"Respect" And The Recruiter
I don't want to say this is true for everyone, but over the years, I have noticed a distinct difference between the level of courtesy and respect offered up by job candidates toward management recruiters like me, and the level of courtesy and respect afforded to individuals within the actual hiring organization.
Not many job seekers are willing to admit their innermost feelings on this subject, but from what I have been able to gather, there seem to be two basic reasons why management recruiters are afforded less than the respect and courtesy they should be receiving.
First, as a rule, we are much more approachable and less "formal" than someone in Human Resources. Candidates often regard me as a "friend" or a "buddy." I often catch job candidates saying things to me that they would never say to a hiring manager. Or, they might speak to me in a tone that is completely inappropriate. When I point out to them that they just committed a faux pas, they usually come back with, "oh, I would never say that to the actual hiring manager - I was just letting you know how I feel."
The second reason, I believe, why management recruiters are treated in a less than courteous manner is because, quite frankly, candidates look down upon them. They view them as flesh peddlers who do not add any value.
Sometimes, recruiters bring this upon themselves - not everyone in our field is the most thoughtful or "classy" person. But like any other trade group, management recruiters come in a variety of flavors, and I can safely say, there are some exceptionally intelligent, thoughtful, savvy individuals who chose to enter recruiting as their profession.
But that is neither here nor there - my advice to any job candidate is to approach management recruiters as if they were the hiring manager in the flesh. You are not helping yourself one iota by getting too familiar. After all, management recruiters were hired by their clients to test and evaluate candidates from the very first "hello." So why start off on the wrong foot?
There's a lot more to be said on this topic of "Respect" and the Management Recruiter. I'll be writing more on this topic, but would love to hear your opinions.
Thanks!
Not many job seekers are willing to admit their innermost feelings on this subject, but from what I have been able to gather, there seem to be two basic reasons why management recruiters are afforded less than the respect and courtesy they should be receiving.
First, as a rule, we are much more approachable and less "formal" than someone in Human Resources. Candidates often regard me as a "friend" or a "buddy." I often catch job candidates saying things to me that they would never say to a hiring manager. Or, they might speak to me in a tone that is completely inappropriate. When I point out to them that they just committed a faux pas, they usually come back with, "oh, I would never say that to the actual hiring manager - I was just letting you know how I feel."
The second reason, I believe, why management recruiters are treated in a less than courteous manner is because, quite frankly, candidates look down upon them. They view them as flesh peddlers who do not add any value.
Sometimes, recruiters bring this upon themselves - not everyone in our field is the most thoughtful or "classy" person. But like any other trade group, management recruiters come in a variety of flavors, and I can safely say, there are some exceptionally intelligent, thoughtful, savvy individuals who chose to enter recruiting as their profession.
But that is neither here nor there - my advice to any job candidate is to approach management recruiters as if they were the hiring manager in the flesh. You are not helping yourself one iota by getting too familiar. After all, management recruiters were hired by their clients to test and evaluate candidates from the very first "hello." So why start off on the wrong foot?
There's a lot more to be said on this topic of "Respect" and the Management Recruiter. I'll be writing more on this topic, but would love to hear your opinions.
Thanks!
posted by Clifford S. Yurman, President at
5:46 PM
1 Comments:
I am guilty of treating some recruiters abruptly - I'll admit it. But that's usually because they have made me feel like just another name on their list - they didn't bother to gain any knowledge of my experience or what I have to offer before they picked up the phone to call me. Some barely looked at my resume. It turns me off completely.
However, Mr. Yurman, I have talked to you on the phone and I was pleasantly surprised. You were personable, you related your own experiences to draw out mine, and you kept me on the phone longer than any recruiter ever has. I was obviously impressed because I've visited your site and now I'm blogging!
Your comments about getting too comfortable with the recruiter have me pondering something. Did you consider it a faux pas on my part (or anyone else's) when I candidly discussed the pros and cons of work, etc.? Seems to me that your relaxed, buddy-type demeanor is very deliberate - to caux information out of job seekers. And it's effective. So why wouldn't you expect us to be relaxed and at ease with you? Wouldn't you consider that a form of respect?
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