Real-Life Decision Making -- Solution
You try to change his mind.
Your first step is to do research to learn everything you can about Parkinson's
disease.
The next time you speak with the client you are prepared. When you bring
up the candidate's name, the client tells you that he has an issue with
hiring this particular individual.
That's when you bring forth the fruits of your research. It is true
that Parkinson's disease is a degenerative neurological disorder, and
patients get worse over time. But it's also true that the pace of Parkinson's
disease is unpredictable -- it might be 15 years before this particular individual
begins to show symptoms. Who knows what might happen in that time? There's
even a remote chance that researchers will have found a cure.
Furthermore, the reality of the information technology field is that employees
stay in jobs for two to three years at the most. It is highly likely that
your candidate will be in another job by the time he starts feeling the effects
of the disease. Finally, you point out that he will be grateful to the client
for giving him this opportunity, which will make him a better employee.
This is the real-life decision made by technical recruiter
Ivan Hnatiuk.
"Sometimes I can bridge a gap that wouldn't be bridged otherwise,"
he says. But he makes it clear that the client must make the final decision.
"My job is not so much to persuade people, as to make them look at the situation
objectively. I make sure all the information is there. My job is to make sure
all the stones are uncovered, so to speak, and then we can decide if this
will be a good marriage."
Hnatiuk points out that it would have been very easy for the client to
walk away. Instead, the candidate was hired. He says it was fulfilling to
make a difference in someone's life and, at the same time, to educate
a client about a sensitive issue.