Not All Recruiters or Recruitment Agencies are Vultures...or Vampires...

Not all recruiters or recruitment agencies are vultures...or vampires for that matter. When they cold call--they simply want to help in the recruitment challenges an employer faces.

If they appear to be stalking you as a candidate, or as an employer rep--they are simply trying to get access to interested parties, preferably decision makers--and they are 100% dedicated to a mutual benefit.

Yes, there are some bad apples; some rabid characters out there who give the industry a bad name--but they are a very small percentage and the foam on their lips; fangs; and/or deranged looks are dead giveaways--making them easy to identify and avoid.

Comment by Richard Cialone on August 23, 2011 at 10:59am: @Valentino - yes, the base instinct is "fight or flight", but fleeing in order to survive to fight another day doesn't necessarily mean one will (or wants to, or needs to) fight the same fight. It just means surviving to be able to face whatever comes up the next day.

In the case of recruiter oversupply, there is no fight to fight. There is only overwhelming chatter begging to be ignored. Fighting it is too much work, hence the need for vendors to quickly highlight a differentiating value proposition.

While you say there are "some" who avoid this type of challenge, I submit that the vast majority of people take the avoidance path. And I would agree with them. There's is simply not enough time to deal with unhelpful noise.

Comment by Richard Cialone on August 23, 2011 at 11:18am: @Valentino - I should add that just important as having a differentiating message is finding a way to deliver it that's off the beaten path. If delivered by traditional means (i.e., phone, email), the odds of that message being considered part of the chatter and given due consideration is high. Better to be creative in making contact. That does, of course, require considerably more work on the part of the deliverer, but the payoff is much stronger.

Comment by Valentino Martinez on August 23, 2011 at 11:41am: @Richard,

Expounding on the Plus and Minus factors recruiters must wrestle with in getting access to a client goes with the territory. I appreciate your input which is based on scar tissue.

And you're right about working harder to get recognized. But, having been in the decision seat on the corporate side--I also put the onus on employers to dive into the chatter--to go to where no employer dare go--to see what they may be missing and what great potential lies therein.

Creatively getting my attention may speak to that marketing asset, an asset that may not translate as well as other factors a capable recruiter must have for my needs.

Comment by Richard Cialone on August 23, 2011 at 12:20pm: @Tino - LOL about the scar tissue. Never heard that one before.

I, too, have been on the corporate side. I've always prided myself on being thorough (and fair) with respect to dealing with vendors. After a while, though, (the scar tissue you refer to), it became clear that far too many vendors simply had me on their daily call list. I was nothing but a number to them. Yes, it's likely there were some vendors who had more to offer, but since I had other, more efficient avenues available to me, it wasn't worth my time and effort to sift through the chatter.

Comment by Valentino Martinez on August 23, 2011 at 1:51pm: @Richard,

I like your attitude. And about my use of "scar tissue"--it is the indelible mark/badge of honor of life learnings from: earning your keep; getting your hands dirty; turning left when you should have turned right and learning from it; taking one for the team; the enduring need for the trail and error to continuously improve; etc. Some scare tissue is physically recognizable; but most can only be found on our hearts and souls.

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