Thursday, September 13, 2007
Get With The Program! HOW TO HELP THE RECRUITER HELP YOU
This discussion is dedicated to the candidate's utilization of the recruiter community, a unique and valuable resource not to be encountered without knowledge and preparation.
Before I take you on a tour of the recruiting community, let me assure you that I have so much respect for the profession that I spent 25% of my life in that industry before becoming a career manager (I'll explain the difference soon). Much as in any profession, some of its members are more skilled and dedicated than others, and it is the candidate's responsibility to do the necessary research. But let's examine the basics....
----As a candidate, you are not the headhunter's priority and his loyalty is never to the candidate. Why? Because he makes his commission from the employer who has retained him. You are the spoils with which the recruiter will gain favor and thus secure income. So as the recruiter passes his day, IBM is in his heart, not Charlie Clueless.
---You may not be the "right stuff" to gain a recruiter's attention. Generally speaking (and there are exceptions) candidates who are entry-level or career changers do not appeal to a recruiter because their offerings don't merit the payment of the fee, potentially 25% of the candidate's first year starting salary.
---The recruiter could very well have far too many candidates to address your needs, and I have seen Charlie Clueless literally waste weeks sitting on his hands believing a recruiter was working on his behalf. Remember no one cares more about your mission more than you, and the risk may be disastrous if you remain passive. Much like a disinterested employer, no recruiter is obligated to even contact you.
To most effectively utilize a recruiter, a candidate must remember certain ground-rules. If the candidate appears arrogant and unreasonably demanding, normally a short-sighted ego play, the recruiter will see the candidate as one with potentially diminishing returns. In the recruiter's eyes, this candidate's inflexibility will be seen as a disadvantage and a turn-off to a potential employer, the recruiter's client! Remember where the recruiter's loyalties lie! A candidate should be friendly and personable to the recruiter, appearing to be a potential asset to an employer. Within certain parameters, the candidate's terms should be flexible, not to the point of compromising those aspects of a job that are non-negotiable, but reasonable enough to encourage the recruiter to consider him when encountering a potential opportunity.
Remember, these are interesting times and today's hiring authority may be tomorrow's candidate.
Before I take you on a tour of the recruiting community, let me assure you that I have so much respect for the profession that I spent 25% of my life in that industry before becoming a career manager (I'll explain the difference soon). Much as in any profession, some of its members are more skilled and dedicated than others, and it is the candidate's responsibility to do the necessary research. But let's examine the basics....
----As a candidate, you are not the headhunter's priority and his loyalty is never to the candidate. Why? Because he makes his commission from the employer who has retained him. You are the spoils with which the recruiter will gain favor and thus secure income. So as the recruiter passes his day, IBM is in his heart, not Charlie Clueless.
---You may not be the "right stuff" to gain a recruiter's attention. Generally speaking (and there are exceptions) candidates who are entry-level or career changers do not appeal to a recruiter because their offerings don't merit the payment of the fee, potentially 25% of the candidate's first year starting salary.
---The recruiter could very well have far too many candidates to address your needs, and I have seen Charlie Clueless literally waste weeks sitting on his hands believing a recruiter was working on his behalf. Remember no one cares more about your mission more than you, and the risk may be disastrous if you remain passive. Much like a disinterested employer, no recruiter is obligated to even contact you.
To most effectively utilize a recruiter, a candidate must remember certain ground-rules. If the candidate appears arrogant and unreasonably demanding, normally a short-sighted ego play, the recruiter will see the candidate as one with potentially diminishing returns. In the recruiter's eyes, this candidate's inflexibility will be seen as a disadvantage and a turn-off to a potential employer, the recruiter's client! Remember where the recruiter's loyalties lie! A candidate should be friendly and personable to the recruiter, appearing to be a potential asset to an employer. Within certain parameters, the candidate's terms should be flexible, not to the point of compromising those aspects of a job that are non-negotiable, but reasonable enough to encourage the recruiter to consider him when encountering a potential opportunity.
Remember, these are interesting times and today's hiring authority may be tomorrow's candidate.
