What’s the Recruiter’s Job?

Last week I was asked by a client what was the difference between recruiters and head hunters and if there was a way that she could get a recruiter to help her finding a job. Well, it is not very often I get this question but she has not been the only one to ask this.

There are corporate recruiters and third party recruiters. The first ones are those hired by the hiring organization to do recruiting for them in full time basis while third party recruiters are subcontracted by a company for the purpose of finding and qualifying potential new employees for the organization. You can have retained recruiters who are paid a portion of their fee upfront with the balance paid when the search is over and contingency recruiters who are paid a fee only if the company hires a candidate discovered through them.

A recruiter does not get back to you after you have applied to that perfect matching job for several reasons but fundamentally because a day happens to have just 8 working hours and there are many vacancies to fill in busy times.

But what do a recruiter’s do for a position (not for you!)?

First, sit with his corporate clients to close the deal on job requirements, budget and timing constraints in filling the position.

Second, he searches for referrals and/or his data base. This is where you want to be. If you have already created and extended a successful network the chances are you get to put yourself in a favorable spot for consideration.

Third, he navigates the Internet. That means he spends time on the web posting his clients’ vacancies at different job sites while checking on the applicants he has already got for the positions he placed out there earlier. Social media is clearly becoming a resource for recruiters to use. Make sure you are visible and have a strong not-to-be-missed profile in a site such as LinkedIn.

Fourth, he’s got to go through a huge pile of pre-qualified applications, resumes forwarded by other recruiters interested in making a split placement while arranging interviews/screening phone calls with those that make the cut. Here’s the thing: Recruiters know that a resume rarely gets you inside a company unless they include a summary of your value that targets the hiring manager's needs. In other words, most resumes leaves it up to employers to figure out how you can add value to their organization and that gets you obviously nowhere closer to your goal. Come ready to bring ideas to the table and clear examples on how you have successfully overcome similar challenges. Research the organization, its culture and if possible, talk to someone already employed there to get some insider’s information.

Fifth, set up interview between the hiring manager and the already screened applicants. On this one, it is literally a blessing to have the luxury of administrative assistants to ‘some times’ do this piece for you. On this piece it is important to notice that a real top notch recruiter will never set you up for an interview unless you are clearly qualified for the job. Most candidates practice an interview forgetting to do what they are going to be measured on: ‘Practice doing the Job’. If your focus is only on what you’ve done and you leave to luck the connectivity between your potential and future added value to the hiring manager then, you’ll be lost in the system.

Sixth, follow up with corporate client and candidate after the interview is over. Consider that there will be likely a minimum of two rounds of interviews, if not three or four, based on the position seniority and other parameters. It is key on this part that candidates remember their business manners. That is what ‘thank you’ notes are for!

Seventh, making reports. Key performance indicators are essential to keep track on the efficiencies and bottle necks related to vacancies to fill and a resource to offer to a potential client when reports probe a high level of satisfaction or a valuable trend to the market.

In conclusion, be clear that a recruiter does not work for you but for the hiring company. It is the company that pays their fees and the one they have to please in order to be paid for their hard work.