- wrong responsibility,
- wrong location,
- wrong money.
Dispose of all three in the initial phone call.
Chances are you can't be certain, just from the recruiter's call that the job definitely is for you. That will take in-person, in-depth meetings with the client, not just the recruiter. But you can quickly find out why the situation is not for you.
All of the top-three turnoffs can be smoked out in the initial phone call. And they'll eliminate 90% of the "wild goose chases" you might otherwise be subjected to:
Wrong Responsibility. Question the recruiter. The job had better be considerably more attractive than the one you have now.
A same-echelon job in a much larger and finer company can be an excellent reason to move. So can a higher job in a same-level company. But money alone usually isn't enough. And if you're on the brink of a breakthrough where you are, say so. There's no reason to withhold information at the outset which, in the end, will cause you to say "no thanks."
Wrong Location. If the job isn't commutable from your home, you can certainly decide
- whether you're willing to relocate at all, and
- if so, whether the proposed location is acceptable.
Don't waste your time, the recruiter's, and possibly even the employer's, on an interview, when your personal life prevents your taking the job. If you do, you'll prove you're a lousy decision maker. And then the recruiter won't call when he gets another fine opportunity that doesn't require relocation.
Wrong Money. The recruiter almost certainly will not tell you upfront exactly how much the client prefers to pay. And of course, until the job is filled, nobody knows what will be negotiated.
However, the recruiter has a very good idea what the upper limits are. He's undoubtedly found out what peer-level jobs in the client company pay. And a smart recruiter always asks the compensation of the position directly above the one being filled. So even if he doesn't want to "go public" by telling you, the recruiter does know "how much is too much."
So how do you uncover too-low money?
Simple. Just give the recruiter a clear idea of what you're making now, and what improvement you expect within the next year. If the recruiter is someone you already know and trust, or appears to be a first-class professional from a respected firm, you may decide to be forthright:
"The responsibility is very attractive. I'd certainly like to be running my own show. But I'm not sure this situation would make sense for me financially. My base is going up to $250,000 on August 1, and I'll earn about a 40% bonus on top of that. So we've got to be talking close to $450,000 for me to come out with any real improvement in money."
If you're less confident about the recruiter's integrity and confidentiality, just give the bottom line without saying anything specific he can repeat to others about your compensation: "I like it here and I'm very well compensated. However, I would be willing to listen if you're talking upwards of $450,000. Otherwise, I'm really not interested in changing."
Knowing where you stand on money, and knowing there's a ceiling at $290,000 in base-plus-bonus, the recruiter will immediately pull back and ask you for suggestions of other able people in your field. Best of all, he'll regard you as smart and decisive. You haven't wasted his time. Expect to hear from him again, when there's a higher-paying job.
"Sounds like a lateral move." Quite a few executives...almost routinely...react to every new situation they're phoned about with an irritatingly common cliché: "Sounds to me like a lateral move."
Using these precise words is a bad idea, because they're a formula response. Hardly ever will any new situation be exactly on a par with what you have.
So skip the cliché. But use the same approach. Latch on to the specifics the recruiter mentions, and point out all the ways the proposed job doesn't appear to be an advancement:
"Of course I already have my own profit center, and we've been doing well since I took over three years ago. We're already larger in sales...and I'll bet a lot stronger in profits...than the company you're proposing, even though they've been around longer and lots of people probably still think they're bigger than we are."
OR
"Of course I'd love to have a 150-person sales force, because so far we've had to use manufacturers' representatives, and I'm only just now getting a few of our own people into the field. But here I have total responsibility for all Marketing, reporting to the President.
And if I understand you right, in the situation you're describing I'd be reporting to a Vice President of Marketing, who also has a Product Management group that I wouldn't be involved with. I think I'm better off to stay here and keep building this business...and wait for you to call me again in a couple years when we've made even more progress. Then you may have a job like his for me to consider."
"They're a big outfit, and I believe you when you say that I can probably make a nice improvement in salary by going with them. But money isn't everything, by any means. Increased responsibility and long-term career progress are what really interest me. Tell me what this opportunity might do for me in those terms."
See what you've done? You've virtually forced the recruiter to give you more information right there on the telephone. If you're going to say "No," do so as soon as possible.
Move the conversation quickly to your key decision points. These are issues that only you know about, since they have to do with your current situation and your career objectives.
And as soon as you know you'll ultimately say "no," by all means do so. Then offer to suggest more appropriate candidates. You'll not only save time; you'll enhance your image in the eyes of the recruiter. Seeing how efficiently you handle her inquiry, she'll figure you're equally adept at your job. Expect to be called again!
If you don't find any disqualifying negatives, let the recruiter "sell" you by phone ... and then ask for more information by mail.
