Let’s face it, Recruiters are annoying right? - Article by Amanda Underhill
You’re in the middle of busy day, and you get a call about a job, but your last agency experience wasn’t great, so you’re not keen to engage, why should you now?
For many the world of recruitment has moved on considerably. Gone are the days of recruiters just ‘hitting’ the phones all day cold calling unknown businesses getting nothing in return but a dial tone. Smart ones, the ones that you want to work with, will be operating far more consultatively.
It is such a competitive market, we have to stand out from the crowd, from client meetings, networking events, newsletters, salary guides, e-briefs, benchmarking information plus much more. This is all on top of our ‘Business as Usual’ 9-6pm job.
It is vital to focus on the candidate, there has to be a mutual respect for each other’s profession, experience and time. We are a partnership. I succeed, you succeed.
There are many different types of ‘agencies’ on the market, ensure you are partnering with one that is a specialist in your field. One that is well networked, who understands your market and wants to see you matched to your perfect job.
Some of the best recruiters will have exclusivity on a role or at worst, will only work on roles that have 1 to 2 other recruiters working on it. The more exclusivity we have, the better control and visibility we have on the process. It’s ok to ask this when speaking to your recruiter, as this is a clear indication of the level of relationship that your recruiter has with their client.
However, your success with an agency is not simply based on how they operate; there are many things that you as the candidate can do increase your chances of securing your next role.
Only apply for roles that you are suitable for. By blanket applying you will look unfocused. This will not help you secure that perfect job.
Generic CVs are great, but time invested to tailor your CV, is time well spent. “Must have strong experience leading on TUPE projects” we are going to expect to see this in your CV before shortlisting you for a further conversation. Your CV has 30 seconds on average to make an impact to any recruiter, internal or external, make that the best 30 seconds. This sound like common sense, but we are all busy and sometimes this can go by the way side.
Like us, the hiring manager has a full-time role, to do in addition to recruiting; this often causes delays. It is quite normal for a recruiter to not receive feedback on your CV for anything up to a week. Your recruiter should be able to keep you posted that they are chasing for feedback, often daily.
But, you are the perfect candidate? 90% of clients will rarely appoint after interviewing only one candidate. They will want to benchmark. Do not over think this; this is normal in recruitment.
Salary, often the elephant in the room. Rarely a hiring manger will engage in a salary conversation at 1st interview stage (job level dependant) but if they do, the salary you initially discussed with your recruiter will be the details that will have been shared with the client, do not deviate from this. It will not reflect positively on you. So ensure that you are honest with your recruitment partner in the first instance, build the relationship from the beginning.
The recruitment decision-making process can involve many people; don’t let this deter you from the role. Again, this can be quite normal in all sizes of organisation.
Feedback. Every candidate should be entitled to feedback. Unfortunately, there is a growing trend with hiring managers to just advise not suitable or wrong fit. A good recruiter will always be pushing for specific feedback. You need this ready for your next interview.
So often recruiters are viewed as a necessary evil, but we are here to support, advise, consult and support both parties in making a great match.
Still not convinced? Reverse the roles, you are the hiring manager or recruiter – what would you change?
I am a results driven recruiter with over 20 years’ experience in the industry. I joined Ashley Kate HR & Finance in 2010 and have since enjoyed developing long lasting relationships with both clients & candidates. I thrive on placing great people into fantastic new jobs as supporting our HR Director Boardroom and HR Network events across London and Greater London.
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