Candidate Leads

Question:

I wanted to know if there is any downside in asking an applicant to introduce me to his company when he leaves. What objections can I expect and how I can overcome them? 

Danny's response:

The only downside would be to believe whatever they say at face value. When a candidate leaves, he/she tends to be either be in a wistful frame of mind (thereby inducing a “false positive” about the company) or in a bitter, vituperative state of mind, (thereby inducing a “false negative”). You need to hear them out and make a judgment as to how much of what they are telling you is fact or feeling based. And then, the real test is to put what you have learned aside and approach the company with a clean slate. The candidate should provide a warm lead as to who to call, what their needs are, and even some insight as to what they prefer. But the trick is to balance the “insider info” and make the call as you would any biz development call. You can do this, you do it every time you go into a movie theatre. They call it “suspending your disbelief” in the service of entertainment and potential catharsis. This is suspending your disbelief in the service of generating new business.