(Great! We got your attention!)
Many of us have had an experience with a dodgy recruiter. What was it for you? They didn’t return your calls? They promised you the world and delivered next to nothing? They attracted you with fake adverts and wasted your time? Was it blatantly obvious they just wanted to reach their KPIs? Or, maybe they just didn’t really care about you and your career?
We’ll say it. We hate recruiters.
We’re yet to meet someone who hasn’t been through a poor experience with a recruiter. It’s unfortunately the sad reality amongst some of the recruitment industry.
However, the key word I want to bring your attention to here is ‘some’. That’s right – believe it or not, there are actually some excellent recruiters out there who are specialists, passionate about what they do and deliver genuine value. You just need to know how to find them.
So, we don’t actually want to harp on about why we hate recruiters (I think we well and truly covered that above). Here, we’ll outline 4 key attributes to look for in a GOOD recruiter, so you can ensure you steer clear of the average ones.
Focused on relationships
A recruiter that’s relationship-focused will make it clear, in the way they speak and act, that they are genuine about building a relationship with you and helping you achieve your goal – whether you’re a business or jobseeker. Look out for people who are interested in you and will give you the time of day.
Sets the scene
A good recruiter will take the time to properly introduce themselves, their background and areas of expertise, as well as how they are different and what value they can add to your career or business. They should win you over within the first 5 minutes of the meeting. If they start by picking up a CV and asking questions, then alarm bells should be ringing. You may be meeting a very inexperienced or average recruiter – get out of there!
Takes time to understand your needs
Great recruiters take the time to understand what you truly want:
- What it is that gets you out of bed in the morning
- What gets you excited about work
- What challenges, engages, motivates and fulfils you
- What the dream position you are striving for is
They want to understand these things so that they can help you find a role and business environment that suits your personality. You can tell a genuine expert from an inexperienced or average recruiter because they’ll take the time to ask the right questions and get to know you.
Specialised
Recruiters that have specialised in a particular niche or industry have mastered their craft. This usually means they have invested the time to get to know the ins and outs of the space. Hence, they can usually deliver a better outcome for you.
If you’ve been stung by a bad experience with a recruiter, we feel your frustration. The good news is, there are genuine recruiters out there who can help you, and hopefully work to redeem the bad rap our industry gets.
Our advice is to be selective. Don’t put your career in just anyone’s hands. You deserve more than that. Make sure that your recruiter understands your unique circumstances, desires and future aspirations, and is interested in helping you get there. If you’re after a great recruitment experience, our team is ready to help. Get in touch by sending us your details, and we’ll be in touch within 48 hours to discuss your career ambitions.
