The best part of being in the recruiting world without being a recruiter myself, is that I get to observe the sheer optimism these enthusiastic individuals start each day with. Many of them join this industry with the goal of wanting to help people.
So why is it that a group of individuals, whose ideals are to help other progress in their field, have such a bad rap? The feedback I’ve received from a variety of professionals address two top causes: a misunderstanding of how agency recruitment works and that there are a few bad seeds out there making the rest of us look bad. I can personally testify for our recruiters. good-natured intentions, as well as many within our MRI Network. And while I could walk you through the processes and expertise required to make a “good” recruiter, it seems more suitable to advise you on how to get the most out of a good recruiter when they call! And the key to a better relationship with a GOOD recruiter: Be a GOOD candidate!
1. The Right Attitude If you are a professional who is constantly contacted by recruiters, CONGRATULATIONS! With the increasingly candidate-driven market, clients are coming to recruiters in droves to find top talent. These annoying calls and emails…they mean we think you ARE that top talent and we want to help you advance your career! Sometimes, the opportunity isn’t a fit…and that’s ok, but remember that poor individual you just slammed the receiver on called to build a relationship, network, and explore YOUR career interests. Being disrespectful or unprofessional with a recruiter could potentially hurt future opportunities for advancement…You never know when an interesting opportunity may come along.
2. Be Honest. Period. As mentioned above, recruiters call because they want to help you. It’s true. We truly hope that every person we match with an opportunity is able to climb the next rung up the ladder, find the work-life balance they’re looking for, and dare we say, do so with a few extra dollars in their pocket. So be honest with us. Are you actually a Director or are you a Manager? Do you or do you not have experience with sourcing resins? Is your salary just under $100K or is it $85k? A good recruiter will maintain your information, as well as your next opportunity preferences, in a confidential database to either match you with current opportunities or those that come up in the future. If you are honest, the calls will be more beneficial to your career and your networking relationship. In addition, when you do get that new opportunity, salaries, previous employment and degrees can be verified through background checks – a fact many forget in the first phone call.
3. Patience Recruiters receive 100s of applications a week, so when you don’t get a call back right away it doesn’t mean you aren’t qualified. If you don’t receive a call back this week, it doesn’t mean you aren’t a strong professional in your field. Typically, agency recruiters work on only very specific projects for clients and have limited resources to contact all applicants. If after reading the job advertisement you truly feel you are a fit and it’s been a week since you applied, follow up with an email citing your interest in the position and why you believe your candidacy to be fit. Take the opportunity to highlight any achievements not mentioned on your resume and ask to schedule a brief call. But please DO NOT apply for the same job multiple times or call multiple times a day, the recruiter will be sure to know your name – but not for the reason you want.
In close, as we tell both candidates and clients, this process has to be a two-way street. Our goal is to create a collaborative effort, resulting in a true win-win environment for all.