Know Your Audience

Part 1

JR BECHTLE & Co.

know your audience

JR BECHTLE & Co. | July 2026 | Blogs

Know Your Audience – Part 1

For some time now I’ve considered sharing reflections on the recruiting field drawn from my close to 30 years in this sometimes crazy but never boring business. My hope is that the one or the other of these reflections, in the form of anecdotes – humorous and serious – will give rise to ideas and tips that will be of use to those seeking new roles as well as those interviewing those persons.

As those who know JR Bechtle are aware, we work mainly with clients from German-speaking Europe. This story relates to how things can go awry when Americans make assumptions about Germans. Don’t get me wrong here, it can and does certainly go wrong in the other direction but one thing at a time.

This case involves an American who had an interview with a German manager for a role with a German firm, with myself the lucky moderator. This candidate, quite sincere in his desire to make a positive impression on his potential German boss, arrived at the interview sporting a typical Bavarian loden jacket, the kind you might see at Oktoberfest and at some formal occasions in Bavaria and Austria. The candidate, actually of German descent, was hoping to ingratiate himself and score a few points on attire. What he failed to account for is that Bavaria is only one part of Germany, meaning that not everyone in Germany wears this kind of clothing, and that just possibly it might rub someone the wrong way who’s not from Bavaria. This is akin to a person showing up in Maine for a job interview decked out in cowboy boots and s ten-gallon hat.

After the meeting the client, a sober and serious man from Hamburg in northern Germany, asked me, “What was that Bavarian outfit all about?” instead of focusing on the strong qualifications of this candidate he spent much of the interview pondering, and not approving of, the fellow’s clothing choice.

Moral of the story: Check in advance on the dress code, that’s what we’re here for. If I had been asked about this outfit I would have put the kibosh on it, even if I didn’t know that client was from a different part of Germany (which I did). A job interview is no place for making a fashion statement.

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“Over the past 10+ years, my interaction working with JR BECHTLE & Company has been extremely positive. The staff is extremely thorough in ensuring they have a very solid understanding of the role that needs to be filled as well as the company culture. They spend quite a bit of time upfront collecting information from their client. This is not only important from a company standpoint but also from an applicant standpoint. The results of their detailed process are solid applicants presented for the role. They are a strong recruiting partner and ensure close communication during the whole process to ensure expectations are aligned. For these reasons, I highly recommend JR BECHTLE & Company.”
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