The Value of the In-Between

The emails candidates are writing with AI may have a bigger impact than you think. 

I’m not talking about mistakes (I see you <recruiter name here>); this is about something much bigger.

Every year since launching my search firm, at least one client or potential client asks what I feel they can do to ensure better hiring, that their senior hires stick, and more importantly, thrive. They have interview scorecards, external assessment firms, candidate presentations, in-person meetings, the works, but sometimes people don’t work out. 

I asked around. I thought deeply about this. When I think about the most successful placements, what made them that way? These are people I know deeply. We text, we call, we email, we stay in touch. We know about each other’s families. We have a relationship. If things feel off, I bring them up directly to the candidate and to the client. We address it head on. Processes shift, extra meetings are scheduled, we’re comfortable with the risk, or we decide that this isn’t our hire after all. 

That’s it. The epiphany. It’s the in-between!

In between interviews is where the magic happens. It’s where a person’s true colors shine through. Getting a job, leaving a job, relocating, compensation negotiation - these are all huge decisions. I go through an arc with folks where I become their trusted partner and the conversations are at another level. 

When AI removes the in-between, it impacts the candidate/recruiter relationship. The emails that are written that lack a candidate's voice (or worse have someone else’s), cause me to pause. I want to know who you really are so I can help you on this journey. 

This is something to be mindful of. Let’s protect the micro interactions. Interview prep calls and feedback calls are more important than ever – not only the content, but they preserve these moments, and that’s where relationships are formed. That’s how we know we’re making the right decision for everyone, and that this person will land and thrive.

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