I’m Glad “We” Didn’t Get The Job

I returned home from a busy day in executive search to watch the drama I engage in on a daily basis unfold in reverse.  It all started when my overworked wife who heads a successful public charter school came home from work late with a gleam of hope in her eyes.

“A recruiter called me!”

“Uh, I call you every day, honey.”

“No, a real recruiter! About a job for me!”

Ah, the power of the recruiting call. I guess I had begun to take it for granted. She was fired up! And, God bless that recruiter, so was I! Jaded ‘ole me! In the course of their conversation the recruiter made note of the positive news her school was getting, the gains they were making statewide and the steady tenure she had at the organization which was approaching twelve years.

We reviewed the job description together and I knew she was a perfect match.  The school interested in her was offering more compensation and the opportunity seemed fantastic. The recruiter knew his client. God and changing jobs decisions are in the details! So my wife touched up her resume, sent it back to the recruiter with a cover letter and immediately she was scheduled for a phone interview.  Then suddenly things ground to an abrupt halt.

The recruiter who took every one of her calls became a bottomless voicemail box.  She had no formal feedback for several days following what seemed to be a positive interaction with the hiring authority.  Seeing how crestfallen my wife was made me reevaluate how my candidates feel when I don’t have prompt feedback or worse, bad news.

In the end, the organization decided to go in another direction. But my wife taught me one last recruiting lesson I thought I had already learned. “It was still fun, and maybe the next recruiter and the next call will be the one!”