Are you an advisor & consultant to your candidate?

This weekend was like any other weekend for a guy with 2 young children. If you have small kids, or have had them, then you know exactly what I am talking about. The one small caveat is that now that school is in session and football is in full- swing, hanging out on the patio with friends and family replaces the swimming pool.

We aren’t to the soccer game stage because my son is only 1 ½, and my 4 ½ year old daughter’s activity of choice is dance which happens on Thursdays rather than the weekend. Birthday’s however – no matter what the age seem to highlight weekends. This particular weekend was a bouncy house party.

My daughter went crazy. I don’t think I saw her for 2 hours. Her energy level was so high, and I am still amazed how she went through the day without a nap. My son, however, is like I was when I was his age and much into my teenage years. He is a little shy and a little uncomfortable around the unknown.

The first thing he did when I set him down, was grab my wife and my legs and turn his head into our legs. He was scared. He didn’t know where he was. We were at the bouncy house for nearly an hour before he had the confidence to wander into another area and pull off our legs.

It was at that moment when I really started thinking about candidates and recruiting. Being unemployed can be like being at that bouncy house. It is the unknown that is hard. What am I going to do? I don’t know these people! What if they aren’t nice? Where do I start? What if I get hurt along the way?

No matter where you are in your life, you can relate. You could be a recent graduate, a parent with young or old kids, a so-called “empty-nester”, or you could be that kid. This is the reason why recruiters and HR professionals need to be so much more than pencil pushers.

Recruiting is about relationships. Recruiters are the trusted advisors & consultants. They help guide you along the way. What I have found from TRUE advisors is that they care. They listen and have your best interest in mind. They give you that gentle nudge that says it is okay to go out into the “jungle”.

Put yourself in their shoes. How would you want to be treated? How do you develop those relationships that you don’t have? Where do I start? An advisor is someone who can point you in the direction, not someone just trying to fill their position they have. They want to find the best fit for YOU, not for what you have open.

Now that I have said all of this- are you an advisor or a recruiter? What can you do to change your philosophy on recruiting? If you are a candidate- are you working with an advisor or just another recruiter? If you are working with a recruiter, it may be time for a change.

Comment by Bill Schultz on September 10, 2012 at 2:09pm: Didn't we just have this blog last week? (Cute kids, though)

Comment by Martin O'Shea on September 10, 2012 at 11:29pm: Going into every conversation with a candidate and treating like them like you would a friend. Saying that people may start of this way and turn into a more of a recruiter as they try to meet their targets!

Comment by Sandra McCartt on September 11, 2012 at 12:20am: Kids are cute but yes Bill we did almost the same headline as i recall. I thought maybe i was losing it.

What is the deal with recruiters getting all twisted up wanting to be "trusted advisors". Cripes kids if you want to be an advisor go back to school and get a counseling degree then people will pay you to advise them.

Comment by Martin O'Shea on September 11, 2012 at 1:17am: Maybe its due to them becoming more successful in their work, but hardly think being recognized as a "trusted advisers" does so, because if anything someone who does seek help/support from a recruiter surely has to have some level or trust in them otherwise why would they want an untrustworthy person directing and advising them on their career.
Or is it just a level of care for a recruiter? can they be a trusted adviser towards one candidate and not another-(just a thought)

Comment by Will Thomson on September 11, 2012 at 9:51am: Ok. Looks like I missed the blog by Dan People's blog. Dan- I apologize, I had not read your article. It does sound like we are saying some of the same things though. The point I was trying to make in this blog is "why are you in recruiting?". I know there are some people we can't help. We cannot put our name behind every candidate, but the great recruiters are advisors. A better word would probably be a consultant. You are a listener. You find out what they are really are about and keep them in your pipeline for a later date rather than immediatley dissmissing them because of the job you are trying to fill today. Recruiting is a profession. All of us who are recruiters know that and know that we will all run into each other at some point in our careers. Why burn bridges? Why not talk to them today and you could place them 5 years from now? Do you have people coming back to you years later to "check in"? If you don't you are missing out. People talk. Candidates talk. Be the advisor/consultant. Get the refferals from the candidate. This blog was about the candidate experience, not the relationship with companies and being their trusted advisor.

Comment by Mitch Sullivan on September 11, 2012 at 11:03am: This is one of the most tenuous blogs I've ever read. I'm still not sure what it's really about.

PS ...it's impossible to be a trusted advisor to anyone if they're also talking to other recruiters. Advisor maybe, but not trusted.

Comment by Martin O'Shea on September 11, 2012 at 11:41pm: I agree with Will, and I only have recently got into the recruitment industry this year and already I have found that If you talk to a candidate once and continue this by having telephone chats or even meet ups, then this can lead to a solid professional relationship and when/if they need a recruiter for their career or is referring a friend they will turn to you, as they know you have their best interests in mind and have invest your time in them. So its important not to "burn the bridges" as Will put it, so finding it fairly important to offer advice or support as much as I can and where I can. They might even be a future client one day. Even if they have reached out to you and are actively looking, it's important to get to know them as much as you can in order to place them at the most suitable firm, due to reputation being so important in this industry. Why have I got into recruitment; because I enjoy meeting new people and being able to solve their problems by providing the support they need in their career, at the best possible time.

Comment by Will Thomson on September 12, 2012 at 8:32am: Martin, you could not have said it any better. Thank you. That is exactly why I am in recruitment also and I have found that people do come back to you if you treat them with respect, integrity, and honesty. They may not have chosen you today to work for you or have you be their recruiter, but they will remember you and come back and send you other people.

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