More on managing clients

More on rules on managing clients....

2. The client lacks functional knowledge of the search mandate:
This is increasingly a reality in corporate India. The sheer variety and complexity of roles that exist has rendered the Hiring function incapable of understanding all the functional aspects of the open positions.

So on one hand the Hiring Manager will not accept this inadequacy and on the other the Recruitment Firm flounders due to ignorance.

Accusing the Hiring Manager of incompetence is definitely suicidal....but taking the blame for the failure to fill a position is also unfair.

A mid path which is win win for all is the have an open and transparent conversation with the hiring manager.
Confess: "we do not understand this mandate" can you suggest means by which we can go forward. If you still do not get further info ....then "SUGGEST"
I have seen Recruitment firms suggest that they would like to talk to the Line Manager. And then onwards they neatly side step the Hiring Manager without hurting the latter's ego.

It is also win win since the headache of explaining the search mandate becomes some one else's . The Line Manager who most of the time is the person putting the blame on the Hiring Manager gets to understand the hurdles that exist in attracting the right candidate.

Do Home work: Also as a consultant it is useful to do a Google cum Wikipedia search or speak to candidates who do similar jobs and bring that all for the discussion with the Line Manager - it will definitely take the latter's respect for the consultant a couple of notches higher.