If you haven’t noticed, there is an air of uncertainty hovering around the recruiting community. Ever since the increased presence social media, recruiters can get in touch with just about anyone very easily. Does this change the recruiter-candidate relationship? For some people it has, but for some people, recruiting has stayed the same. Here is what two industry leaders have to say about it.

A Conversation with Recruiter David Graziano

Candidate-recruiter relationships: Overrated?

With all this uncertainty, I went straight to the source to get a better understanding. Here is a question I posted on a LinkedIn group dedicated to helping the unemployed.

My Question: What do you look for in a recruiter? Please share your experiences.

Here are the answers from various job seekers:

“To keep it brief, what I am looking for in a recruiter is:
1) Advise on resumes, cover letters, etc. to increase the possibilities of a successful search,
2) Knowledge of my industry so as not to waste time or be distracted by unnecessarily fruitless possibilities,
3) Straightforward and regular communication about new opportunities, or the status of applications,
4) and finally (not to be flip) a fulfilling job”

“Honesty and Promptness. There is nothing worse when you are a job seeker and a recruiter not getting back to you about your progress or whether or not you are still being considered.”

“Getting to ‘really’ know me and my qualifications, so they can help me get placed in a great position/organization that is good fit for both the employer and me! I also agree with Lois – Honesty and promptness (don’t keep us hanging)! However, I have been told “time and time again”, that the recruiter works for the employer (who pays them) and not the job seeker. In my opinion, I think that is where the disconnect/lack of communication, etc. comes into play for the job seeker.”

“A recruiter who called with a ‘great lead’ and then doesn’t even call back to let the candidate know the status causes the candidate to lose faith that the recruiter even HAS the connection and the opening to fill. Also, if my chosen sector is clearly spelled out, then please read it before you call me with an industry that I have no desire to work in. Thanks for asking for feedback!”

“I, too, have spoken with many recruiters and, like others, have gotten the ‘wow, you’re the right candidate’ response. Then, the waiting and wondering begins. I guess we have to realize that the recruiter is simply the conduit between the company and potential candidates. From what I understand, the recruiter will get paid if the placed employee stays for a certain amount of time. So, the focus is on getting it right, not being concerned with whoever doesn’t get considered. It’s not a relationship game; it’s a commissioned sales position.
But, my wife had a very good recruiter in Phoenix that actually built relationships….she placed my wife twice, in very good positions. The second job was one where she solicited my wife to truly ‘recruit’ her for a position…….she wouldn’t have done that had she not kept a relationship with her.”

“I used one really good recruiter I was so young maybe 23 or 24 and I was moving across country from Oklahoma to Washington, DC and I didn’t know anything about recruiters but I found this woman in the newspaper and she found me a job. I still remember her name. She had all the faith in me and she cared about my well being. Wow…again I was very young this was in 1996. I had another recruiter reach out to me but I was very honest with her and told her it wasn’t a good fit and she was okay with that and we keep in touch with each other and when something comes along I’m the first person she checks with. I’ve had one bad situation but I make lemon out of lemonade and now I know the deal.”

If you were on the fence before, I hope this helps you as a recruiter make a decision about how to go about your “relationship” with a candidate. Remember, there is no right or wrong way to do something. If what you’re doing works, keep at it. If you’re willing to dedicate the time to building relationships that could result in referrals and instant job placements, than check out these helpful resources to get started! (Ironically, I just received a Twitter message from someone saying they’re looking for a job and so is their friend, @soandso. I’m not making this stuff up!)

JobVite Share

This website allows you to blast out a job description to your Twitter followers, Facebook contacts, LinkedIn connections, Outlook and Gmail contacts with Hotmail and Yahoo! Coming soon.

Job Shouts

Search for top talent on multiple social and business networks. A one click search will return social profiles or resumes.

www.recruitingtools.com

This website is updated frequently with tools you can use for recruiting talent online.