Making the placement process, specifically the offer process, all come together can be a delicate ordeal, but during the crunch time that was the holiday season can make it a potential nightmare if something goes wrong.

As a 3^rd party recruiter I’m accustomed to sometimes having to push the process forward from time to time, but typically once a company has actually made an offer HR is all on board with the process and moving full speed ahead as to satisfy their customer (the hiring official) and their future employee.   

Unfortunately what we just went through was far from ideal.  Last month as we were closing two placements we seemed to have HR actually working against us.  I know they weren’t, but the candidates and managers had agreed on start dates and drug tests, background checks, temporary living arrangements, TN visa’s and everything else needed to get done so that candidates could resign and give their two weeks notice.  Unfortunately we had people who went AWAL for days during the process (when they were at the office), couldn’t get routine information to the candidate (a job description for the complete the Visa application) and even when they knew candidates were waiting on information proceeded to either not provide the information to them at all or sent it along the slowest path possible.  So I ask where is the sense of urgency to get things done NOW?

I’ll chalk this experience up to the ending of a bad year and the holiday season crunch, and I’m hopeful that this is strictly an anomaly and not a trend with HR’s unwillingness or ability to work with outside agencies growing worse.