There is a definite lack of respect directed toward recruiters from most candidates — and honestly, while I am sensitive to these behaviors, I can’t say I blame candidates for exhibiting some of them. However, in a job search, there are lots of things the candidate has no control over and many things they are required to do that are tedious and frustrating.
Like most relationships, the one between recruiter and candidate has to begin with trust. (Tweet this thought.) Except in the case of temporary work, gone are the days where you could show up to speak with a recruiter and expect to be hired by the end of the day. Many factors have upset this balance: the economy, the sheer number of recruiters, the lack of employment, and the specificity of the skill requirements for the open jobs. However, there are some things you can do to help make the relationship with your recruiter work for you, rather than against you:
1. Return Your Recruiter’s Call
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve worked with a candidate who stopped returning my calls because they thought they had a job offer coming from another source. Then, when that didn’t materialize, they began hounding me, asking about the company I had been trying to get them to interview with for weeks. Guess what? Now that job opportunity is no longer available to them. Not because the job has been filled, but because a recruiter is not going to stick their neck out and vouch for a candidate who’s flaky. This can be avoided by making a simple courtesy call (or sending an email) to let them know of your status.
Now, I know what you’re saying: recruiters don’t always return our calls, either. And you’re right. But that doesn’t change anything. Recruiters have hundreds of calls they have to return, whereas a candidate may only be working with one or two recruiters. So be a grownup and stay in touch.
2. Keep Your Cool
Remember the time you got really upset with an HR manager after a job interview because you thought the job was in the bag, but you didn’t get hired? No? Me neither. That’s because candidates don’t expect that just because they interviewed for a job they’re guaranteed to get it. Why, then, do candidates assume that when working with a third-party recruiter?
You may have noticed that third-party recruiters will move around from one agency to another. It may also interest you to know that recruiters speak to each other. Even more interesting to you is the fact that we keep a database full of notes about candidates. So after you’ve called a recruiter acting crazy because you didn’t get the job you wanted or your call wasn’t returned as quickly as you thought it should be, they’ve made a note in their system — a system which survives the recruiter’s short stint at that agency. We may even go from a job as an agency recruiter to one as an internal recruiter at the company for which you really want to work.
Have you ever wondered why a new recruiter seems standoffish or reluctant to work with you? It could be because they’ve read the notes of the recruiter who used to sit at their desk.
3. Fill Out the Paperwork
Who likes paperwork? No one! So please cut recruiters some slack. When you show up for an interview and give the recruiter a whole lot of attitude because you don’t want to complete an application and sign a confidentiality form, you are not endearing yourself to anyone. Odds are, the recruiter wishes they didn’t have to handle all your paperwork, so why give them a hard time about it?
If you want the opportunity to obtain employment, just do the paperwork. Agencies have the same reporting requirements as the employers with whom we contract, and in many cases, our requirements are more stringent because we may see many more applicants.
4. Be Polite
Recruiters have a difficult job. They are literally the middle man in an employment situation. Whether or not you are ultimately hired is still the decision of the employer, not the recruiter. While we may have an opinion about who’s the best person for the job, at the end of the day, we don’t have much of a say. The benefit of working with a recruiter is that we can make your case on your behalf. How well we do it, if at all, will depend greatly upon your attitude toward us.
When you’re granted an interview and you don’t get the job, realize that in most cases, we are just as frustrated as you are about the situation. Good recruiters don’t submit candidates they don’t think are qualified for the job, so if you aren’t ultimately hired, we’re disappointed about it, too. We don’t need to be berated on top of it.
5. Make a Full Disclosure
This point should probably have been number one because it’s that important. Failing to tell the recruiter you’re working with that you’ve already applied for said job or have been submitted by another agency is definitely not cool.
Many times candidates think it’s okay not to disclose this because they applied for a different position or they just want another shot at it. However, this makes both the recruiter and the candidate look bad. Hiring managers don’t want to be inundated by a candidate they’ve already rejected. Let’s face it: if the company liked your resume, you would have scored an interview already. So having another recruiter submit you makes the recruiter look like they’re sending second-rate candidates, and it makes you look desperate.
Now, I know that sounds harsh. You probably are a great candidate with excellent skills, and the recruiter agrees with this assessment or they wouldn’t have submitted you. However, the hiring manager has made a determination that you were not a good fit. They’ve already chosen not to interview you, which in their mind makes you unqualified — warranted or not.
The current economic downturn and reluctance to hire have made the job search an extremely frustrating and difficult process for many candidates. But if you can keep these points in mind, hopefully, it will make your job search a little more bearable and a lot more productive.
As Founder of Rework Work, Stacey is a Career Coach and talent acquisition strategist with expertise in diversity & inclusion. With so many questions coming her way each year about career change, resumes, conducting effective job searches and more, she has created e-courses on early career success as well as resume writing, which has been viewed more than 350,000 times in the past year.
