There has been some talk lately on various online HR and recruiting communities about respect towards recruiters. Do job seekers really understand the value their recruiter brings to the table? There is no question there are some that are extremely good and some not so good. This is true in any profession you could name, however most of the time they bring great value and the job seeker should respect the time and effort. The biggest concern that we’ve seen lately is that some job seekers are walking away from recruiters at key points in the process.

It’s hard to figure out exactly why this is happening, but there are plenty of theories. Possibly the job seeker feels like the recruiter got them so far and now they can take it on their own. Another theory is that some companies aren’t aligned to recruiters in the right way so it’s unclear who brought in the applicant. Either way something needs to be done to ensure this industry is protected. It’s key to driving valuable candidates into companies, and it is especially important in the vetting process. If companies and job seekers can simply recognize this it will go a long way.

With that mind here are few things that truly are unique to recruiters:

1) They can interview the candidate and filter the people that get through the door.
2) They cost money, but overall can save companies money via time and resources.
3) They become experts in the talent pool and general knowledge base in your area.
4) They can operate as consultants for writing job descriptions & discussing the market.
5) They can coach job seekers who need to understand their own market better.
6) They can provide competitive analysis against other companies in your region.

As you can see even with their cost they have the ability to provide a lot of value. Many of them are willing to act as extensions of your own HR or talent acquisition teams. If you’re a job seeker focus on the value they provide from a career standpoint. Don’t bail on them halfway through the process because that relationship could be key down the line. In the end if all sides play nice it’s a better process for everyone. Let us know what you think.