Adding Up Why Recruiters Suck

Over the past year, I’ve spent a lot more time on social media. Recruiters sure do take a beating around here. The image from google search completion says it all.

Today, I felt compelled to provide a glimpse inside a week in the life of a corporate recruiter at large organizations. I apologize for the length of this post in advance, but recruiters do A LOT in a week. I'm sure you do too.

Here’s the why behind the two most common complaints I hear:

“I haven’t heard anything on my application and I applied three weeks ago”

"I haven’t heard anything on my opening and it’s been open for a week”

The recruiter is working on anywhere from 15 (dream world) to 50, 60, 70 openings at a time. In my experience leading teams, partnering with clients, and as a corporate recruiter the average runs somewhere in the 20-30 range for most. Let’s take the average and do the math. Let’s assume about ½ of those jobs (call it 12) are in the phone interview stage.

Okay, I'm the corporate recruiter and I've got 10 hours left (assuming a 40-hour workweek) to take care of all this other stuff:

1. Writing and posting job descriptions. This takes about 30 minutes each if you have an ATS that works well for this & and an up to date library of job descriptions used for posting. It could take up to 2 hours if you have to manually post on every job board or social channel along with a full rewrite of the job description (because you were given an old template). I have 2 new jobs ready to post this week (assuming I have an awesome ATS that never ever shows a spinning loading wheel and is lightning fast) so 30 minutes each! Another hour gone…9 hours left.

2. Reading resumes of applicants on posted jobs. I have an average of 20 applicants per job and 10 jobs that need resumes reviewed this week, that’s 200 resumes! Let’s take 30 seconds to read those resumes. Oh wait 30 seconds isn’t long enough to actually READ THE RESUME I need a minute average. 30 seconds to review on the obvious "no" and at least a minute and a half on those worth a full review. 200 minutes gone. Why touch all of them? Doesn't the ATS handle this? We recruiters must at least scan a resume or review the pre-screen answers from the person who has absolutely no relevant experience and change their status in the system because….COMPLIANCE! 3 hours and 40 minutes left

3. Sending emails to all my hiring manager(s) providing them updates on their positions and presenting any candidates I recommend move forward – call it another hour gone. 4 hours 40 minutes left

4. Chasing down the hiring manager to get the feedback on who they want to interview because they DIDN’T RESPOND TO THE EMAIL – 5 more minutes follow up call/email both methods tried this time per manager. It’s a good week only 2 managers didn’t respond. 10 minutes. 4 hours 30 minutes left

5. Filling out the interview request form for the coordinator to schedule face to face interviews with the hiring team or scheduling myself – I have to schedule 6 face to face interviews this week. Those forms are cumbersome 5 minutes each at least so another 30 minutes gone. 4 hours left

6. Chasing down the interview participants to ANSWER THE DAMN INTERVIEW INVITE – 2 minutes per 5 people who think outlook scheduling is dumb and still use their desk calendar. 10 more minutes 3 hours 50 minutes left.

7. Notifying candidates of the next steps in the process or making sure my coordinator was able to do this. I have 6 who are interviewing onsite, 4 headed to offer and I need to make sure I know what they’ll accept, 2 I need to complete background check paperwork and aren’t getting back to the coordinator. This is 12 candidates I have to call them all. I’m either leaving a voicemail (1 minute each or talking to them 4-10 minutes each). So, say I reach ½ by phone and keep it quick, 4 minutes that’s 24 minutes on calls and another 6 minutes leaving some messages. 3 hours 20 minutes left

8. Scheduling and conducting feedback sessions with hiring teams from interview five of these meetings will take me 30 minutes each. I'm fortunate, these people know how to hire and NEVER disagree; these meetings ALWAYS end on time. 5 x 30 =150 minutes = 2 hours and 20 minutes. One hour left

9. Chasing down the interview panelists about the feedback session because they didn’t ANSWER THE DAMN INVITE – 55 minutes left

10. Getting into the applicant tracking system and closing out candidates, moving them to the right “step” in the software, making sure their applications are signed, offer letters are signed and of course that it’s all compliant in the event of an audit or and EEO or OFCCP lawsuit. There is no way this is less than 30 applicants often way more. Call it a minute a piece because I've got that awesome ATS….25 minutes left

11. Rescheduling the interview (or delegating the rescheduling) that’s scheduled for tomorrow at 8:00 AM when Janet who ACCEPTED THE INVITE lied and she is a required participant – of course, it’s 4:30 PM and I’m supposed to attend a baseball game tonight with my kid, but I’ve got this. I call the candidate and apologize that we need to cancel, grovel, get availability, and fill out that interview request form again, send an email to notify the rest of the interview panel that the interview is canceled because my coordinator actually owns the invite and well….left the office at 4 and someone has to do it. 25 minutes work week is done. ZERO hours left

12. Meet with hiring managers to learn about the new positions put on desk this week (3) 45 minutes each. Negative 2.25 hours

13. Attend that training session on the new law related to fair pay in several states and learn how we are supposed to implement this at the company and what our approach will be. Negative 2.75 hours

14. Notify talent sourcing about those three obscure positions that aren’t getting any qualified applications and I need help – 15 minutes Negative 3 hours

15. Find appropriate headhunter to help with the one opening my sourcing department can’t help with because they are supporting 25 other recruiters who all have needs too. Interview 3 of them to make sure they know this area 15 minutes each Negative 4.25 hours

16. Research the career fair the Joe asked me if we thought attending would be beneficial for that job he’s hiring for next week – 15 minutes Negative 4.5 hours

17. Contact the two job boards that Annie is convinced has all the right talent we need and get the pricing for posting a job there…wait on hold, jam out to some Billy Joel learn it’s $585 for a single job posting on one and $395 for the other Negative 5 hours

18. Okay, let’s get real. Those phone interviews, if they are 30 minutes, take at least another 10 minutes to clean up my notes and attach them to the system. They actually deserve 40 minutes and if we're being completely honest almost NEVER end on time. It should be 45 minutes each. Technically, I started the week with 45 hours of phone interviews activity not 30….negative 10 hours. Never mind, I’m an excellent recruiter and will recognize the candidates who aren’t a fit quickly and get that 5 hours back by cutting phone interviews short. Negative 5 hours. Besides, this is America! No one works 40 hours a week. It’s okay, I’ll just bring lunch everyday and eat at my desk. I’ll somehow find the time to:

19. Call Abby and keep her warm because the hiring manager “loves her” but still wants to see “a few more candidates” No one is counting anymore

20. Tell Jim that the candidate he just offered a job got a counteroffer for 10k more to stay at his current employer and though he really wants to come work for us it’s to tempting to refuse unless we can at least meet in the middle.

21. Contact the background company and ask why in the heck Andrea’s background isn’t cleared yet and she’s supposed to start on Monday only to find out that the drug testing company labeled the sample as diluted and she needs to retest.

22. Contact Andrea and ask her to get the drug test done today or her start date might slip only to learn she’s out of town taking a vacation prior to starting on Monday so she can’t.

23. Notify Andrea’s hiring manager that there’s no way on God’s green earth that she can start on Monday.

24. Follow up with my coordinator to ask why 2 of the 6 interviews I have in queue to be scheduled are still not on my calendar.

25. Track down that missing payment for the recruiter who helped me fill a job 4 months ago and their invoice is 60 days past due.

26. Track down the hiring manager to get the cost center information so that recruiter can get paid.

27. Conduct the market research on mechanical engineers to support the 2019 diversity hiring strategy aiming to hire at least 20% females into the role only to learn just 7% of all mechanical engineers are female. Shit, there goes my bonus.

28. Contact compensation and present my business case for why I need permission to go $2,000 outside of range on that job that’s been open for 145 days so Jim can get that candidate with the counter offer on board.

29. Contact legal to kickoff the legal posting requirements needed to bring on that H1B candidate

30. Build rapport with my coworkers, attend the team meeting, have the one on one with my boss, meet with my mentor, meet with my mentee and attend that “must see” webinar on the latest video interview technology we are piloting, go to the bathroom, workout, spend time with family, contact my friends, PLAN MY VACATION

Dear corporate recruiters, It’s not hard to see why things slip. More people need to know why. I know your boss tells you not the tell the hiring managers or candidates how many jobs you are working at once. It’s okay. You’re doing your best and probably doing a kick-ass job! I’ll help if I can.

Dear applicants, it’s usually not the recruiter’s fault.

Dear hiring managers, answer the emails, answer the invites and please send Janet a note that if she ever backs out of an interview the night before again she won’t be part of the hiring process anymore - that’s a start.

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