What to expect from a recruiter
The world of recruitment extends across such a range of industries and sectors from high volume to personalized services. The latter end tends to be most associated with professional services and for which there are decidedly less. As such, it is no surprise that the overarching view on recruiters is one most associated with high volume, pushy sales where everyone is a commodity. Again, where financials are supported by commission, it is understandable how that approach dominates the industry.
Coupled with no formal requirements to enter the fray and it’s easy to see how things have developed and how the industry’s poor reputation has been curated and endures.
Over the past few months as we have looked at our own branding and dug deeper into our DNA and values, it has reinforced how much we are steadfastly against the idea of commoditisation and reducing the human experience down to numbers and pound signs.
In our view, good recruitment prioritises putting people first, building relationships and ultimately advising on what happens next and what choices are out there. Lots say it but don’t. Unfortunately, experience is the only true test of whether that is demonstrated by which time it can prove too late. Unless of course, you have been selective in your approach and done some due diligence.
Often people come to recruiters on the back of having seen a job advert. There is little selection required there. In some instances that recruiter may be dealing with a role exclusively and so your choice is limited. A lot may say they are exclusive but in reality are not (another example of shady dealings). 9 times out of 10 any good recruiter in that local market has access to just the same roles so you can choose who you use to represent you.
The horror stories abound of recruiters sending out cvs without consent to whomever they can regardless of whether that firm is or could be of interest to a candidate. In a world of GDPR you’d think it wouldn’t happen but it does and we experience dealing with the aftermath of this for candidates every week.
As a candidate what should you expect from a recruiter? This seems a pretty obvious question to consider but never assume anything about the service you are getting.
Firstly, honesty – about you, your experience and what that means about your search and prospects. Not just on a new role but in the context of your current role. If the best advice is to stay put or try to address concerns where you are then that should be the advice given. No false promises of bumper pay rises or promotions that can’t be realised. Above all, honesty around how they will work and what you can expect. No grey areas “let me ask around for you” which means I will send your cv everywhere I can think of vs actually making general enquiry on a discrete no names basis.
Secondly, experience and track record – in a world of technology, location doesn’t always mean a lot and we see plenty seeking to recruit for roles in Manchester and Birmingham where there is no inherent geographical connection. Time served is, much like PQE, an indicator of experience. Unlike a higher hourly rate for more experienced lawyers, recruiters aren’t paid by candidates so why not seek out the most experienced and the most deeply connected? Linkedin and recommendations have value in that regard but our priority has been to try to build our reputation, collectively and individually, in our local markets such that if people were to ask around their peers they would mention us. So, ask around and see what others say.
Lastly, you should feel as though your recruiter understands your needs and is doing their best by you. That can come in many forms from listening to what you are looking for and mirroring that by what they suggest, challenging your thinking in a constructive way but above all leaving the decisions to you. No force, no pressure just a choice based on advice relative to you and your needs.
What we want is to have a relationship. Sounds serious! What we mean is the capacity to have an open discussion about everything – what you want, what your frustrations are and where you see yourself going. Communication is everything. So too is trust, we work with people that want to work with us not that view us as a one job, one application approach.
Not everyone needs or wants that and that is cool but if we sound like people you’d want to work with then get in touch. We can’t wait to meet you and we hope you like our new website!
