Recruiters Get Featured on LinkedIn: What Should Job Seekers Do To "Woo" You?

One of the oldest aphorisms, not to mention time worn clichés, in recruiting: the extended job search as dating metaphor - or, for similes' sake, that looking for the perfect job is a lot like looking for the perfect mate.

The whole concept of "finding a match" (catch me a catch?), or that long process of "candidate courtship," is central to our lexicon - and our professional lives. E-Harmony has attempted applying its algorithms to creating a lasting relationship, and in the age of social recruiting, as in romance, engagement is the most meaningful commitment out there.

That's why RecruitingBlogs is teaming up with LinkedIn to find out what job seekers need to do to get recruiters to fall in love with them once they've found a perfect match.

We want to find out what recruiters really look for in a candidate who thinks he's found his career soul mate; you know the type - the one who won't stop leaving you e-mails and voice messages asking for updates, even when they know the feeling's not mutual.

But every recruiter knows there's nothing more magical than the chemistry that happens when candidate, culture and CV all align. That's why we want you to let us know, this Valentine's Day, "What Can Candidates Do To Woo Recruiters?

Valentine's Day is around the corner, so we want to know:

What's Something Job Seekers Should Do To Woo You?

Leave your best advice for candidates by commenting below, and your responses may be featured in a LinkedIn blog post on Valentine's Day.

Comment by Valentino Martinez on February 1, 2014 at 12:57pm: Job candidates don't need to do anything to "woo" me -- because it's my job to woo them...if they're great candidates for jobs I'm working to fill.

Great job candidates don't need to do anything beyond applying for a job -- they simply need to BE supremely qualified for the job in question; and be promotable to the next & next job (because their potential is so apparent). If they lack viable qualifications…why are we considering them? We don’t – we move on to stronger candidates.

Great job candidates need to be accomplished with skills honed to the tasks at hand. If they lack viable accomplishments...why are we talking?

Great job candidates need to be affordable otherwise we're in a death-dance that'll go nowhere. BTW--if the employer is fishing out of their league -- they'll get a reality check that basically says, "If you can't pay at this level, you can't play at this level."

Great job candidates need to be basically available and mobile because the next better job may be somewhere else -- therefore their flexibility and ability to adapt to job and place challenges are critical.

So, as the recruiter, my job is to do the wooing because the quality of the candidate in question demands a dedicated effort to attract and land that top tier candidate. Anything less suggests a lower level of quality and essentially a lesser qualified candidate – which begs the question…Why are we talking?

Comment by Nick Lagos on February 1, 2014 at 1:40pm: Kudo's Valentino

Comment by Tim Spagnola on February 1, 2014 at 4:33pm: I agree w/. Nick. Tino dropping the hammer.

Comment by Maren Hogan on February 3, 2014 at 9:37am: I know I am late to the game on this and I'm also going to come at it from a way different place. I hire for my company and we're a small and extremely hard working bunch. I don't have time to chase you around trying to get you to show me your best work or see if you are a "diamond in the rough". Be confident. Prove yourself not just with your skills and what's listed on the resume and cover letter but with your email skills, a phone call where you display phone etiquette and assertive confidence. Every single connection you have with the company MUST prove that there is a reason I should hire you. tl;dr - come to me, I'm not coming to you.

Comment by Tom Bolt on February 3, 2014 at 12:28pm: Be honest with me and don't waste my time playing games.

I'm amazed at all of the well-meaning advice given to job seekers about "tips and tricks" when honest communication is all that is usually needed. If I ask you a question, give me a straight answer: Don't say what you guess I want to hear and don't hide information that you know I will need to represent you. I can't be your advocate if I can't trust you, nor do I expect for you to trust me blindly. The dialog to make this happen is not all that complicated. It won't be an adversarial relationship unless you start the conversation assuming that I'm the enemy or a necessary evil.

Oh, and one other thing of primary importance: If I call you, answer the damn phone! If you don't call me back then you probably aren't interested, huh?

Comment by Amy McDonald on February 3, 2014 at 5:20pm: I especially love Nick's comment about not waiting until you are unemployed to call. That one has always been something that gets my attention. Even though my role is only about 5% recruiting these days, a gainfully employed top performer will always get a second glance from me. This is because my clients ALWAYS want that.

In lieu of that situation, I will typically only get involved with candidate inquiries when that candidate can demonstrate to me what they are already doing to help themselves. Do they have a stellar resume? Can they tell me what their career goals are? Have they considered how a job change is going to impact their family and are they willing to relocate? What companies they are targeting and what networking they have already began on their own behalf. If they need to "call me back" with the answers to those questions, I'm already moving on. I find that the most talented candidates always know what they are looking for before they seek out my help to find it.

Comment by Amy McDonald on February 3, 2014 at 5:20pm: I especially love Nick's comment about not waiting until you are unemployed to call. That one has always been something that gets my attention. Even though my role is only about 5% recruiting these days, a gainfully employed top performer will always get a second glance from me. This is because my clients ALWAYS want that.

In lieu of that situation, I will typically only get involved with candidate inquiries when that candidate can demonstrate to me what they are already doing to help themselves. Do they have a stellar resume? Can they tell me what their career goals are? Have they considered how a job change is going to impact their family and are they willing to relocate? What companies they are targeting and what networking they have already began on their own behalf. If they need to "call me back" with the answers to those questions, I'm already moving on. I find that the most talented candidates always know what they are looking for before they seek out my help to find it.

Comment by Amy McDonald on February 3, 2014 at 5:20pm: I especially love Nick's comment about not waiting until you are unemployed to call. That one has always been something that gets my attention. Even though my role is only about 5% recruiting these days, a gainfully employed top performer will always get a second glance from me. This is because my clients ALWAYS want that.

In lieu of that situation, I will typically only get involved with candidate inquiries when that candidate can demonstrate to me what they are already doing to help themselves. Do they have a stellar resume? Can they tell me what their career goals are? Have they considered how a job change is going to impact their family and are they willing to relocate? What companies they are targeting and what networking they have already began on their own behalf. If they need to "call me back" with the answers to those questions, I'm already moving on. I find that the most talented candidates always know what they are looking for before they seek out my help to find it.

Comment by Matt Charney on February 5, 2014 at 8:09am: I don't think candidates who need to woo recruiters are going to get a gig - everyone wants "passive" candidates, which means that if you're doing the asking out, you're likely going to get rejected, even if there's mutual attraction - but if they're interested in you, they'll do whatever it takes to go all the way with you. But when both sides play hard to get as an integral part of their strategy, finding the right match can be a huge challenge. Best advice? Go Dutch and make sure it's clear what both sides are bringing to the relationship. You can always engage and break it off later if you're just not that into the job, or vice versa.

Comment by Pam Sisson on February 5, 2014 at 12:21pm: The first thing that comes to mind is that I have to be able to find you! I'm often frustrated with lack of content in profiles. When your profile simply lists a company name and job title and has little if any detail, I often assume that it means that you're obviously not interested in being contacted regarding possible opportunities.

Secondly - if you REALLY want to woo me, respond when I do reach out to you. You may not be even thinking about making a career change at this time - but you might in the future. Remember that all relationships - particularly business relationships, are reciprocal. I'm not going to try to shove some position down your throat, I want to understand what's important to you, what your goals are, where you see your career headed, and then work with you to find an opportunity that you CAN get excited about. Yes - I may be specifically recruiting for a particular opportunity, but I'm also continually trying to connect with people to build relationships.