So I've been on both ends before, as a headhunter and right now as an APAC recruiter for a chemical MNC.

The short answer to your first question is that there is very little difference where the candidate is from so long as either way, you are being put in front of a hiring committee and interviewed.

The only instance that it matters is I find sometimes that agency candidates are assumed to be automatically better by HR themselves or the hiring team. There is a popular perception that agencies or headhunters are market experts who have candidate databases geared specifically towards a particular job function or industry, eg. a headhunter who only hires Plant Managers for the manufacturing sector in Malaysia.

Now this is mostly true, but I'd say it also depends on how strong the internal recruiter is at sourcing for talent and influencing her hiring managers.

In terms of salary negotiations, I'd say that having an agency or headhunter broker a deal tends to work to a candidate's advantage vs. negotiating on their own with the company. This is based on my experience negotiating salaries with candidates in Malaysia and noticing how lousy most people are at pushing for what they deserve.

An interview that is an hour or more tends to be a very good sign. Of course, the odds can still be stacked against you for reasons that have nothing to do with you, eg. the interviewer later meets another candidate and they have mutual friends, or there was an internal applicant, or the role got canceled, or the job specs change and you're no longer the best candidate for the role.

Now that doesn't mean though that an interview that is less than an hour in length is a bad sign. It's just a longer interview is more likely a good sign, than a shorter interview is a good sign.

So I've been on both ends before, as a headhunter and right now as an APAC recruiter for a chemical MNC.

The short answer to your first question is that agency candidates can sometimes stand a higher chance of getting shortlisted for interviews vs. direct applicants.

Agency candidates are often times assumed to be automatically better by HR themselves or the hiring team. This is because there is a popular perception that agencies or headhunters are market experts who have candidate databases geared specifically towards a particular job function or industry, eg. a headhunter who only hires Plant Managers for the manufacturing sector in Malaysia.

When your application is being submitted by a headhunter, it is the headhunter's job to convince the hiring managers or HR to shortlist, and they can be quite persistent in doing so for obvious reasons. Now compare that to a direct applicant's limited access to the hiring team or HR.

Now this is mostly true, but I'd say it also depends on how strong the internal recruiter is at sourcing for talent and influencing her hiring managers. As internal recruiters, some of us have targets to work on in terms of reducing hiring costs, to which agency fees contribute A LOT.

What about at the interview stage? There is very little difference where the candidate is from so long as either way, you are being put in front of a hiring committee and interviewed.

In terms of salary negotiations, I'd say that having an agency or headhunter broker a deal tends to work to a candidate's advantage vs. negotiating on their own with the company. This is based on my experience negotiating salaries with candidates in Malaysia and noticing how lousy most people are at pushing for what they deserve.

An interview that is an hour or more tends to be a very good sign. Of course, the odds can still be stacked against you for reasons that have nothing to do with you, eg. the interviewer later meets another candidate and they have mutual friends, or there was an internal applicant, or the role got canceled, or the job specs change and you're no longer the best candidate for the role.

Now that doesn't mean though that an interview that is less than an hour in length is a bad sign. It's just a longer interview is more likely a good sign, than a shorter interview is a good sign.

It has been 1 week 2 days after my interview end. But i don't receive any call from HR about the interview outcome. Did i make it through? I don't have any clue. panel interviewer doesn't give any signal either.
When I check the job status on the jobstreet about my post, it already taken down from active advert.
I know it takes 2 weeks to know the result, but the silence and waiting killing me.
What should I do???

Have you tried sending a friendly email to the recruiter or hiring manager/s? Thank them for their time, emphasize how excited you are about joining the organisation, and ask if they've made a decision regarding your application.

This 1-2 week waiting period is perfectly normal although I'd say that if you're a yes chances are the employer would've reached out within 2-3 days after an interview.

A few possible scenarios are: the role has been put on hold for business reasons, they had an internal candidate, there were last minute changes to the job specs, they are making an offer to their first choice candidate and waiting for him/her to decide before moving to other candidates like you, the role is still in the midst of being approved, etc. Endless possibilities as you can tell.

Her best bet for now might be to get into taxation even if she doesn't enjoy it, and later on request for a transfer into accounting. The Big 4 or second tier accounting firms tend to have large enough departments that might allow that.

A few other things to try:

1. Leverage your network and her network. It is generally easier to get a job with someone referring you in as you get the 'skip the queue' so to speak.

2. Be as open to other kinds of opportunities for now: entry-level work, part-time, contract positions, internships, trainee programs. The longer a candidate is unemployed, the harder it is to be employed. Funny but true, something I noticed after years of recruiting people in Malaysia.

3. Get her to focus not just on job hunting but also on picking up the skills necessary or critical to the job she wants to do. Not sure which kind of accounting she wants to get into, but are there certifications, online courses, diplomas, or professional accreditation that she can obtain in the meantime? When jobless and seeking jobs, I find it's useful to limit say 2 hours daily to the search, and spend the bulk of your time instead on gaining and sharpening the skills that will get you the job you want. Also helps with the sanity. Extra true if you are looking to switch career paths.

4. Does she have a proper and updated LinkedIn profile? If not do it already. Plenty of LinkedIn hacks you can find here, here, and here.

5. It sounds like her issue isn't getting shortlisted for interviews, but getting the job after interviews. You're on the right track already doing simulations and plenty of practice with her prior. There's plenty of free tips out there - read Glassdoor reviews or other forum, learn from mistakes, and just don't give up.

https://www.careersifu.com/interviewing-sec...d-awesome-jobs/

https://www.careersifu.com/psychological-ha...-in-interviews/

https://www.careersifu.com/30-minute-linked...at-lunch-today/

https://www.careersifu.com/optimizing-your-...and-executives/

Hi all.

3 weeks back, I've attended 2nd interview with the organization. A week later, they've approached me with reference check form. And yesterday, the HR was asking for latest payslip.

Does this mean anything in HR process?

Congratulation!!! I think u made it through.

Usually all those signs above is a 90% yes.

This post has been edited by pharmchan: Oct 10 2019, 02:00 PM

That's good news actually.

Hopefully. Thanks for your feedback!

Hello, currently I have left my previous company and am busy attending for interview.

Last week I attended 2 interviews and both asked me to wait for a week to let me know the outcome. So this week at the same time, I received company A that I need to attend a second interview which is 2 weeks later. Company B replied me saying that they would want to offer me the job.

At the same time I am looking forward for company A which is MNC and also better salary payout if I success securing it in second interview but the risk of not securing it is also high. What should I do? 2 weeks is a long period and would it be okay if I take company B job first, at least I secured a position in case the second interview goes wrong with company A? or asking company B to hold on first?

Need some enlighten thanks.

This post has been edited by FirstAidKit: Oct 22 2019, 03:11 PM

I got inform by HR recruiter for the company that I attend for interview recently that my status is KIV which my enrollment is for January 2020 of intake. Can someone enlighten me what does it means?

Typically we are recruiters hate that candidates have more than one option at hand, but actually as a candidate that's amazing news!

I also wouldn't recommend accepting an offer and then changing your mind, but given your current circumstance (of leaving your previous company without a job and needing a job soon which makes sense), you can try to tell company B that you're at interview stage with other companies and would like to buy some time.

Now if it's a bigger company you might be able to get away with that. But it also sounds like company B is a smaller or local set up, which tend to want people now / immediately / yesterday and probably will try to give you an 'exploding offer' - or an offer that has a timeline during which you MUST decide (2-3 days for example). Which is never fair lah to a candidate if you ask me. But that's just one trick of locking candidates in by threatening to pull back an offer if they don't take it within a set time frame.

So yes your best bet is to take B's offer first, and then kick some ass at company A's interview. If company A wants to make you an offer, use B's offer as leverage to ask for more since you have nothing to lose.

Alternatively, get in touch with company A. See if they can accelerate your interview process, move the interview to this week itself, or try a phone/video interview if the interviewer is traveling. Say you have an offer at hand and would like to be able to make comparisons. Weird psychological trick but works all the time - the more wanted you come across by the labour market, the more a future employer will find you desirable.

And if you take A's offer finally, be the most polite person ever and apologise profusely to the HR and hiring team at company B. Who knows maybe you're so good, company B makes another offer to sweeten the deal for you relative to company A's offer - then that's a happy ending. Either way, candidates are entitled to change their minds even after accepting an offer. How you do it though matters a lot. There's a special place in hell for those that don't bother informing the employer until hours, days or weeks before they are supposed to join.

As soon as you have decided, tell the company immediately that you have opted to turn down their offer because another role that is a better for what you are looking for in terms of prospects, scope, career path, whatever, has just been offered to you. Thank them for their time, recommend another candidate, etc. Be insanely polite because the world is a super small place!

Now what if company B wants you to also start tomorrow? Given you are jobless right now, you should be able to join ASAP right?

If they desperately need you by tomorrow, and company A isn't able to change your interview schedule, then start by all means. But pay attention to what the notice period is for employees that resign while on probation as that's probably the notice you have to give to company A if they actually make an offer to you that you want to accept.

You can say you are able to start a bit later at company A because of travels, family reasons, personal projects, whatever. But honesty works fine too - say you needed the money and security, and so went with the most rational thing to do which is to start at the other company. Don't imagine why any hiring manager will get pissed with a reason like that, and if they do that's a red flag right there.

Most of the time a KIV is a polite way to say second-best or rejected pile that we may revisit if the current pool turns down our offer so honestly that isn't great news.

It sounds like you're a fresh grad which is probably why there's an enrollment period?

No recruiter will wait to make an offer to a candidate that the hiring team is already happy to hire, even if the start date is Jan 2020. In fact if they were going to hire you, they'd want to get you to sign the offer letter ASAP as a way of making you commit to the job and not shop around anymore.

So best thing to do is assume the worst (and secretly hope for the best) and just apply like crazy for other trainee programs or internships/entry level/contract roles.

I get a job offer verbally early of month from a company and they offer something different from what I went interviewed previously. I would say is one level lower from what I aimed originally. The job scope seems simple yet they willing to pay quite well. I was kinda hesitate (as I still suspicious whether there is any hidden agenda on that job scope) but still accept the offer as they give a reasonably good package for that role. Somehow, 3 weeks passed and the background checking yet complete and actual contract yet signed off.

Now another company offering me a higher pay and higher position. The hiring manager showed sincerity and act upon her promise by notifying me personally ahead, before the HR contact me for the salary package offer. Although the setup of the team/department still new (but the company has been long setup in MY), there is a room for many changes (positive thought) yet could be a challenging environment.

I'm now feel like stuck in between... Whether to go back one level down (like starting all over again) and slowly climb up again OR I should go for a new setup environment with a lot challenges where I get to learn and also apply my past experience. This feeling comes much due to my previous experience where I resigned due to a negative working relationship with superior and having growing stress (which has affected my health). I was in junior leading position but always being compared with other seniors.

In summary,
(A) a slightly easy job for a reasonable pay
VS
(B)a challenging role with 10% higher pay.

(A) is a fortune 500 company with good benefits. But manager share a typical answer when I ask on career growth and path. The actual reporting manager is still vacant.
(B) recently make it to top 500 list as well, benefits wise is typical. Manager did share the challenge and also opportunity. A good listener during interview.

Any thoughts fr anyone?

How old are you by the way / how many years have you been working for?

Definitely take offer B. A few reasons:

1. Offer A is taking way too long - at my company we run mandatory background, reference, and medical checks, in addition to assessments, before issuing offer letters to candidates. Even so, that process doesn't take 3 weeks. You definitely want to check in with HR to find out what's happening. Did they change their mind about you? Is the role on hold? Did you not pass the background check for whatever reason? Whatever their reason for stalling, you have every right to know. Just say you have a competing offer.

2. Your immediate superior (esp. if you report to someone in the same office/locally) matters FAR more than people think. If you have good chemistry already with this hiring manager, that's a damn good sign. With offer A you don't even know who you'll be reporting to. What if you hate that person? Can you afford to move once more to another company in such a short space of time?

3. Never shy away from challenges especially if you're an early career to mid-career professional. Think long-term career prospects rather than the short-term pain that comes with challenges. The more you get to do now, the bigger your pain, the more you learn and master, the faster you also progress in general.

4. Earlier on in your career, better to be a big fish in a small pond because you get to do and learn more. Hence offer B. Later on in your career when you care about title, perks, and prestige and have learnt how to maneuver complex office politics, be at the Fortune 500 companies or the fatcats.

You've listed some really good points which show you are smart enough already to evaluate an offer not just in monetary terms, let us know what you decide in the end, I'm curious.

Hope that helps!

Appreciate your sharing.

My first thought is to go for B....But when looking back, I joined last job also because I wanna take up challenges and push myself to go further. Somehow it hit me quite hard and I took a while to reflect back on my previous decision... was it due to my capability or because of uncontrollable factors. Some would comment that I dunno how to play politics or didn't manage stress well, that's why it hits me.

I have been working for some years and have progression along the way until I change to last job. Now with new opportunities, I just wish not to repeat the same bad thing again. No one can predict the future anyway..

Offer fr company A is valid, just everything would drag about a few days to happen, from one person passing to another. That's a concern for me as well... Imagine have to work in a company that take things slowly. Maybe they dun bother much as many other candidates will wanna fight to get in.

There's no wrong or right paths either way!

Which offer did you end up taking?

Any new opening?

Company B. Aside from the usual reason given, if u have a good listening manager, that's the place u want to go

Alot of times people leave their company due to their manager. I didn't work out too well for me. I hope u will make the right choice

i attended second interview ( final round) in a MNC company last week, met with the top level and the interview went smooth. Was told they still have other candidate....May i know what is the chances to get the job?