Julia WeeksWorking with a recruiter is a great way for a company to fast track the hiring process as well as identify the best talent for the job. However, some companies may find it hard to believe that a recruiter may not always be so eager to recruit for their company. Based on my previous recruiting experience, there are many reasons why this could happen.
1. Company Reputation
When your business partners with a recruiter, you are essentially hiring not only a “talent hunter”, but also a sales representative for your company. When a recruiter searches for top talent, he often has to go after passive candidates. This means that the top talent we are after is not always in search of a job or interested in making a change. In order for us to grab the attention of these types of candidates, we need to sell WHY they would want to work for your company.
Recently, I have discovered that candidates are doing their own research on companies much more often than in the past. They are searching online for company reviews, customer reviews, and employee reviews. If your company has a bad reputation, rest assured that it will be extremely difficult to attract top talent. A recruiter can spend hours, days, weeks, and months seeking out and identifying excellent talent for your company, only to be turned down after the talent runs a quick internet search.
As a recruiter, the last thing I want is to convince someone to leave their current job in order to take a position at a company with a questionable reputation or environment.
2. Communication
If you have worked with a recruiter before, then you should know how important communication is in order to ensure that you are receiving the right talent. In the past, I have worked with hiring managers with poor communication skills. By this, I mean that key job requirements were never mentioned until late in the interview process, or a clear job description was not provided (written or verbally).
I cannot explain the amount of double work and frustration this causes a recruiter. When there are other hiring mangers on my call list with clear communication skills and detailed job descriptions, they will be first on my priority list every time.
3. Lack of Respect
Respect – this is one of the most important factors here. If I have worked with a hiring manager in the past that had no respect for my hard work, I will not be chomping at the bit to work with him again.
Maybe you’ve had a bad experience with a recruiter in the past, but that doesn’t mean that all recruiters are the same. Recruiters REALLY want to find the absolute best talent for your company. After all, if you hire a recruiter’s candidate for your position, you fill your need and the recruiter gets paid, making it a win-win situation for both of you. Be sure to treat your recruiter as a partner. Reply to his emails, return his phone calls, and work with him as a partner. This will make the hiring process much smoother for you and the recruiter.
Have you ever had a recruiter turn down your business? Please share your experiences below.
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