ESS Candidate Newsletter – October 2025

Introduction – Aaron Wandtke
Positions Filled in the Last 30 Days
Ask the Recruiter – “Want to shoot some baskets?”

Introduction:

The job market remains soft. The unemployment rate is moving up to a more realistic number. All of this to say we are seeing fewer jobs, and we are seeing a longer process. If you have not looked for a new role for three or more years, the job market has changed substantially. Having said that, there are a lot of great jobs at wonderful companies who are ready to hire the right person. A lot of those companies have increased the requirements for their roles which makes them pickier.

As we begin the fourth quarter, this is the time of year where we often see a bump in activity as people hunker down for the remainder of the year to ensure goals are met and budgets are spent. If you need help during the fourth quarter or are making plans for first quarter of 2026, this would be a good time for us to connect so we are on the same page with what you are looking for in a job or to clarify what you are looking to hire.

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Sampling of Positions Filled in the Last 30 days:

• Plan President
• Chief Medical and Innovation Officer
• Regional Vice President of Sales & Account Management
• Dental Director
• Director of FP&A
• Small Group Sales Executive
• Medicare Advantage Specialist
• Senior Business & Quality Analyst

Ask the Recruiter – “Want to shoot some baskets?”

We recently had an applicant tell us during our debrief process that the final interviewer on his schedule asked him if he wanted to shoot some baskets. Turns out the department has a kids basketball hoop in there and people in the department shoot baskets as a stress reliever and as a change of pace. In this situation, the interviewer asked the applicant which legendary basketball player he would be in the department and why.

We can do all the preparations in the world gathering information on the company, the department, and the people you may meet. Regardless of the amount of preparation, sometimes there are curve balls and sometimes those curve balls are intentional to see how you think on your feet. Below are some examples of some unpredictable things that happened during a day of interviews:

• The president was not scheduled to meet the interviewee; however, after the final interview on the schedule, the hiring manager took the interviewee to the president’s office for a meeting.
• The schedule of interviews was all running behind. Due to the time of day, the final interviewer asked the interviewee if they wanted to go to dinner to interview rather than stay in the office.
• The interviewee was put on the spot to make a presentation to a panel interview team on a product the interviewee knew little about.

One of the strengths you can demonstrate from going through an unusual situation is your ability to assess, adapt and engage in the situation thrown before you. Often there are no right or wrong answers because it’s more about how you handle some pressure and how you communicate which all companies are looking for in an applicant.

If you need help navigating any job searches that you have in process, please let me know.

I can be reached at 614-885-8490 or by e-mail at aw@ess123.com.