I want to share a lesson that took me over three years to truly understand. “Going Dark” by both client companies and your hiring managers is the worst situation for a recruiter to help manage with his/her candidates. On the converse, for their clients too. We all tend to, as human beings, always think the worst in this type of situation: “They are no longer interested in me,” “They hired someone else,” “I blew the interview,” etc. If you are the hiring manager, your biggest concerns are actually two. They went to work for another firm or capitalized on your offer to remain at their current firm. Let me address the last one first. 99% of the time the answer is no. They did not capitalize on your interest to leverage a greater compensation package at their current firm.
Senior Individuals
I can state the above with an extreme amount of confidence. For when you are working with senior individuals, they just do not do that. There is a reason why they are working with us, and that is that they want to get the best new opportunity since there is a definite flaw or a significant void with their current situation. Having addressed this, let us move to the other concerns regarding your hiring managers.
Hiring Managers
Your hiring managers are just like you and me. We all have a personal life outside of our business, and sometimes life gets in the way of what a manager may want to accomplish. Things could happen that are way out of their control. Just look at this year for example. Who would have expected anything like all our firms going to 20% occupancy and 80% working at home for well over half a year? No one! It is no wonder they may have promised you that they would get back to you by a certain time, and they do not. It’s harder to round up senior management to get consensus, especially during a pandemic along with the holiday season.
The Reality Of The Circumstances When Your Hiring Mangers “Go Dark”
We then immediately think they have lost interest in us. Sometimes you may be right, but most of the time, life gets in the way. If you have heard that you had a great first and second interview, the manager is starting to put things together for you, business plans are being reviewed, draft offers being negotiated, etc.; believe me, they are. The holiday season causes various changes to previous plans, and many of them have nothing to do with their interest or need in hiring you. It is rare over the holidays that a manager would change his/her position as to hiring you, especially after giving you and the recruiter the impression that you may be working with them. They were interested in you. They may have shared moving forward would have to wait till after the first of the year. Most of your hiring managers have made their business plan. If they said you were to be starting after the first of the year, you must have the confidence and faith in your new hiring manager. You know how well you did in your interview. You were there when the manager expressed a great desire to get you on-board. Why would you question your own self-reliance and confidence?
The Lesson We All Need To Remember With Your Hiring Managers
Here is the lesson in a nutshell: we are human. Believe in yourself and your hiring managers. There is most likely a totally unrelated reason why you have not been hired yet. Once the personal and business issues are resolved, you will move forward again. Do not think the worst; instead, think the best and it will happen. Remember this can happen anytime in the hiring process – it does not have to be over the holidays. Whatever festival you may be celebrating, we wish you only the best this holiday season!
Conclusion
If you would like to discuss your options, please reach out for a confidential conversation at 760-477-1284 or email at [email protected]. He can also be reached on LinkedIn.
About Harlan Friedman, JD & Founding Member, H. Friedman Search LLC. Harlan is a thirty-year veteran Public Finance Banker turned recruiter who specializes in the placement of all level Public Finance Bankers, Health Care Bankers, Municipal Financial Advisors, Compliance Officers, Issuers, and Bond Counsels.