Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more. Live with Passion!

                                                                                                                                                                        ~ Anthony Robbins

Turning Recruiters Into Allies

By Marji McClure, Contributing Editor, Execunet Before you can make your recruiter your ally, you need to understand the scope of their relationship to you, the candidate. Recruiters aren’t working for you; they’re working for their client — the company who has hired them to fill the position for which you are interested. “First and foremost: recruiters don’t find good jobs for people — they find good people for good companies,” said Mark S. James, CPC, founder and president of Hire Consulting Services LLC in San Diego. “You really have no ‘entitlement’ to any recruiter’s time. That is, unless you are the perfect fit the recruiter is searching for.” For the most part, recruiters say, candidates these days are more savvy, especially if those candidates are at the executive level. These candidates realize that recruiters are not their career coaches. Yet, still needing that education are junior-level executives and candidates who have never worked with a recruiter before (such as an individual who has worked for the same employer for years or someone who has relied on other contacts for career assistance), according to Randy Cyr, vice president of the Boston area office of New York-based Gilbert Tweed Associates. It’s important to understand how recruiters operate and how they view their relationships with their clients and candidates before you make initial contact. Since recruiters are paid by their clients (and not candidates), their first priority is to make those clients happy by finding the perfect person for their job openings. If they make candidates happy while filling those jobs, they consider that aspect of the process a bonus. The bottom line is recruiters are busy people diligently seeking that perfect candidate for each assignment they have. And only if they target you as that ideal person, will they do what they can to make a match. But there are a couple of things you can do up-front to help position yourself as that match. Because recruiters know what they want (and what their clients want), it’s vital that you project the same confidence in the goals you have set for your next career opportunity. You must know how to effectively communicate those goals and explain how your skills separate you from the competition, making you the ideal candidate for a recruiter to present to clients. “If you have the luxury of time on your hands and/or you have a crystal clear picture of what you want to do next and how your previous experience will leverage the growth of a potential employer’s business, then talk to a recruiter,” said David Perry, managing director of Canada-based Perry-Martel International. “If you’re clueless about how your accomplishments are any different than someone else’s, don’t bother us.” Honesty Really Is the Best Policy When working with a recruiter, it’s also important to be up-front about yourself — both your qualifications and your motivations. The recruiter-candidate relationship must be based on mutual trust and honesty, said Steve Kendall, president of Management Recruiters of Atlanta West Inc. “The candidate must tell the recruiter candidly what they are looking for in their next position and provide honest feedback as the hiring process continues,” said Kendall. There are three main pieces of information that must be shared when the relationship begins, said Cyr. They include: Dates of graduation (years degrees were conferred) Compensation (salary, on-target earnings, actual earnings): so the recruiter will know if you are within the compensation range of his clients Reasons for leaving previous employers Recruiters need all of this information early on in order to determine which client positions could be a perfect fit, so it is in the candidate’s best interest to tell the truth. “References later on will reveal any ‘dark secrets,’ so disclose them up front, explain them and move on,” advised Cyr. As the process begins and you start to build a relationship with a recruiter, you also need to communicate any limitations you have (such as lack of flexibility with relocation or job title). If you don’t want to relocate to a particular region or if there is a company that you do not want to work for, you have to share that information with your recruiter at the onset of the relationship, said James. “Just as with answering questions for your doctor regarding your medical history, the answers you give will dictate the treatment you receive,” said James. Larry Roth, president of L.T. Roth Associates in Chicago, recalls a candidate who was scheduled to fly in for an interview on a Thursday morning. The candidate sent an e-mail at 4:30 am the day of the interview to say he had changed his mind. “That’s an individual who will be remembered by the client and me,” said Roth. And he won’t be remembered in a good way. “The worst thing to do is turn me [as a recruiter] into an enemy,” added Roth. The ultimate goal is to have recruiters consider you in a high regard. If they believe in your value as a strong candidate, they will be more willing to find a fit for you in one of their client’s organizations — and they can even become a true champion for your cause. “Given honest answers, your recruiter will know definitively which opportunities and what companies would pique your interest, saving each of you time and energy and opening the door for you to find the opportunity of a lifetime,” said James. “If the candidate gives recruiters everything they need, is honest and returns communications promptly, that candidate is far more likely to be submitted to a client company,” said Kendall. “I have fought for more than one candidate to be considered by a client, simply because I truly believed my client should consider them and would benefit from them being hired.” Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You Persistence is a good characteristic, and one that is certainly advantageous to have when looking for a job. But it’s not necessarily the best approach to take when trying to build relationships with recruiters. From recruiters’ perspectives, less (contact) is more; and continually calling and e-mailing them will not endear them to you and your cause. “Contacting the recruiter to ‘touch base’ wastes time and keeps the recruiter from finding the right opportunity,” said Kendall. “Call only when you have something relevant to discuss, something that has changed since the last time you talked.” Only call when you have something of value to offer, concurred Cyr. Some suggested conversation starters, added Cyr, include: “I saw an article and thought you might be interested? Are there any new opportunities to discuss?” or “Joe is a talented vice president of marketing. His company was just acquired, and he’s becoming available. I thought you might want to know in case you’re working on a marketing search. Are there any vice president of engineering searches I might be interested in?” If you can convince a recruiter to meet over coffee, said Cyr, it can prove beneficial to making a strong connection with him or her. A face-to-face meeting can help you communicate your strengths and qualifications in ways a résumé can’t. “It’s important to be more than just a résumé in a recruiter’s database,” said Cyr. “An executive candidate will have a much better chance of working with a recruiter if the recruiter really understands the ‘whole package’ of the executive candidate.” Cyr said he met face-to-face with a candidate who, on paper, did not seem like a viable candidate for his clients. “His résumé really underrepresented his skills,” said Cyr. “I learned so much more about him in 20 minutes that I recruited him as VP of sales for one of my clients. I never would have even thought to consider this executive if we hadn’t met in person.” While suggesting an in-person meeting can be effective, most recruiters do prefer candidates wait for them to make the first move. “In the cover letter, they should not threaten a follow-up phone call,” said Roth. “Calling me is not a good idea. If there is a reason for me to talk to candidates, I will call them.” Answering the Call When a recruiter calls, it’s important that you respond quickly — even if you’re not interested in the job opportunity they are presenting or if you are not actively seeking a new position. “If he or she contacted you, this person obviously recruits executives of your ilk and may be a good contact to have later on,” said Cyr. “Companies merge, reorganize... and it’s advantageous to know who might be able to help you secure your next position.” Even if there is no reason to work with a recruiter on a particular job opening, you can still use the occasion to build a relationship with that recruiter. Consider it a smart networking move. Recruiters appreciate referrals. They will remember you for a more appropriate job opportunity next time if you offer to help them now. “Recruiters listen to the same radio station as executives: WIFM (What’s In It For Me),” said Cyr. “If you are trying to develop a relationship with a recruiter, provide him or her some value: become a networking source. If you contact a recruiter and they are not currently working on an assignment that is a good match to your background, offer to help on other searches.” It’s an effective way in which to remain on a recruiter’s radar screen, so you will be considered when an appropriate job opportunity becomes available, offering to become a source of other potential candidates is key. “We remember people who are helpful to us,” said Roth. And even after a position is filled — either by you or another individual — it’s important for both candidates and recruiters to maintain the relationship they spent so much time and effort to build. It can help ensure a perfect match in the future. “Good recruiters keep in touch with their candidates even if they did not place them in a job,” said Rosalie Russell, director of healthcare services for Princeton Corporate Consultants in Costa Mesa, Calif. “This is crucial to building a network. Candidates who keep in touch will be the first called with new opportunities and industry information.” You never know when you will become a top candidate on a recruiter’s list. And by creating that strong relationship, your chances can only increase.

ExecuNet is a Networking Group for Executives that keeps you in the know regarding "best practices," market trends and the best executive job search, networking, and career-building strategies available. All ExecuNet recommended resources are screened and member-tested.