For all of us old rockers, this title may ring a bell. And for those too young to remember Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones, this is one of their most well-known songs and I’ll bet you’ve heard it referenced somewhere. My wife and I recently had the pleasure of watching this 78-year-old rocker strut his stuff on stage in Seattle. He had all of us old geezers on our feet and moving like we were teenagers again. But amid the nostalgic buzz, I found myself thinking about how time is increasingly on the side of the hiring firms and not the candidates – especially with the current finance hiring trend. This is what I want to explore in today’s blog.
An Evolution…
Many of my faithful readers reach out to me and ask about current trends in the world of public finance. Hiring in this space is evolving, and I think it’s wise to understand how. The time to get a candidate hired is increasing exponentially, and hiring managers are not necessarily making the final hiring decisions anymore. In some instances, the hiring managers don’t know if a firm is going to let them hire a particular candidate or team. Behind closed doors, senior management is becoming much more involved in the hiring process than ever before. Frequently, hiring managers are now just filtering qualified prospects and passing them along. It then falls to Human Relations experts which ultimately make the final decision.
The Effect On A Candidate
What does this emerging finance hiring trend mean for candidates? Unfortunately, it requires more patience to ride out the longer process. Additional interview steps are often being added as senior management is desperately trying to get it right. The cost of a hiring mistake is now being looked at more closely than ever before. Opportunistic hiring, which is my forte, is being slowed down to ensure the person or team is additive and not duplicating current resources. The most frustrating thing about this new trend is that the hiring manager is not necessarily aware of what is happening in the Ivory Tower concerning the candidate(s) they have submitted.
Firms are also requesting more candidates to interview for each position to ensure they are getting the absolute best fit from the available talent pool. But the trouble is, because of this longer “sit-and-wait” hiring process, qualified candidates are opting to stay where they are. In turn, this is further reducing the candidate pool creating a paradox.
What To Do?
I’m currently experiencing three such situations. This is not to complain; the process is what it is. Rather this blog is written more for the candidates waiting and navigating this new finance hiring trend. You are being asked to remain more patient with today’s hiring process than you ever have before. You are hearing more often that updates will be conveyed to you as soon as we have any information. The best advice is to continue to be patient, but proactive. Whether you are working with a recruiter or not, be sure to stay in touch with your interviewer and continue to demonstrate your support for the position. Hopefully, this trend is not here to stay, and soon time will again be on the side of the candidate and its representatives.
Conclusion
You don’t need a resume to chat with us! 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. Harlan publishes a blog every Thursday here. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter here, which is a compilation of our weekly blogs, so you never miss one. We have also been mentioned in Forbes, click HERE to read for yourself.
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 levels Public Finance Bankers, Healthcare Bankers, Municipal Advisors, Compliance Officers, Issuers, and Bond Counsels.