Last month, I was with a client and she was puzzled.
She had an exciting encounter with a Headhunter from one of the largest global search firms.
It was a whirlwind romance from the very moment the headhunter reached out to her, telling her that her profile was a perfect fit, and that his clients were eager to meet up.
The series of face-to-face interviews also wrapped up very quickly and she was told that there would be an offer on the table shortly.
Then crickets.
There was no response from the headhunter for a week and a half, and when she enquired, she was greeted with a cryptic “The client is making some changes to the role. Please hang on.”
“What the heck is going on?” She was confused.
Having spent over 2 decades as a C-suite Headhunter and Career Strategist, I’d like to share with you 5 scenarios that we see very often and what they could really mean – the cold hard truth that no insider will share with you.
1. Getting Ghosted.
If, you’re like my lady client who has suddenly been ghosted by the recruiter or headhunter, no matter which stage you are at, there’s a high chance you’ve been eliminated from the process.
There’s an old saying in Headhunting – “Keep Your Star Candidates Warm“.
The very fact that you’ve been left out in the cold suggests that somehow, you’ve been downgraded to the ‘KIV’ bucket and no amount of chasing or follow-up will recover (unless their superstar candidate drops out of the running).
Another red-flag is when they tell you, “The client is taking some time to decide.”
That is unspoken code for “we are making an offer to our #1 Candidate and if he rejects the offer or doesn’t pass his medical exams, then we’ll give you a call.”
Granted, this isn’t ALWAYS the case, but on the balance of probability, it probably is. Get ready to move on. >> #OUCH! <<
2. The Process Moves Too Quickly
So, you’ve met the HR, Hiring Manager and the CEO merely days after receiving the first phonecall.
They love you so much that within a week of them meeting you, a very attractive offer is already on the table.
And they want you to start work immediately; and they’re even willing to, I mean, insisting on, buying out whatever notice period you have left so you can turn up at their office the next week.
You think to yourself – “Whoa!! Slow down, Buddy!! That’s way too fast!”, but the offer is so attractive that you just sign on the dotted line.
We’ve seen this happen before and chances are, something is amiss.
In one case I encountered, there was a really big, urgent mess that needed to be cleaned up before the Authorities caught wind of it (Yes, it was THAT bad).
In another case, two other candidates had rejected the offer at the last minute (because they heard something really bad about the job) and the deadline to fill the role before the incumbent’s last day was fast approaching, hence the desperate sense of urgency.
Now, we’re not saying “Rush is Bad”, but be careful of ‘Whirlwind Romances’, or you might end up being “Gone with the Wind.”
3. You Are Asked For Sensitive Information
This one was a personal story of mine back in 2014.
I was called up by a prestigious competitor in the Headhunting industry (one of the top 5 global firms) for a discussion and I went to explore the opportunity.
The interview went very well and they offered me a package that was too good to be true. But there was a catch.
Before they would print the Offer Letter to me, they wanted to ‘verify my achievements’ by demanding that I give them details of all the deals I’ve closed in the past 5 years, together with client names, contact person emails/handphone numbers and even case notes.
I told them this was highly unethical but the Business Leader told me that this was ‘Standard Practice’ and even she had to do it before joining.
So, I pulled out my USB drive and surrendered everything to her and … OF COURSE I DIDN’T!!!!
I told her it was highly inappropriate and I was utterly disappointed with them.
This was clearly a ‘Fishing Expedition’ for Confidential Information – Don’t do it, and never compromise on your Integrity.
4. You are asked to do Multiple in-depth Presentations
Now, while it is not unusual for a candidate to be asked to work on a short Case Study, we have seen situations where we felt the limit was crossed.
This happened last year when a Client was asked to make a 30 minute presentation on the “State of the Industry” to the hiring manager of a Competitor.
He did so well that they asked him to make another presentation, this time, a 1 hour one on “The Market Potential of <PRODUCT X> in <COUNTRY Y>” to their APAC VP. (Btw, the company was launching Product X in Country Y. Co-incidence much?)
They then invited him to give a 2 hour lecture (I’m not kidding) to a Panel of 8 Senior Leaders from the US who wanted to learn more about the marketing strategy, followed by a Q&A Session.
“Something was really fishy, because all this while, they never asked me about my salary expectations, career aspirations or even given me any information about the role at hand.” He said. “So, I pulled out as there was a high risk that news of my ‘guest-lecture’ with the competition would be circling back to my bosses.”
“At the end of it, I felt they were just pumping me for ideas and strategies and I felt used.”
There is a favourite saying of mine – “When the customer comes to buy some eggs, never give away the entire farm.” If they really want to have you on their team for your Go-to-Market Strategies, let them make you an offer first.
Now, do all these signs mean that something is amiss?
Not all the time – but it is good that you know how some companies (and headhunters) can misbehave so you can protect yourself from the fallout that could follow.
Be Wise and Stay Safe, my friends… and if you need to reach out to us for a 1-1 Consultation on your Career Challenge, click here!