Posted under Career Management on April 13th, 2007
A freelance reporter working on an article for the Sunday Washington Post contacted this author for comments about the recruiter-candidate relationship. In sharing some of my remark online, I hope to encourage your comments:
* Let’s acknowledge that the recruiter’s concern is meeting the needs of the company paying the fee.
Candidates sometimes believe that recruiters are their advocate, their friend; this mistaken belief is the source of a lot of candidate disappointment. Recruiters are the advocate of the company that hired them (retained search), or the company who may pay them if they find the right person (contingency).
* Can the job seeker be sure that the recruiter is acting in his/her best interest?
Professionals and executives recognize the importance of planning and networking; both come into play in ensuring a successful candidate-recruiter relationship. Plan to stay in a job for ~5 years - while happily engaged in your work, reach out to career consultants and recruiters. Make connections and nurture relationships so that when you are ready to make the next move, you have already established a mutually respectful relationship with people who can help you. Such helpful professionals might include a career management consultant to guide your brand development and marketing campaign; and, a recruiter to facilitate the placement.
Candidates and recruiters must establish mutual trust - the candidate needs to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and in advance of a referral. The recruiter will respect the candidate who is honest about issues that may concern a potential employer, and can work to smooth the path before the HR department finds the cracks in the armor. We all have cracks in our armor; you demonstrate your maturity and credibility by admitting them.
Similarly, recruiters need to be open with candidates about issues such as: economic health of the company, personalities involved, and the reason the opening exists.
* How can the job seeker know if the recruiter will recommend positions that are truly a good “fit.”
Recruiters who truly listen to what it will take for the job seeker to make a move are likely to refer you to a good cultural fit. Make sure you discuss your compensation requirements, the type of community you want to live in, any familial special needs, and any keys to your personality that are likely to determine the “fit.” You’ll know if the recruiter is listening by the quality of his/her referrals.
* How many recruiters should a job seeker work with at one time?
If the candidate has followed the steps outlined above, he/she has established rapport with one (1) recruiter. Working with one person should be more effective, and likely to preserve y our dignity, your value, and your current job! Don’t let your resume resemble a pound of noodles thrown against the wall, waiting for one noodle to stick.
10 Ways to Make Recruiters Love You
Posted by: Karen Katz
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Wendy Enelow on 13 Apr 2007 at 12:45 pm #
Great post, Karen! I totally agree with what you said. All too often job seekers are under the perception that recruiters will “work” to find them a position. As career professionals, we all know that - 99% of the time - this is not true.
As you said, recruiters are paid by the companies that hire them; not by the individual job seekers. So, of course, their motivating force is to meet their client’s needs which may not necessarily coincide with the needs and expectations of individual job seekers. You’re right on target!
Jessica Dwyer on 20 Apr 2007 at 1:16 pm #
Karen makes some excellent points! She’s right - telling the truth benefits all parties involved. I did want to make a note to say that as a recruiter, it is definitely in my best interest to make sure the candidate is happy. Yes, I am performing a service to my client, and yes, I want to fill their position, but part of that service is finding a candidate that wants to be there, is happy there, and isn’t stressed out from a long commute or a lower than average salary. What some candidates might not be aware of is that in most staffing firms there are actually 2 groups of folks: There is the sales side that is working with the clients, finding out their needs and maintaining the client/agency relationship - making sure they’re happy. Then there is the recruiter who works only with the candidate - finding out their needs, maintaining a relationship, and making sure that the candidate is happy. So recruiters are the candidate’s advocate and the sales person is the client advocate. This can be a delicate balance but works for all four parties involved if handled honestly and professionally with all sides communicating as much as possible.
As a recruiter, I really do care about the candidate and the direction they want their career to go in. Unfortunately, not every recruiting agency shares the same views and values, so many ethical recruiters with good intentions are overlooked because of the general bad reputation of recruiters.
The good ones are out there - you’ll find one! As Karen suggests, it’s a matter of building a trusting relationship and lots of communication from both sides.