The words flew right out of my mouth. Wasn’t sure if I should have said what I said. In the end, however, it provided for a wonderful piece of candid coaching for a candidate.
I was on the phone yesterday with a very talented Chief level executive who was not moved on to the next step of the interview process with my client. I truly admired this candidate and his skill set but was troubled by his in-depth negativity about his current employer.
I was candid with him about why he did not get to the next step. I felt that he was wearing his deep disappointment with his current employer on this sleeve. He had used about ten minutes of our intial interview session telling me why his current employer was a tough employer to work for and his obstacles to success. Frankly, it felt more like a vent session than an interview.
As soon as I gave him this feedback he proceeded to take another 3 minutes telling me again why his current employer was not a good situation to be in. Then the words flew right out of my mouth, “I don’t care.”
Silence.
I then explained that my focus was finding the best candidate fit from a company culture and skill set perspective. I also offered to him candid feedback that he needs to vent to others about his current situation (perhaps to a Minister, Psychologist, Spouse) and that he needs to walk into an interview with a clear expectation that he is competing with other talented candidates who do not bring negativity.
I think it got through to him. We had a positive and connective discussion after saying what flew out of my mouth.
Sometimes candidate feedback can be painful for both the recruiter and the candidate. In this case, I believe it will be a blessing in disguise. This talented Chief level candidate will do better in his next interviews with the understanding he now possesses.
I feel certain about that and feel good about it.
