Not in My Nature

I had the opportunity to talk about recruiting yesterday. My friend, the RecruitingAnimal asked me to stop by his show for a while and dish a bit about what I have been up to lately. While I fully expected to talk about blogging and new media, those subjects never came up. We spent some time talking about the work I currently do and a little bit more about recruiting.

A question came up that I thought I might address here as it seems often to be touched on and then swept under the proverbial rug. “Do you identify the company for whom you are recruiting?” I always, always, always identify myself, first as a recruiter and second as calling on behalf of my client and then I name that client. There has been debate regarding this over the years, do you name the company or not…

I think it's interesting how, while we all might be doing the same job, we go about it differently, using different methods or guidelines. Once you have gathered the specs of the search and mastered the hook, why not cite the company on whose behalf you are calling? As a third-party recruiter, is there a fear of losing the fee should the potential candidate/applicant call directly into the company or go to another recruiter? I figure if I am doing my job, if I truly connect with the candidate, and if I differentiate myself by being upfront and honest, than the candidate will want to work with me and reciprocate. Maybe it's wishful thinking, but I really can't do it any other way.

Maybe I am being too open with information but I’d like to understand more fully the reasons why some recruiters would choose not to expose a vital piece of decision-enabling information in the first conversation and also be so adamant about it. Is it a control issue? Is it waiting until the candidate has thrown their hat in and sends a resume (if you haven't already got one)? If you have been withholding that information, when is the right time to release it?

Obviously, corporate recruiters do not face this issue - they usually don't even have enough time to direct recruit. I am not calling it a ruse, for it is not. I am not calling it a lie, for it is not. It's just not in my nature to not tell. I get that other recruiters feel differently and I enjoy the debate. Having an open mind and being able to handle a conversation about an unfamiliar practice or tactic is imperative to growth. And in this field, you can't afford to be an old dog.

© by rayannethorn

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Permalink Reply by Darren Scotland on March 11, 2010 at 6:19am

I whole hearted agree with your method - mine is exactly the same, and over the years its always been something clients and candidates have commented on.

It's that along with great industry knowledge that are the cornerstones of my agency's reputation and brand.

Something else I've wondered about is candidates contact details on CV's and websites - do recruiters generally remove these before sending them onto clients or, if the same principle applies, are you happy to leave them on and trust your clients not to go behind your back?

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Permalink Reply by Sandra McCartt on March 11, 2010 at 3:41pm

If i have a resume or serious interest in a position from a candidate i will release the company name. When i do i book in the candidates name with my client. If the candidate decides after review of the company that they do not want to move forward with formal application i withdraw the name. Candidate is protected because only their name has been released. I am covered if the candidate decides to apply on line while reviewing the website. Their name will already be in the ATS under our referral. Have had only a few situations where the candidate went around us. We were able to supply our client with the email correspondence with the candidate identifying the company and time/date that the candidate was given the company name. Client gave us the referral. The joys of email documentation . We always provide company name and website via email so we have a record of when the information was provided. Even if given on the phone we follow up immediately with an email.

We always include candidate contact information on resumes. If we have ever been burned by doing so we don't know it. Keeping in contact with candidates who have been submitted let's us know if they have been contacted. Sometimes it's just an honest error and has been easily corrected when we go back to the client and document our referral.

There will always be situations where a candidate is submitted and may be contacted months later . Our clients all recognize a referral for a period of one year no matter who "but for's" later. whether it is one of their internal recruiters or another TPR. In turn we recognize other recruiter's and internal recruiting database for one year referral even if we "but for it". You can't have it both ways.