Are you, like a lot of people, not particularly a fan of recruiters? I'm a recruiter, and I'm not a fan of most recruiters myself. Why? Because as a group, recruiters and staffing firms often give our industry a bad name and reputation. Your time has probably been wasted by more than one recruiter on more than one occasion.
How familiar do these scenarios sound?
As a candidate, a recruiter wants to talk to you because you seem to be a match for a job they have. How many times has that "match" been because of a keyword on your profile or resume from 10 years ago? Sometimes they'll say they want to get to know you, learn more about your skills, goals and interests, and build a relationship — even treat you to a lunch or coffee. But if you read between the lines, you might catch them asking more questions about the company you're working for versus what you actually do, because they are more interested in potential new business instead of helping you find a job.
Or how many times have you been approached by a recruiter — whether you were actively looking for a job or not at all — and responded to the inquiry only to get nothing in return? A friend of mine once told me she had been approached by six different recruiters within a span of three months. Out of those six recruiters, she responded to all of them, as she was interested in hearing what they had to say and offer. Out of those six recruiters, not one of them followed up. One of those recruiters actually reached out on two more occasions, not even acknowledging the first contact — but even worse (or funny, depending on how you look at it) was wanting to speak about the same job.
So how do you decide which recruiters to talk to and work with (if you want to at all) and who to avoid? There might be some trial and error involved in answering that question. As a recruiter who cut my teeth in staffing at the beginning of my career, I can tell you that you should probably start with someone who has a good deal of experience under their belt. You might get lucky with that recruiter who may be new to things but just "gets" the industry. In any case, you want a recruiter who really creates strong value for you right off the bat. It's fairly easy to spot initially: A recruiter just needs to show they've paid attention in the brief time they spent reviewing your profile or resume and go from there.
In my honest view, I encourage candidates to apply on your own, and network with people at places you'd be interested in working or people who work in the industries you're in or want to be in. I recommend talking with people close in your network for recommendations for recruiters, versus limiting yourself to those who come to you.
But what can you do when recruiters and staffing firms reach out? If you feel like your time is being wasted, the easiest answer may be to just ignore them. But if you you're still open and interested in connecting with a recruiter or staffing firm, then make sure to follow a few steps to ensure they're working for you.
1. Ask what the company is, what it's paying, where it's located, etc. If the recruiter is put off by these questions, then move on because you aren't asking anything unprofessional or off-limits (though there are certainly ways to ask those questions in a polite and professional manner).
2. Ask if the recruiter has direct contact with the hiring manager(s) for the role or if they will just submit you into the company vendor management system (VMS) and have no contact with anyone there. If it’s through a system, I maintain you will have just as much luck applying on your own versus going through a recruiter.
3. Does the recruiter actually know what they're talking about? Can they answer your most important questions? Again, they need to bring value to you, not the other way around.
4. Give the recruiter one opportunity to work for you. If they are unable to maintain communication with you, don't waste your time — one instance of this is an indicator that it will continue to happen.
5. Have patience. If you do have a recruiter who is checking the boxes above, stick with them. Finding a job is still a difficult process any way you approach it.
There are always going to be unhelpful recruiters and staffing firms out there, but the good ones do exist. Finding the right one to work with is a matter of asking the right questions and picking up on the right signals.
