Is your recruiter an expert in their focus area and client base? After being in the recruiting industry for some time now, it has become obvious that not all recruiters are the most professional in their daily dealings with clients and candidates. This quite often can cause an adverse impression to candidates and clients. With no licensure for recruiters, limited oversight by authorities and relatively low barriers to entry, your experience with a recruiter can be a toss-up. Because of this, I thought I would share some of what I have learned in the transition from my engineering career to help you have a more pleasant and productive experience with recruiters you choose to work with.
Clients:
- The recruiter should be attentive to your needs, listen to your requirements and show you only quality, qualified resumes of candidates that fit your culture, profile and compensation expectations.
- Introduce the hiring managers to your trusted recruiters so that they can hear first-hand the hiring manager’s specific needs, preferences etc. Position Descriptions often leave out a lot of detail that will help find the right candidate for your culture.
- Be candid with your recruiter when circumstances change, we understand requirements evolve. If you have a recruiter focused on a search, convey the changes in real time, this will help them to focus on the most relevant searches and keep qualified candidates coming to you.
- Focus on recruiters with a background and expertise in industry and the profession you are searching for. They will have a more applicable client base and network. This point also applies to the candidates search as well.
Candidates:
- When you find a good recruiter that supports your professional track, stay in touch, share LinkedIn posts, refer candidates etc. Work with the recruiter and make yourself memorable. The candidates that stay in touch and support communications are memorable and are more likely to get placed.
- Consider options for relocation early in your job search, especially if you are with a major company that has laid off large numbers in your area recently. This will help you to get placed more quickly.