Recruiters Insider Secrets To Getting The Job
Last night I joined two other experts on a tele-seminar to talk about how to work with and succeed by including recruiters in your job search communication plan.
CPGJobs organized the event. As an online job board, they are a great candidate resource for anyone looking for work in the consumer packaged goods industry. Their site is free for candidates or you can upgrade for just $14.95 a year to get more services. You can also follow on Twitter @CPGPeople.
Dorothy Tannahill Moran was our moderator. She is a career coach and founder of nextchapternewlife.com.
Tom Bolt (@tombolt) was a fellow panel member. He is a HR professional specializing in global sourcing and recruiting. He also runs #HFChat Noon EST Fri on Twitter.
Gail Houston was a fellow panel member. She is a senior recruiter at Intuit and can be found on Twitter @ghouston.
So what you will read going forward are my comments. Based on my notes and my input during the call. Once the call is available online, I will post it below in case youd like to listen to the full one hour discussion.
Listen Now!
You should listen because Dorothy, Gail and Tom were awesome!
Here we go . . .
Recruiters are a tough nut to crack for many job seekers. Why? Well, we dont know what to expect. Were unsure about the relationship. And carry expectations that are unrealistic.
So if you dont already know this, a recruiter does not serve the job seeker they work for companies to find talent. If your background and skills meet a client need, you may get a call. If they don’t, the phone will be silent.
It is important for job seekers to view this relationship objectively. And not to get upset about being or feeling ignored.
But working to build relationships with and include recruiters in your job search strategy is important.
What is the benefit to a job seeker of working with a recruiter?
• Recruiters are one small piece of your larger job search communication plan. To make sure as many people as possible are aware that you are looking and also know your targets.
• In addition your former co-workers, neighbors, and new networking friends, interacting with recruiters gets your brand/background exposed to a group of people very closely linked to the hiring process.
• Assuming you are a fit for an open job, you will get help from the recruiter in positioning you for that job. You’ll discuss a strategic approach. For example, what to focus on in conversations with each person on the interview team.
• And finally you can get critical feedback. This is something you don’t always get when you go in direct to a company. Some recruiters, if they have time, will offer you some advice. They see a lot of resumes and have hundreds of conversations with hiring managers. So they know what’s being searched for in the job market today.
What is a “perfect” candidate?
Well, of course, theres no perfect out there. But here are a few characteristics to consider:
• They know what they want in their next job and can show genuine interest and enthusiasm during the interview.
• They are able to deliver a strong brand message. Highlight what makes them uniquely qualified. They know their professional resume and can speak to every bullet point without hesitation.
• They are confident and ready to share engaging, benefit-based stories that allow the hiring manager to see them making an immediate impact.
What can people do to make themselves more competitive as a candidate?
• Be a great communicator. Identify key themes to hit and repeat as you meet recruiters and company employees. Themes that reinforce your unique potential. And help fill a need within the team like “cross-functional leadership” or “new product success”. The goal is to leave the interview team clear about your value long after you leave. But for sure so they remember your themes while they are in a conference room discussing the day’s candidates.
• Make a great first impression. Do it in your initial meeting with recruiter and when you first step in the door at hiring company. First 5 minutes of each interview, many hiring managers say they can tell within those first 5 minutes the fate of a candidate. So have a confident handshake, make eye contact, smile, have strong speaking voice, and make sure to nail that first question!
• Be employable. Even if you are out of work today, show evidence of people still wanting to employ you (contract, consulting, significant volunteer assignment where you are using your business skills not just stuffing envelopes at Church).
Where do candidates go wrong when working with a recruiter?
• When you over-communicate. Follow-up too much. Or take too much of their time.
• When you expect an advocate (someone to watch over you) and complain when you are ignored.
• When you don’t do what you say you’ll do (call on time, send resume, respond after an interview).
To get the most out of the relationship with a recruiter, what should a candidate do?
• Be responsive. Even in times of plenty. And engage when your interest is genuine. Call after the interview and reply quickly when you get a request from the recruiter.
• Be ready. Ready to prove your ability to do the job and examples of where and how you’ve done it before.
• Be helpful. Offer warm introductions to other candidates if the job is not right for you. Just a few for the first call. Save a few for the next call.
• Be patient. Don’t be a pest. Certainly you can send a quick e-mail once a month. At the end of the e-mail say this: no need to reply. That takes the pressure off a full in-box.
• Be respectful. Of the recruiter’s time (don’t ask for career advice, if they offer 15 minutes, don’t take 30.)
• Be easy to find. Have a professional and complete LinkedIn profile.
(Note: some of these ideas came from an recruiting interview I did with @Animal a while back. Good stuff.)
Assuming you have a candidate that you set up with a hiring manager, what do you want to see the candidate do to prepare?
• Know the interview team and company situation (recruiter can help here). LinkedIn is a great place to start.
• Get to know the company’s products and services. Be “hands-on” familiar with what they do and how they do it. If the companys makes hand wash, wash your hands. If they make tax software, re-do your taxes from 2010. This way you can speak from experience about your target company and their products.
• Have strong, well thought out questions. Ones that display a deeper interest and a basic knowledge of their business. And that allows you to enjoy a more conversational job interview.
How can a candidate use social media to connect with and stay in touch with recruiters?
First, lets talk about why this is important. Here it is. Social media offers you a big social networking benefit. Do it right and you gain social credibility. If you have a website, blog or are actively networking online and in person, you will be seen as legitimate and acceptable. You will pass an important social test and build influence. This also reduces risk for those who are getting your emails, phone calls, etc. If I’ve heard of you or been exposed to you, I’m open to a chat. Got it?
So how do you do it right? Here are a number of suggestions for LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Hopefully there will be one or two practical tips you can take away!
1. Research recruiters in your industry or community. Invite them to connect with a personal and targeted invitation. Join their group if they have one (online or in-person groups)
2. If the recruiter’s company has a profile, use the follow function & follow them to stay in the loop with comings and goings of key people.
3. And then find people in your network who are already connected to the recruiter and request a warm introduction.
1. Follow the personal accounts or business accounts of recruiters. There are a lot of jobs being posted in social media. Not just updates on “what we had for lunch”. Pay attention to who follows you back because you can then send them a direct message.
2. Create a Twitter list called “Top 10 recruiters in Alabama”. Or “Technology Gurus in KC” Everyone likes to be added to lists. And others following you might appreciate seeing these lists.
3. Once you have followed and listed everyone, use Hootsuite to create a column just for your list. And begin talking with these people and sharing their ideas with others (via a re-tweet). You can also introduce them to potential companies that you know. You can send them an @message to comment on something they’ve said. And if you are authentic and relevant, people will read what you have to say.
1. If recruiters in your area (or their companies) have a business page on Facebook, you can “like” their page.
2. Once you have, suggest their page to your friends who might also want to like it (connect). “Likes” are the currency of Facebook.
3. Regularly like and comment on the page. Add relevant ideas or make suggestions. Participate in contests they hold or questions they ask. And reach out to those involved with maintaining or updating the page.
If you do just a few of these things, you’ll be way ahead in connecting with recruiters online.
Any last pearls of wisdom?
There is an experience and communication chasm (think grand canyon) between job seekers and recruiters. In the middle are wrong expectations, stress, and confusion. So to the job seeker, I say:
1. Don’t rely too much on recruiters
2. Work to build long term relationships
3. Make it easy for recruiters to find you
4. Communicate responsibly
I hope this helps you . . .
By the way, if you were on the call last night, Id love to hear your feedback. How did I do? Was the overall content helpful?
If not, how did this collection of my answers help you? What didnt we cover?
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