One of the more frustrating aspects of the recruiting and staffing industry is the speed in which sourcing, interviewing, and hiring processes progress.

One of the most common speed bumps in this process is how we work and communicate with one another. Chances are you work with others in your daily routine in many different staffing roles (staffing firm, hiring manager, HR director, etc.) who don’t respond to your emails or phone calls as fast as you prefer.

The result is that we lose candidates in the hiring process, fail to meet hiring/revenue goals, and endure unnecessary frustration.

Build the Framework

Set expectations in advance! Never assume that all colleagues operate the same way. For example, some recruiters are sourcing resumes only, whereas some are interviewing, screening, and matching. Some people shun the phone and prefer to work solely by email. Leaping to any conclusions could be a mistake.

The first step? Meet with the other party (either in person or by phone) and discuss how you will communicate. A good tool here is to use past examples of experiences you’ve had that have worked or not worked, outline your expectations, and reach a verbal agreement.

Do you meet weekly by phone or in person for a status update? What are you each expecting of the other in terms of process and function? Perhaps you might even set a future date to discuss the working relationship and how well it is functioning.

Running into Problems

You have a few options if the other party with whom you’re speaking isn’t willing or interested in working and communicating on the same schedule, frequency, and method.