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HR Offers from Hell

One Company, 3 different but similar jobs.

 

We had 3 EXEC jobs.

 

We were given a salary range. We submitted candidates who were qualified, and within the range. We told all candidates to expect the mid range.

 

The professionals that we submitted for interviews are all working as EXECs for competitors. The jobs are in a remote part of the country, so we recruited people who either grew up there, or had a reason to move to the area.

 

Our dear client interviewed each one of them. Of course, HR is in control. She didn't want us to contact anyone in the hiring process, and we were at her mercy. Everything we were told about the position came from her. We asked her to please not call the candidates direct, we would do that for her. We asked her to not give any offers, please let us prepare the candidates first. She was not happy, and did her own thing.

Candidates were flown in, up and around, they interviewed at the location, and then they were flown into corporate. We were not included in any of the plans, she did it all. If we try, she gets 'offended'. The only way we knew what was happening during this process was to ask the candidate.

Here is what happened:

EXEC  1:   

    He is currently working, took the time off for all the interviews. He was very interested in the job. The location was important, he grew up there. They loved him. So, HR calls him and gives him an offer that was 70K less than he is currently making, and 30K less than we prepared him for. He told her that he was insulted. We knew nothing about the offer, and called to ask her if the money was negotiable, of couse it was not.

 

EXEC 2: 

    EXEC2  also wanted a certain location. Gew up in Podunk, and loved the thought of going back. He is currently working, The interview process started. First, of course, the HR 'screen'. How insulting is that? He was recruited, is currently working, yet, HR screen. Then, a couple of phone calls with execs. Then, a site interview. Then, HR tells us that they filled the job EXEC2 was interviewing for, but she wanted to bring him to corporate anyway. WHY?  Couldn't tell us. The candidate, a seasoned exec and busy, wanted to know why he was continuing to interview for a job that no longer existed. We couldn't tell him. An embarrassment when working with an executive. He didn't want to take off time from work for nothing, and is a busy person. His number one priority is his current employer, so he didn't go to corporate. Our little HR friend was very unhappy about that. But of course, no communication. She dealt directly with him, and it just didn't go well.

 

EXEC3:

      Again, someone originally from the area. He has gone through all interviews. We prepared him for the money, (we took the info from the offer she tossed at EXEC1, and assumed. I hate assuming, but it's all we have when working with this particular HR professional.)   He told us, NO WAY. So, we told HR what he would take, and not to waste time if they can't give him that. She came back, and told us sure, we'll give him that. With her assurances of a fair offer, they flew him to the location. All day interviews, and a meeting with the CEO. Dinner with CEO.  CEO said that HR professional would get back to EXEC3 on Monday with an offer. We again, closed him for the money, and he agreed to take the job when HR called.

Guess what happened on Monday?  He gets a call from ANOTHER HR person. Again, a screen. The same thing he did at the beginning. It is now Wednesday. 

Between EXEC2 and EXEC3, I get a kiss off letter from our little friend at HR. She actually attached a letter from the candidate to show us it's our fault. The letter clearly stated that our recruiters did a wonderful job, that the problem was with the company, not the recruiter.

EXEC3 is waiting for the call from HR with an offer. He instead got another HR screen.

We've been kissed off, (they will pay the fee if they hire our candidate,but she will not see any more resumes). We are waiting for something from corporate. The candidate was confused on Monday, and at this point, probably won't take the job. We had talked him into a pay cut, just to get back to his family, and home town. 

I didn't make this story up, it's what happens when there are too many middlemen. It happens when an executive candidate isn't given enough information to make a decision. Also, these candidates are working. Why is it a good idea to keep interviewing them, and flying them around without a plan? We knew how much every one of these people made, and their information about the range came from HR, HR scheduled the interviews, we were told after the fact about all the arrangements by the candidates.  

Wednesday, no offer yet. We are waiting patiently. If I rattle her cage by asking if they want to hire the candidate, she will probably kill the offer if there is going to be one. So, since this is our last go 'round with this company, we are doing nothing, asking nothing. I know that before an offer is given there is work to do, why not tell us what to expect? When will the due diligence on your end be complete? What should we tell him? What candidate wants to be treated this way?

I have one thing to say to our HR talent acquisition guru:  The war for talent is not in Afghanistan. 

Just another day in the trenches.

 

 

 

 

UPDATE:

EXEC3 just got off the phone with HR, she gave him 10K less then she said she would. He said that he needed a couple of days to think about it. She told him that he either takes it today or no offer.

Honestly, all you HR PROS, what do I do?

 

 

 

 

Views: 1338

Tags: Human, Resources, contracts, executive, recruiting

Comment by David Gaspin on June 14, 2012 at 11:53am

Reading your war stories, it's easy to see why my profession has such a bad name in so many circles. When I engage and work with an outside recruiter, it's because I WANT them to do the work. I'm paying a fee for you to source, recruit, manage and close the candidate. I'll give you all of the information that you need to do your job, and I ask the same in return.

It sounds like you'll have to keep tabs on EXEC3 to see what ends up happening with any acceptance, and the final salary agreement. Because you're not going to hear it from this idiot HR person (who, if this is a true story, should not be employed.)

I only hope that you have better relationships with some of your HR clients, and that you choose not to write about them because they don't make for quite as scintillating a read.

Comment by Colin Greenbauer on June 14, 2012 at 12:30pm

Sounds like it's time to give this person the axe and hunt up some new blood. Qualifying and utilizing your time to the fullest is essential, especially in our business. The sales cycles are too long and there are too many variables that come into play to be messing around with clients who don't know how to get with the program. I feel your pain though as you already have invested so much time and effort and have an offer out so they deal may still be salvageable. Honestly, not much else you can do but wait it out then move on to greener pastures. Agree with Linda, you're doing the right thing!

Comment by Sandra McCartt on June 14, 2012 at 12:31pm

Barb is in an industry where there is an abundance of overinflated and over employed people in HR positions.  It is posibly because they work with highly educated and trained people so somehow it rubs off or they try to rise to the level of PhD's, physicians and  highly specialized medical people, somehow it manifests in some short of aura of importance that is not a reality.  The healthcare industry was one of the first to adopt that wonderful title HR Business Partner and give them a seat at the table.  What i am seeing happen now is that based on things like this and inappropriate feelings of the HR person that they are on equal footing with SR. Execs so open their mouths when they should be engaged in active listening, they are being reorged out of the inner circle.

A good HR Person can make a lot of things happen for the execs they support and do but when they get eaten up with where they fit in the food chain and start thinking they have to control everything rather than facilitate the stories of disasters are mounting rapidly.

 

Comment by Bill Schultz on June 14, 2012 at 12:49pm

I would find another industry.  

Comment by Daren J. Mongello on June 14, 2012 at 2:38pm

At this point its closing the barn door after the cows have left....but anyway..

"HR is in control."
"She didn't want us to contact anyone in the hiring process"
"she was not happy, and did her own thing."

So you KNEW that you had ABSOLUTELY NO CONTROL OF THE PROCESS but you worked the order anyway? WHY? WHY? WHY? You might as well have been working a desk from India.
"Hope and pray" is not a viable business model.


It has to frustrate you. It frustrates the HELL out me to read this and it's not my search.

Clients work WITH you.
She did everything to work AGAINST you.
Stop accepting work from a one-down position.

I apologize for the harshness.
I know it's not what you were looking for but you have to own some of this....otherwise you'll walk into these situations again and again.

Comment by Barbara Goldman on June 15, 2012 at 8:05am

Thanks everyone, this is still a nightmare.  Healthcare is home to some of the most unsophisticated HR people I've ever encountered. And, they are handed a lot of power.  I wrote to the VP, no word today. I'll call him today. I don't make any of this stuff up. I wish it were fantasy. Because of the way our process is structured, I am involved in every placement we make in this company. It's as if I am on 20 desks. I only write when I have something interesting that just happened. And, I don't write everytime something like this happens. I should perhaps give everyone a daily HR craziness update, because with the size of this office, something disturbing happens at least once a week.

I wish more HR execs would read this. I might fax it around to a few just to show them what actually happens when dealing with non-recruiters who are give the title 'recruiter'.

I estimate that it cost this woman's company over 10K to fly these people around. Shouldn't someone take a look at those expenses, and actually look at the offer to hire ratio. If your HR people are throwing offers around, and it's not working, it's time for retraining. I've never met an HR person who understands how to set up an offer unless they were a TPR.  To the inside, offers are cheap, if the candidate doesn't take it, oh well. To a TPR the offer is his livelihood. BIG difference.

Comment by Barry Frydman on June 15, 2012 at 8:19am

She obviously won't be there very long and when she gets packaged you've already know several excellent candidates who want to live there. That's when you call the CEO. 

Comment by corry prohens on June 15, 2012 at 9:47am

This all sounds like par for the course and it is the exact reason why we will not work with companies where HR has a vice grip on the process. They are motivated in all the wrong ways.  How much time have you lost?  You will always be much better off investing that time in finding clients that know how to hire.  This is an institutional problem - it is not the individual HR person.  If you cut off her head 3 more will sprout at this company.  My advice is to find better clients and refer these types of searches to your competitors.

Comment by Aurelio Sisto on June 15, 2012 at 10:22am

@Barbara - Sandra is 110% correct. Contact the CEO or whomever is the decision maker. Maybe you can save this deal, but I wouldn't work with that company anymore if you have to go through that mess every time. 

The definition of crazy: doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result. This HR person is not helping you, nor the organization. Time to consider walking away.

Comment by Patricia Zuczek on June 15, 2012 at 11:24am

Why would you want to place a candidate in a company like that? Who is driving this bus, the CEO or that HR weenie?

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