hungry, but it takes too long to ramp them up? Time is money!

– CROWithFOMO

🧑‍💻 Dear CRO,

I get what you’re saying, experience looks good on paper but it doesn’t guarantee results. Even if you do hire the more experienced candidate, you’re going to have to train them on how to sell your product. Your experienced candidate might also bring along bad habits that they’ll have to spend months unlearning.

Interview both types of candidates, but focus on attitude, curiosity and resilience over anything else, and accept that you have to give them time to grow. You’re hiring an SDR, not a miracle worker.

Well folks, that’s all for today’s session.

Keep your instincts sharp, your questions ready, and your sense of curiosity intact. And if the hiring world ever feels a little too wild, remember there’s help you can call in to sit on the front lines with you.

Until next time! 👋