I had a wonderful thing happen to me today. Something so simple and basic yet, something that I know doesn’t happen to many people often enough. I was thanked by someone.
This was someone who took the time to send me an email to say that I had treated her especially well and she told me that no Recruiter had ever taken the time to appreciate her for providing an Employment Reference for a former employee of hers
Truth is, I felt inclined to thank her because she is now retired, and she has provided her home number for me, the Recruiter, to get in touch with her and ask her a series of questions about how one of her former employee’s performed while working for her. Pretty big deal if you ask me. I imagine retirement as the time when you bid adieu to all those obligations and duties and sail off into the sunset of enjoying your hobbies, families and whatever it is that makes you happy.
Perhaps I should explain. One of the duties I am often tasked with once a client has decided to extend an offer of employment to a candidate of mine is to follow up with several of that candidates previous Supervisors to request an Employment Reference.
I have often regarded this as a very key element in helping my clients to make a well thought out, methodical hiring decision. I also regard this as an opportunity to personalize my service and to engage in a very in-depth and detailed conversation with said Previous Employer who is often limited by company policy with what they can or cannot say to me regarding that Candidates’ tenure with the Employer they share/shared.
I have found that over time if you appreciate that these kinds of conversations take people away from their work and that they must be handled in a very concise manner that is respectful of their time, an opportunity for real connection is there.
Despite the rules that often limit Management from truly and honestly responding to a request for Employment Reference, I have seemed to be able to move past these restrictions and engage in real conversations with people who are willing to provide real context as to how a particular candidate performed their duties. This is beyond valuable information to me and to the client I am providing a service to. I try to never take this for granted because they have no obligation to speak with me. I appreciate it when they do. Maybe it is like paying it forward.
Sometimes it is the simple gestures that have the most lasting effect, enough to want to share this.
Being thanked… nice.
