Relationship Building

By Allison Flitter

Recruiting is more than just sending a job description to a candidate and connecting them with a client. Everyday at Germer International we talk to candidates in-depth about their family, their salary, why they are looking for a new position, etc. These are tough conversations that we have so that in the end we are able to find the best fit for the candidate and client.

As we go through the process, we continue to have tough conversations which also allows us to develop a strong relationship with the candidate and clients. Building a strong relationship with a candidate I am working with is one of my favorite parts of the working at Germer International. Recently I placed a candidate that I had developed a strong relationship with over the past year.

I had worked with this candidate while he was at two different companies that were going through turmoil. Since he was on a visa, H1, he was actively looking as the companies he worked at started to look unstable. For candidates on the H1, if they are

laid off, they have a limited amount of time to find a new position. Since I had built a relationship with this candidate as soon as he was laid off, I started looking for new opportunities right away.

Although we only had a couple positions at the time he was looking, I knew there were two roles that would be a great fit for his background and experience. Unfortunately, it is not as easy as knowing a candidate is a good fit for a client. We went through the process with this candidate and one specific company that was a good fit for him and his family. I knew that his wife and him did not live in the same state because of their careers. This potential opportunity I was working on for him would open up many options for his wife to apply to roles local to this new opportunity.

Even though there was a strict deadline for the client to put together an offer and file his H1 paperwork, the client was able to put together a great offer for the candidate to accept. There were many conversations after the onsite interview to make the offer come together, but now reflecting back on the process I do not think about the back and forth with the client and candidate. Reflecting back, I can focus on the candidate and his future with his new employer and his personal life.