When you first speak with Recruiter Peter Algazi, you feel like you are instantly transported to a locker room, receiving a pep talk from the all-time, most-winning coach. His enthusiasm and passion for his sport are not only apparent from the get-go but infectious, as well. Peter has spent the better part of 12 years honing his craft, having worked for such software giants as VMware as a Senior Strike Recruiter - even his title is descriptive of his athletic nature! At BSM Associates in sunny Irvine, California Peter recruits, exclusively, Sales Professionals for major software companies.

I asked Peter about the communications required of a professional, like himself, when working with current and potential clients. His words about controlling the client communications aspects of a search are indeed wise. "You must qualify each recruitment at the very beginning. Qualify your client's commitment to the process. How does that Hiring Manager respond upfront? Mutual respect has to be established." Peter went on to say, "Know what they are looking for before going into the call. Do your homework about the company, act like you care about their product/service. And act like you have known them for a while." So having an ease about yourself, a confidence that your process will fill their needs is a sure way to get a head start in bridging the communication issue with clients and hiring managers.

One of the most interesting things Peter shared with me was his follow-through process. "I give my clients a time frame of when they can expect a field of candidates to be presented. I know going in to this how many they would like to see and I commit to having that many in front of them within a week. Then I call them on their commitment to me and my process by asking when they can commit a couple hours to conduct interviews once they have reviewed the resumes. I ask if I can calendar some time in their Outlook with resumes attached, so the details about each candidate are right there in front of them. This is taking the aggressive approach to qualify their commitment to the process. Most importantly, I make sure I understand fully the parameters of the search, as well as my client's style. I listen. I listen to what they are telling me. A lot of recruiters get so excited about having a conversation with a client that they fail to get all the details and communicate first and foremost..., they just hang up the phone and do a little dance. " Communication is key if success with a client or hiring manager is to be achieved.

Peter also addressed something many third-party recruiters forget: you can be selective! When sending resumes of potential candidates, give reasons why the resumes should be looked at, and why the candidates should be considered, telling your client, "You asked me for this and I gave you what you asked for." Success comes from doing your homework, having a base knowledge of the space you are recruiting in and knowing who your clients' competitors are. You have the right as someone who works hard in this tough industry to decide if this is a company you want to work with or are they a source company, from where you may want to pull candidates. The number one way to be happy in this job and with your clients or hiring manager is to qualify your search.

As Peter gives me his parting words, I envision him, like a true athlete with gold medals dangling around his neck. "You (the recruiter) are the one holding the gold. If you don't see it like that, then you have not differentiated yourself from the better recruiters out there."