Are you open to feedback?

We are all aware that it is impossible to see ourselves objectively. When you are either looking for a job or are fortunate enough to work with someone who is looking for a new job, it can become even more difficult to 1. be objective or 2. offer objective feedback.

From the job seeker's view, it is quite possible that they are going through a painful or difficult search. They may have been laid off or surprised by the company's determination that they were no longer fitting what the company needed in the role or for the future of the company. They may have left on their own because they saw the writing on the wall that they were being worked out of the company. In a lot of cases, no matter the exact scenario, the job seeker can be in a vulnerable state and experiencing some painful truths that they may not be ready to face.

From the recruiting professionals standpoint, this could be an opportunity to offer support, encouragement, guidance and potentially help them find a new role (always a good thing for a recruiter to be able to offer). It can also be a decent time to provide some objectivity, feedback that could help the person see their blind spots and address things they may not recognize as needing to be addressed.

In one of my favorite books -- Ray Dalio, wildly successful investment adviser offers this, “Every time you confront something painful, you are at a potentially important juncture in your life—you have the opportunity to choose healthy and painful truth or unhealthy but comfortable delusion.” ― Ray Dalio, Principles: Life and Work

It is never simple to offer advice to someone who is going through a difficult situation. It is also rarely easy to accept or act upon advice from someone whose motives you are unsure of or if the advice has never been offered before. However, I feel it is always okay to offer, (with permission to do so) as well as to take under consideration, the advice that is offered from a legitimate adviser.

If your candidate talks too much, meanders in the way they describe their background or work history, doesn't speak loudly enough, has bad breath or whatever - as someone who is going to represent them, my recommendation is to say, "are you open to feedback?" and then give them the advice.

You may be taken aback by how receptive some people can be to this honest feedback and how often some of them say, "nobody has ever told me that before."