You will discover very early in your job campaign that your interests and objectives do not coincide with those of the personnel manager. The reason is simple. The personnel manager works for the company and represents the PE's interests. It is his responsibility to screen job candidates and recommend only those he feels are well qualified. Obviously, the screening process is usually highly subjective. Many a manager rejected by personnel has found a way to go around the personnel manager, get the job anyway, and become highly successful.
The personnel manager can be an obstacle between you and an offer of employment. For most executive positions, the personnel manager does not make the decision to hire, but he may have the authority to stop you from seeing the hiring executive. This amounts to the authority not to hire you. For this reason, you should avoid contact with the personnel manager (except to obtain intelligence about the job) until the PE has made you an offer. Your job campaign should always be focused on the hiring executive, not the personnel manager.
How to Make Use of the Personnel Manager
Sometimes contact with personnel managers is unavoidable. When this happens, it is imperative to turn the situation around so that a liability becomes an asset. For example, hiring executives may have personnel managers contact you rather than doing so themselves. You should immediately take advantage of this opportunity by obtaining as much information about the job as possible.
Sometimes a people will send you an employment form. As I have noted elsewhere in this book, unless you know that you are being considered for a specific job, it is generally a waste of time to complete employment forms. If you receive such a form, call the individual who sent it to you (usually the personnel manager) and try to determine if a specific opening exists. If you are told that you must complete the form first, don't waste your time filling it out
No matter what happens never be arrogant or discourteous to a personnel manager. He may not be a real help in getting you a job offer, but he can be a hindrance. Also, even if there are no current openings for which you qualify, an opening may come up within a few weeks.
If people give you a choice between sending a resume or completing an employment form, choose the resume, since you can more easily shape it to the image you want to project.
Sometimes you will be asked to meet with the personnel manager before seeing the hiring executive. If you are given an employment form to complete at this time, do not fill it out Always ask to be allowed to complete the form at home, where you have all the information available.
If you fill out an employment form on the people's premises, you will be rushed and may not get everything down the way you want to. Also, the information you supply on such a form tends to become frozen exactly as written. If you must fill one out, you need time to word the information carefully. After the interview, you will know a great deal more about the job and will be able to slant your experience and background to it
What You Should Not Discuss with the Personnel Manager
Whenever you talk with personnel managers, try to get as much information as you can about the job while minimizing what you reveal about yourself. For example, if you have called in response to an advertisement and are asked for specifics about your background, try to ask some questions first Find out all you can about the qualifications for the job. If you are pressed for details, say that you meet all the qualifications stated in the advertisement but prefer not to go into specifics until you know more, since you do not want to take the chance of losing your present job. In general, the less you say the better, even after you have learned the requirements of the position and can orient your accomplishments to these requirements.
Remember, the personnel manager cannot help you, only hurt you. If you are calling to get information, you need not reveal even your name. Regardless of what happens, you will lose nothing, since you are going to reach the hiring executive in some other manner. However, if you are contacting the personnel manager because you have been directed to do so by a PE, you will have to reveal information about your background. In this case, you must use your judgment on what to reveal as well as how far to push the personnel manager for information before you say anything about yourself.
How to Use the Personnel Manager for Debriefings
Personnel managers are a good source for debriefing after an interview with the hiring executive, especially if you did not receive a job offer. If you have met the personnel manager before your interview with the hiring executive, call or visit him immediately afterward. Tell him that you enjoyed the interview and give him some positive feedback on what happened. Do not tell the personnel manager anything told to you in confidence. Do tell him where you left matters with the PE: "She's going to let me know on Wednesday" or "I'll be back to meet the president on Friday." Then if the hiring executive doesn't follow through, you have someone else to contact and query.
Maintain a sense of urgency by telling the personnel manager about a previous offer: "I sure hope Bob doesn't delay if he intends to make an offer. I have an offer pending already, and I must respond by Friday." If the personnel manager is friendly toward you, he may take it upon himself to remind the hiring executive to make a decision about you soon.
When an interview does not result in an offer, debriefing is essential. Once you are certain that an offer will not be extended, try to find out why from both the hiring executive and the personnel manager. Tell the personnel manager that you would appreciate his frankness, since any failing or blemish in your background could cost you another job in the future.
If the personnel manager hesitates or says that you were great, only someone else was better, tell him that you know you aren't perfect, no one is, and ask for your weak points as it pertained to this job. Never be defensive, volunteer a shortcoming, attempt to explain a fault, or be argumentative, even if what the personnel manager tells you is inaccurate. Always thank the personnel manager for the critique. Take good notes, and don't repeat the same mistake twice.
