From a candidate’s perspective, it may seem that recruiters sit on a perch and simply sift through resumes until the right one magically appears – not so.

Recruiters have clients to answer to; clients that hold them accountable for their decisions.  Presenting too many candidates that fall short of the client’s requirements will inevitably damage the recruiter’s reputation.  A lack of candidates due to overly complex or demanding requests will also take a toll.

The balance, at times, is very challenging.

As Picky As Possible

So, the challenge becomes how to balance between finding the right person and finding the right person quickly.

Before you tell me that technology has eliminated sourcing/recruiting challenges, I would ask you to consider a couple of points:

1. There are often times too many candidates to review.  To paint a realistic picture, imagine you have just ten openings.  For each of those openings, you receive 100+ applicants.  You are now the proud responsible party for reviewing over 1000 resumes – makes the one page resume very attractive doesn’t it?
2. People lie.  That’s right, they lie.  While technology helps us identify keywords and sift through potentials, it doesn’t help us cut through the lies.  Don’t get me wrong, I understand why people do it.  Most everyone wants to earn a living and be self-sufficient.  Unfortunately, some people take it too far and lie about what they are capable of, what they have accomplished in the past and, worst of all, actual jobs that they have performed.  It makes a recruiter’s job pretty difficult.

Pre-Interview: “Wow, this person looks perfect for the role!  They have all the skills and experience necessary – my client is going to be thrilled!”

Post-Interview: “They haven’t even worked with the technology they have listed… what were they thinking!?!?”

I know, I know… you would never do that.  Good.  But, believe it or not, it happens frequently.  Of course, it’s not polite to label it as lying – people simply “exaggerate.”

So, put yourself in the recruiter’s shoes at the time you submit your resume.  Too many resumes and a recruiter who is very accustomed to people exaggerating in an effort to get the interview.  On top of that, their clients expect delivery… and fast!

Work With Your Recruiter

Beyond what I have listed, there are hundreds of other small dynamics that go into recruiting… it’s a complicated sport.

So, knowing all this, I ask you to think about your approach and how you can work best with a recruiter.  Here are a few points to keep in mind:

• Make sure your resume is concise, truthful, compelling and formatted well.
• Realize that while you may think you are perfect for the job, the recruiter may know more about your suitability for the role than you do.
• Be helpful… recruiters remember.  If you aren’t a match for the role, consider referring someone else for the position.  I can almost promise you that your recruiter will remember the trust and helpful disposition you displayed.  It’s likely that this will help when the right opening comes around.
• It’s not personal.  If you are right for the role, the recruiter will push your candidacy forward.  If you’re not, they won’t.

Recruiters love placing the right person in the right position – it’s why we do what we do.  There is nothing more fulfilling for those who have chosen this as a career path.

So, recruiters… what’s your top suggestion for candidates who are out searching for that ideal role?

And how about you candidates?  Any best practices that you have been impressed with?  Has a recruiter knocked your socks off with their approach?

I recently received an email from a recruiter who is just getting started out with the joys of social media.

One piece of the email went like this:

“… I feel and know I am lacking in the knowledge of social network recruiting.  I have been getting up to speed with a number of blogs, but am intrigued about what some people are writing about Twitter.  I have not explored this option yet.”

Further:

“Honestly, I would love to get some training, but I am just starting back into this and am concerned about start up costs, which is why I have been scouring the internet looking for information.”

Jumping Into Social Media As A Recruiter

There is no way, shape or form that I could provide a comprehensive list of what to study/research if you are just getting started in this realm.  But, I think that there are a few good things to review if you are considering this route.

Here is my response to the recruiter:

“Sounds like you have a vision for what you’d like to do next!  That’s great!

Over the past year, I’ve been engaged in speaking and training around the topic of social media in recruiting, HR and employment branding.  My sources for learning have ranged from studying like a mad-man to making mistakes along the way.

One source you may find useful is Mashable.  Check out this resource section on Twitter specifically:

http://mashable.com/guidebook/twitter/

As social media applies to our specific business, it’s still a work in progress.  In fact, ROI conversations are now becoming central to the topic.

The other activity I would recommend for your learning process is to attend a conference by Chris Brogan – he knows his stuff!  Here is a link to the conferences that he puts on… It will be a ton of information, but well worth it!

http://inboundmarketingsummit.com/

You may want to consider following his blog too!

http://chrisbrogan.com

In terms of an approach, I would start by creating a blog where you want to share information about your skill set focus – become a thought leader on the topic and produce helpful posts for your potential candidates.  To experiment with blogging, you can always get a free site at http://wordpress.com – just to get familiar with how things work.  Eventually, and especially for your business, you will want to develop a self-hosted site.

From there, you build a presence online (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube) that compliments your material… All the while making sure that you maintain your authentic voice.  Be yourself and have fun!

Feel free to let me know if you have any questions!

Looking forward,
Michael Long
The Red Recruiter”

We Should Make A List!

This question and the answer I provided makes me feel like we should create a list for recruiters who are just getting started.  And NOT a paid list… just a general reference section designed for recruiters who need a hand.

With the thousands of resources available, it must be incredibly confusing for someone just getting started.

Sounds like a project to add to the list!

What other sources would you recommend for recruiters who are just getting started?

What’s your favorite tool thus far?

Photo Credit, Erik Charlton