Time frame, noun: a specified period of time in which something occurs or is planned to take place.
Some people create their own storms, but they forget when it rains...
How many times have you promised to make a call but haven’t? How many times have you sworn to do the washing, or take the rubbish out, or water the plants, yet they remain untouched? I mean, they’re just plants, the rubbish won't be picked up until next week anyway, and the washing basket has a lid, so no stress.
Professionally however, it's a very different story and not doing something you said you would, basically leads to all the stress as well as the dreaded dial tone.
And yes, I’m writing from experience because there have been times I’ve been left in a position of doubt, uncertainty and confusion. Consequently, and more importantly, a few unfortunate candidates have also suffered, and together we’ve pondered over the many possibilities that led to such deafening silence. We’ve always been left feeling insecure and undecided about the integrity of the business in question. Ultimately, we were delivered a time frame, a deadline, some would say a promise, but somehow, somewhere along the line, someone has broken that promise.
Yes, that's right, actions have consequences!
We’ve heard it all before. We’ve been taught the many lessons by our parents, grandparents, managers and teachers, but have you ever been taught it by your marketplace?
Currently there’s a huge miscommunication between the job seeker and the employer, and I’ve spent almost three years scrutinising and inspecting the scene for emerging anomalies and results following a miscommunicated time frame. I’ve witnessed the destruction it can bring to an individual, to an office, and even an entire brand reputation. Understandably so! Yet time and time again, I’m asked, where did I go wrong? What can I do next time?
If you have no idea what on earth I’m talking about, here’s an example:
Recently I was representing a job seeker with over 10 years of experience within the property industry. Working with reputable companies, they were at a stage where they were looking for a change, an opportunity to get more stuck in with a brand in the early developments of growth. We found something of interest (praise the lord) and they attended what was subsequently a very successful interview. Great right? I can hear the $$$ sound already, #winner. I couldn’t have been more wrong, in fact, that’s where it all went downhill and the deafening silence began.
There I was in a position of uncertainty, unable to reach the client while the candidate was relentlessly chasing me. They’d waited a few days but, I still had no feedback to work with, no constructive advice to offer, and no real understanding of how they felt about my candidate. After two weeks of chasing, endless voicemail's and diverts, between myself and the candidate, we agreed the role was not for them. Things weren’t meant to be for whatever reason, but we were both very bitter about the company to say the least.
One week later…. (3 weeks since the initial interview)
The client is on the phone, he’s been ‘snowed under’, had to do the school run for the last few weeks as the Mrs is unwell, BUT he wants to offer my candidate. You can imagine my face.
Needless to say, I presented the offer, and the candidate was just as shocked as I was and very very skeptical. They made the conscious decision to continue the job search and we have since been successful elsewhere. The client was, of course, very surprised by the declination of the role as he had to take the time to interview a selection of candidates to ensure that he made the right decision, however, he didn’t keep me informed and so the time frame fell to pieces.
I am not suggesting anyone rush their hiring process, but I am saying that once a time frame has been established, it needs to be respected, and any changes made to that promise should be communicated. In doing so, as a recruitment consultant, I’m far better equipped to manage the process, to manage expectations, and ultimately, secure a result. Without this, it’s highly likely your reputation will be tarnished during the process and I think we all know, the London Property market is actually a pretty small place and can’t afford that kind of reputation.
