A Beacon of Hope

Recruiting must be an interesting job. When I was last looking for work, over a year ago, I remember encountering several kinds of recruiters. Some were good, some were bad, and one was down right awesome! As I reflected on the value of different positions, I found myself thinking back to my feelings then.

Recruiters were the voice and face of the company’s I was looking at. All I knew about my standing came from or through them. Some of them treated me with kindness, helping me to understand the plan. These inspired confidence. Others seemed to have no time. I felt serialized in our exchanges. ‘What does Candidate#18A347 need now!?!’

I found that my opinion of the company shaped by my interactions with their recruiters. At the time, I though I was extrapolating the company’s system. If their recruiter behaves like this, then they must not appreciate of their people. If they do that, then they cherish their people! Of course, that’s not accurate. The behavior of a single recruiter cannot speak for a whole company … can it?

At the time of my last search, I had survived a massive layoff, and was expecting the other shoe to drop at any moment. I was stressed. The passion for my craft was suffering. I felt exhausted. And this is why I recall so clearly one recruiter in the crowd.

Like others, they carried a spark of hope with them. After all I was looking for work! But I had grown tired with the mess, and the frustration of hopes dashed. And so we began talking.

They asked questions. Thought-provoking questions. Questions about the way I handled problems, about the way I thought. It was different. No other recruiter had ever asked me questions like these. I enjoyed the challenge.

As we spoke, I began to feel this recruiter understood my motivations and my needs better any had before. Even those recruiters I was talking to at the the same week felt clueless compared to them.

I felt heard. And I am certain they heard my concern as we spoke. They offered me details on their interviewing process I hadn’t yet asked for. They let me know exactly who, would be screening and interviewing me. Not a random name, but their LinkedIn profiles. I learn about my interviewer. That kindness alone made the process more human and far less mechanical!

All was going well, when Harvey hit. After my family and I survived the storm, I worried. Not only about my extended family but also about the possible future job I had worked so hard on. I didn’t want to lose hope again. So I reached out… to see if they remembered me.

After the initial re-assurances from the recruiter, we got to talking. They shared details about how the Houston Office was. Many employees were working in a sister office in Dallas. And they, the recruiter, had personally been working remote. We shared the tales of our flight, including how the recruiter’s dogs were faring. They were personable, and they were communicative.

I knew where I stood. I knew what had stalled the process, and I still believed in them. The recruiter had built a bank of trust in a mere few weeks! The day I got the call, that Improving was making me an offer, I did not withhold my exuberance. I knew the recruiter was celebrating with me.

One kind, human recruiter cut noise in a frustrating job search. It was like find the lighthouse in a drowning storm. They forged a connection. They listened. Even when a natural disaster swept through, they spoke with me. Because of this recruiter, I trusted Improving before I ever stepped foot into their offices. I am thankful, and I have a deep respect for the kind faces and voices of Improving today. One recruiter can make the difference to the candidate, and they are the first experience the candidate has with the Company’s culture. Does your Culture shine through?