Interviewing Recruiters: Part 2

After completing the first round of interviews, I typically summarize candidates as Yes, No or Maybe. "Yes" candidates are people that "WOW" me. They are passionate about what they do, have had success in their prior roles, understand client management and are driven to make a difference. These types of candidates are people you can see coming into your office the next day and fitting in. "No" candidates are people that generally know nothing about the position and the company I work for. They are likely in between interviews that day. They are taking the "go wide" approach with attending as many interviews as possible and will take the first job offered to them. "Maybe" candidates for me are usually close to "Yes" but perhaps struggled in one or two areas of the interview. If I see potential I want to bring them back for a second round.

I give a homework assignment to the candidates I want to interview a second time. The assignment is to research the recruiting industry as a whole and then show me where my company fits into the market based on our competition. I also request that they contact a recruiter directly that they know, or cold call one, to learn first hand what a typical day looks like. This assignment forces people to learn what will be expected of them if hired. It actually weeds out some candidates and better prepares those that want to move forward.