If you’ve been in the professional workforce or have applied to jobs in the market, there’s a good chance you’ve worked with a recruiter or had one reach out to you before. Whether you’ve had a good or bad experience with them, sometimes thoughts about the industry may be a bit different than reality.
Here are a few things I wish I had considered before making judgments about the recruiters…
1. Recruiters aren’t magicians.
Often, the thought is that recruiters will take every resume and show up at clients' doorsteps, pleading for them to hire each rock star in their Rolodex. Although there is certainly a time and a place for this, recruiters can’t show up at every client with a box of resumes they want to get hired. Clients would get annoyed and not want to hear from us again.
2. Recruiters aren’t fortune tellers.
In the recruiting industry, it’s especially difficult to peek around the corner and know what jobs will be available in the near future. So much of what we work on depends on what needs clients present us with, which is largely out of our control.
3. Salaries aren’t impacted by “recruiter cuts.”
Before getting into the industry, I thought, as a job seeker, I would make less money in a role a recruiter placed me in. Little did I know companies budget a separate line item for recruitment costs, so the salary range should be the same whether a job is found on your own or through a recruiter.
4. Not all recruiters are coin-operated.
The stereotype about recruiters is that they only care about the money they’ll make by placing each person. While that is a part of the process, there are still recruiters out there that see beyond that piece and truly will seek out candidates’ best interests. Those in the [recruiting] industry have seen how things play out when recruiters talk candidates into jobs and aren’t happy in the role, often looking to leave shortly after starting.
5. “Ghosting” isn’t intentional.
Many have had personal experience with a recruiter that starts with a great phone/video call about a job, only to never hear from them again. Though it’s our job to communicate with each candidate throughout the process, sometimes, we forget. It’s not excusable or justifiable, but it’s also not intentional; Unfortunately, with so much coming at recruiters from all angles, the job often requires heavy organization and extra hours to ensure nothing slips through the cracks!
In conclusion, like all professions, recruitment is vulnerable to different labels. Understanding that different realities exist than ‘what shows from the road’ can help us build meaningful interactions and relationships. We hope you will consider trusting one of the Provisions Group recruiting professionals if you are quietly looking for a new position!