5 Steps to a Great Candidate Recruiter Relationship

I have come across many blogs that have expressed a distrust as well as a dislike for the recruiting profession. I will admit, we do have some rotten eggs in our industry, but this can be said in any other profession as well. Is it really necessary to put a whole group of people into one category just because of a few bad apples? The relationship between a recruiter and a candidate goes both ways, and I am not oblivious to the fact that FEEDBACK is the key relationship builder for candidates!! This CareerBuilder survey does an excellent job of summing this up.  Feedback in some form is a very simple request, and I know all recruiters will struggle at times to complete this task. On the flip side, we as a recruiting community have a lot more needs when it comes to developing a good solid working relationship.

1.) Have the right skill set for our client: Recruiters will call you because we feel you have the right background for what our client is looking for. I added this into the criteria, because your skill set is what will entice us to call you in the first place. The relationship needs to start somewhere right?

2.) Do not hide information: You know what I'm referring to here! That little piece of information in the back of your mind that you are debating on weather to share it or not...SHARE IT! In most cases we will figure it out anyway, and it is best to be honest up front. Being dishonest in anything will result in distrust, and distrust is not a good foundation for a solid relationship. 

3.) Say what you mean, and mean what you say: If you say you are going to call us a certain time, then call us at that time. If you say you are going to go on the interview with the client, then go on the interview. If you say you will take the job, then follow through and take the job. If you say you will show up for work on your first day, then please show up for work on that day. I think you get the point...

4.) Do not expect us to take on full responsibility of finding you a job: The reality is that we work with a lot of candidates, and we are paid by the clients we work with and work for. I am someone who loves to help someone out, but I will never take full responsibility for finding you a job. This is a partnership, and it needs to be treated as such. Recruiters can make the initial introduction and connection, but it is up to you to land the opportunity.

5.) Do not quit at the first sign of more money: If you are quick to leave for the first job offer with more money, then you will be quick to burn bridges. Those who chase money will eventually lose in the long run.  The local labor communities are small, and you never know when you will need to rely on someone to provide a good reference for you.

Doesn't seem fair right? Candidates just ask for timely feedback, and we recruiters have 5 steps for a good working relationship.  Nothing brings me more satisfaction then helping my fellow human, but it is a two way street.

The 4 Things to Expect When You Aren't Expecting....Recruiting Style

By no means is this post meant to be a dig at the recruiting industry, nor a gripe on my career choice.  My purpose of this post is to give some of the newcomers into the industry some sound advice on what to expect.  When I first received the call about working for a staffing company, I had no idea this industry even existed.  It was completely new to me! A company would pay another company to find talent for their organization?  When I was initially contacted about this exciting opportunity as a recruiter, my first thought was "how hard can this be?"  Much to my surprise, staffing turned out to be a HUGE challenge.  In my first 6 months, I thought about walking away several times because the reality of the position did not align with my expectations of the position.

Taking a step back, it would have been nice to have realistic expectations as I entered this new career.  Below are are few of the biggest areas where expectations did not align with reality.

1. It's not just as easy as finding the right candidate: You are dealing in people, not with a commodity, people/candidates have the gift of freewill.  They will tell you what you want to hear and at times they will fib about their experience.  They may not show up when they said they will show up, and very often will get "lost" on the way to the interview.  You do your best to prohibit these issues, but the reality is you can not predict everything that could possibly go wrong during the recruiting process.  Not everyone will be difficult to work with, but you should always prepare yourself with as much detail as possible to try and avoid the inevitable "bumps in the road."
2. DO NOT get into the industry because you have been sold on MAKING THE BIG BUCKS: When I was interviewing for my first position in the staffing industry, my future manager told me I had "six figure potential" within the first couple years.  As a recent college grad I said CHA-CHING!!!!  I can tell you that after 7.5 years of recruiting I have never broken the six figure mark.  At this point in my career, I am more motivated by helping people than I am by the earning potential.  If you are someone who is motivated by money, then a different form of sales may be the best option for you.  I am not suggesting it is impossible to make good money in the recruiting industry, but it takes a little luck and some very hard work.  Recruiters can make a lot of money, but more often than not these individuals have dedicated themselves to be the best at what they do.  They become experts in staffing, and provide value to the customer in many different areas.  In some rare cases you will find someone new to the industry who is making decent money, but in my experience these individuals happened to be in the right place at the right time.
3. Most newcomers fail within the first six months: This is plain and simple.  People go into this industry with false expectations, and will be quick to find a new job when things get tough.  If you do choose to start a career in recruiting, you should know right away, times will get tough.  You will go through many highs and many lows, and these variances can come within days of each other.  It is how you deal with the peaks and valleys that will determine how successful you are in the industry.  The key here is to find a way to make the highs not as high and the lows not as low.  Celebrate the wins, mourn the losses, but in both cases move on quickly. 
4. Take recruiting for what it is: In my opinion, the best recruiters in the industry are those who are trusted and well respected.  To these individuals it is truly about finding a win-win for all parties involved.  Those who go through their daily recruiting routine with little regard for how they are treating candidates or hiring managers will never be successful in this type of position.  At the end of the day you are working in the relationship business, and you must know how to develop relationships.  If you do a Google Search on "recruiters" you will most likely find a lot more people who hate our profession than you will find people who love us.  This negative image is created by people who do not care who they step on to get to the top, and do not truly care about the well being of the candidate or client.  They have no interest in a win-win scenario.  If you are just in it for the money, you will lose sight of what is really important, TRUST!

I could not have fallen into a better career, and I am very appreciative of all the people I have met along this journey.  I did not have the best first manager/mentor, but in reality I would not be where I am today without him.  If you are one of the fortunate ones to find a career in talent acquisition, be sure to keep in perspective why our industry even exists. Companies spend millions in their budgets to fund talent acquisition as well as third party agencies, and they can easily replace you with another recruiter or agency.