As an ex-contingency recruiter, I can tell you that good recruiters are worth their weight in gold. The problem for many candidates is that they don’t know a recruiter they can trust.
When searching for a new doctor, what do you do?
You seek references from people you know and trust. The same is true for any professional you need to work with and is especially true in the case of recruiters. You are trusting them with your career and you want to feel that they are going to behave in a respectful and trustworthy manner. Once you do find a recruiter you connect with, it is smart to keep in touch so that you can work with them again in the future.
Interviewing Recruiters
When “interviewing” recruiters here are a few questions you might want to ask:
How long have you been recruiting?
Which companies are your top 5 clients? How long have you been working with them and how many people have you placed there?
What is your specialty or niche? What industry and what level?
What positions do you have open now?
How do you manage your clients? In other words, how do you handle them when they say they don’t like a candidate? Do you say, “fine, okay” or do you push back and try to get specific feedback in order to help the candidate?
How many times have you met in person the hiring managers you represent?
Are you willing to meet me in person?
How quickly do you get the feedback on the resumes?
How quickly can I expect to be interviewing or will you be able to give me honest feedback on my resume?
Speaking of resumes, how much do you modify my resume before you present it?
Resumes
It may be good for them to modify your resume or it may not. You can ask to see it once it’s changed. Resume writing is a skill in and of itself, and a good recruiter will know what works for their clients. If the client cannot see within 5 seconds why they should meet you, then the recruiter has not done their job.
Before going out on an interview you should know from your recruiter why you are a great fit for the position and what your weaknesses are. This is crucial or you won’t be able to play up your strengths. Try to get the honest scoop so you can prepare yourself properly.
Who is paying the bill?
Let’s face reality. Recruiters are paid by the client, but they tend to get more personally involved with the candidates, so it is a bit of an odd relationship. The better you treat them the better they’ll treat you, unless you’re dealing with a shark. Sharks can work with you, but are really in it for themselves. I once had an old family friend who was a shark at recruiting and did well for his candidates. One just needed to understand where he was coming from and what he could and would do for his candidates. He was, by the way, very close to his clients so he understood what made them tick.
If a recruiter is a smart and savvy business person, then s/he can help you immensely. Their job is to keep their ear to the ground and know what’s going on in your industry…who is hiring and who is not? If they haven’t been around your industry (IT, Finance, HR, Corporate Communications, whatever) for awhile, then you may not want to work with them.
Salary
Be honest about your situation and your salary, or you will be wasting your time and theirs. Try to make sure that the two of you are on the same page. If you are too high or too low listen to them, they have their finger on the pulse. Be realistic.
When switching from one type of company to another sometimes you get priced out. For example, a Big 4 consulting firm tends to pay a little more than a Fortune 500 corporation. So be prepared and do your own research.
Also if you are not really serious about taking a new job, then it’s really not fair to waste the recruiter’s time. I once had a candidate who said yes, every time I asked if I could send his resume out. He was strong at what he did and seemed, in the end, to just want to find out what he was worth so that he could renegotiate his salary with his current employer. He never once took one of the offers I worked hard to get for him. I eventually got the message and stopped working with him.
Where is your resume going?
You need to know where your resume is going before it goes there. If you have already been presented to a particular company they need to know. They also need to know which department or group within a department you have been presented to.
Whatever you do, do not try to work with many recruiters at once. That is the kiss of death because if several recruiters are working with the same corporate giant, then you will end up in the middle of a conflict. The corporation will drop you like a hot potato rather than get into a fight. The only time this is not true is if different departments are already working with different recruiters.
In conclusion, there are many good recruiters out there. You need to do your research in order to find them. Once you do, you will have a friend for life and will be able to count on them the next time you want to change jobs. Eventually when you become a hiring manager, you will even be able to call on them to assist you in filling slots for your team.
