In a world of Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and news accessible 24/7, we live in a very “I want it now” reality. Not mentality, but reality. The difference is that regardless of whether we want things now (or yesterday for that matter!), that’s how most things are delivered these days. Be it news, messages or even packages (thank you Amazon Prime!). Life in general moves at a much more rapid pace than it did 10 years ago. With that, as a Candidate in today’s job market, you’d better buckle up and get ready for some high speeds!
As a staffing industry veteran (yes, I’m older and I’ve been around!), I’m here to share a couple of thoughts that will hopefully better prepare both Candidate and Client to be ready for what could be the equivalent of speed dating in the world of finding a new job, especially when working with Vaco.
Whether you’re a Candidate, a Client or a Recruiter, we’ve seen the process for the “Big Box” employer. Online application, 2-3 weeks before a call, another week or two before a phone screen, maybe a week before a face to face, then another 2 weeks before a decision is made. Then, if you’re lucky they get you an offer letter within a week. You’re talking 60-90 days, at best, from application to hire! And at that point those companies think they’re doing a good job. And they are, for their system. Unfortunately, (or fortunately for Vaco) their Candidate has had multiple other interviews and probably has at least 2 other offers, IN HAND, to look at. Bad for the Big Box, good for Vaco, CONFUSING for the Candidate!
The good news for the Candidate is that this can be solved in a very simple way. Expectations.
Once you choose to engage with Vaco, be prepared for a whirlwind process. What takes a Big Box Company 60-90 days can take Vaco a week! For this reason, I like to share some basic rules and expectations for Candidates once they choose to go with Vaco.
- Make yourself available – It’s that simple. In today’s world of communication, make yourself available to your Vaco Recruiter. Be it by phone, email or text, the expectation should be that you will respond to any of those within an hour. The longer you wait, the better chance your Recruiter has moved on to the next Candidate.
- Know your availability – Because the sell of Vaco is readily available talent/Candidates, know your availability for phone screens and face to face interviews. If you know you’ll need a 2-day notice to ask off to interview, share that with your Recruiter. The better prepared you both are, the higher chance you have of landing that awesome role you’re looking for!
- Not a negotiation – In a traditional hiring process, you may be able to haggle over a few thousand dollars or a couple of other smaller items. Not the case in the Vaco world. When you commit to a dollar figure with your Recruiter, that’s their number for you. Most will always work to get you more, but be realistic about your “bottom dollar.” Your Vaco Recruiter is focused on delivering that as your worst case scenario. If you’re presented an offer and attempt to “haggle,” assume Vaco will move to the next Candidate.
- BAM! The offer! – And there it is! What you were looking for, an offer (and maybe a little more than what you were expecting!) and that job that you were fired up about. And now, you say “yes, I accept!”. This is not the traditional process. The Client assumes, based on you working with Vaco and going through the process, that you WANT the job. If that’s the case, there shouldn’t be the need for “think about it” time. If you choose to think about it, think about the Client moving on to the next Candidate. Again, this is a fast process and expectations are on both sides of the desk. You expect to find that job and money that you’re looking for and the Client expects to find the Candidate they’re looking for. Now. Yesterday!…the longer you put anything off the more likely that offer will be gone.
- Notice/Start – Be prepared for this one as well. Once you accept, everyone’s expectation is that you’ll be giving your notice immediately. Why? Because the information has been communicated that you will be available to start within 2 weeks (if you’re currently working). Running theme here, it’s all about time and speed. They would like you to start yesterday!
Today’s recruiting process is definitely recruiting at the speed of sound. Once you choose to work with Vaco, be prepared. Not just for the items above, but the process as a whole. Your Vaco Recruiter is working to find you the best fit possible. Be their partner and make sure you’re ready for your part. Have that great attitude working when you go on interviews, sell yourself and be realistic about what you can and can’t do. Things will move fast, and the goal is for both you and the Client to find a great fit!
Kaplin, Howard. Thurs., 18 Aug 2016. “Vaco Staffing at the Speed of Sound! Be Ready Candidates!” LinkedIn. Retrieved from: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/vaco-staffing-speed-sound-ready-candidates-howard-kaplin?published=t
