You have likely heard the term “head-hunters”— slang for recruiters. This not-so-flattering term likely originated because recruiters do‒ in fact‒ earn a living searching for people—hence the other familiar name, “search firm.” But not just any people. Recruiters need to find people with the right talent that matches the right job at just the right time.
Whether you are active in the job hunt or are perhaps being “hunted,” there are some useful facts and fallacies that we thought would be useful, from inside the “head-hunting” business.
A FEW (BASIC) FACTS. Despite the common goal of matching people with jobs, there are vast differences among recruiting types, styles, and experience. These search professionals can be specialists or generalists whose work varies by industry, job level (from C-suite to entry level), and even whether they concentrate on permanent or temporary work assignments.
Some are employed by a specific company (an internal or corporate recruiter) while others work for a recruiting agency or are self-employed (an external or agency recruiter). This post focuses on the nuances of external or agency recruiters rather than those who work internally for a single employer.
THEY WANT TO HELP YOU.
FACT. Helping people is an intrinsic reward of the job, but another fact is that recruiters need to fill open jobs with the right people. That is how they stay in business. Which leads us to an honest talk about money—and why it is in recruiters’ best financial interest to help you.
Recruiting firms are typically hired by employers to help them find the right employee to fill an open job. (You may have heard the term “head-hunters”— slang for recruiters. This not-so-flattering term likely originated because recruiters do‒ in fact‒ earn a living searching for people (hence the other familiar name, “search firm.”) But not just any people. Recruiters need to find people with the right talent that matches the right job at just the right time.
Whether you are active in the job hunt or are perhaps being “hunted,” there are some useful facts and fallacies that we thought would be useful, from inside the “head-hunting” business.
For an external recruiter, these are the roles where finding the right talent takes more time for some reason. Their payment terms and contracts vary, but to get paid their full fee, the recruiter typically must find the right person (you?) for the job and the employer must hire them.
This “pay-for-performance” arrangement may cause some job candidates to question whether recruiters will encourage them to take a job that is not a good fit. To say that never happens would be a fallacy. Although it shouldn’t occur, the fact is that successful recruiters depend on their job candidates being a good fit for the role and the client being satisfied. That usually doesn’t happen with a poor job match.
If you aren’t actively job hunting and a recruiter reaches out about an opportunity, you get to decide whether to follow through. Before you say “NO” (and hopefully do not slam down the phone or delete their e-mail), another fact to remember is that some of the best opportunities come along when you are not looking to make a change. If nothing else, you can form a new, positive professional relationship that may be useful later.
Once you hear more about an opportunity, if you are still completely uninterested or it’s the wrong time to make a change for any reason, be honest and don’t waste anyone’s time. Part of your ongoing, personal career planning should be to develop the self-awareness of what you want, what you do not want, and understanding your deal breakers.
Your success is their success.
While a recruiter may encourage you to explore an opportunity and present the pros and cons of making a change, a savvy one won’t try to coerce you to accept a job that you feel isn’t a good fit or one where you aren’t qualified. Remember, they depend on satisfied clients and repeat business: it is in the recruiter’s best interest for you to succeed in any new role where they have presented you. Your success is their success.
THEY ARE ONLY INTERESTED IN YOU WHEN THEY NEED YOU. Fallacy. Good search professionals invest time to get to know you even if they don’t have a job match at that moment. But keep in mind, some jobs are simply more in demand than others and timing is often a big part when it comes to finding new work. If the recruiter doesn’t have a job match for you at that moment, it doesn’t mean they are not interested in helping you, or that they won’t have something in the future.
Feel free to reach out to them in the interim while you are still job hunting. You can keep them updated with periodic updates on places where you’ve applied, tweaks to your resume, plus anything new you’ve done, like volunteer work, or new certifications.
Some job seekers have specialized backgrounds while other have broader and multi-faceted experience and could fit into several job roles. The latter is often the case with non-technical, management level positions. For example, a strong business manager may have operational experience plus start-up expertise, account management, and financial knowhow. The latter doesn’t necessarily make it easier to find a job; in fact, it can make it more challenging.
If you don’t fit into an obvious job “box,” you may want to ask the recruiter how to best showcase your background more broadly to increase your opportunities. Make sure your resume reflects the type of roles you are open to under “professional objectives” or ask the recruiter if you should submit more than one resume, highlighting different roles, for their files or database.
Rule of thumb: when a recruiter offers you resume advice, take it. Same thing with providing you with background information about a company or interview skills preparation.
Ask yourself if you are looking for assistance in finding a job (recruiter) or with career exploration. Some recruiters may have the background and skills to help you with broader career assessment and counseling, but that is not their primary role, and many do not have that expertise. If you’re considering significant career switch from your previous work experience, returning to school, or even starting your own business, you may benefit from the services of a professional career coach to help you during a career crossroads.
OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND. Another fallacy. Recruiters are in the people business and the best ones will maintain contact, sometimes for decades, throughout your career.
How can you best leverage their resources? Make them an extension of your career team.
While it is natural to reach out if you lose your job or want to switch roles, a good habit is to let search professionals know anytime you switch to a new employer, get promoted, earn a new certification, degree, or award. Like with other service professions, the greatest of compliments can be sending the referral of a friend or colleague but be sure to let them know you did that.
A recruiter can be a useful resource to help you find new employment but even more importantly, they can be an asset within your professional network. The former may represent a successful short-term transaction, whereas the latter can represent a longer-term successful relationship. And that’s a fact!
