Things Recruiters Want but Will Never Tell You

Things Recruiters Want but Will Never Tell You Things Recruiters Want but Will Never Tell You The reality of recruiters is that they are tasked with finding the best job candidate for a position. Then, they put their faith and trust in the candidate. Why? They are hoping the job candidate does not become a “bad hire” or do something to tarnish the recruiter’s reputation. It is a delicate balance between finding what people are asking for while managing personalities in the process. Therefore, there are things recruiters will never tell you to maintain that balance. Recruiters cannot start telling job candidates everything they need to know in order to get hired. It is not their job. If the job candidate knew everything it would not change the fact that the candidate may not be a right fit for the job, anyway. However, for the purposes of job searching it is helpful to know these secret things below that recruiters will never tell you, or cannot tell you. 1. They do not choose who gets hired Recruiters can influence decisions, but they do not choose who is hired. Hiring managers do the hiring. It would be a mistake to believe that recruiters will never tell hiring managers what they think of certain job candidates. As a job candidate, it is a good idea to treat recruiters as if they’re the ones making the final decision. It is a safer bet than only treating the decision-maker with respect and kindness. 2. They know way more about the company than they lead on Recruiters always have some type of professional relationship with hiring managers. Establishing a strong connection with a recruiter may help you find out information on the company others applying for jobs will not have. The better your relationship with a recruiter, the more likely the recruiter will be responsive to your requests for info, feedback, and advice. Always thank everyone in the hiring process, regardless of the outcome. Just never forget to thank the recruiter who helped you. 3. The salary offered is not the highest offer We all know the game: Ask for more than you really want. Then, negotiate to get what you want. The same game is played when offering a salary to you. Recruiters are given a range of salaries before offering a position to a candidate. And they must aim between that range. True, it is in the best interest of a recruiter to get you paid more and earn a higher commission. But they will likely start with the lowest salary offer in order to get the deal done. For this reason, as a job candidate, you must be able to negotiate your salary. Do you salary research beforehand on sites like Glassdoor? All positions have a salary cap, so be sure you do not start a salary negotiation by sounding unrealistic or uncompromising. 4. The job you’ve applied for is already taken It is obnoxious for job candidates, but companies still post job openings for positions that are already taken. If you get an interview for a position with a recruiter, then find out the job is no longer available, do not waste your energy taking it personally. Getting out and interviewing is always good practice and it was not a reflection of anything you did. 5. Their job is a borderline sales position Recruiters are not necessarily in business to get you hired. They are in the business of making sure you accept an offer. Therefore, they are going to sell you (the job candidate) to the hiring manager and sell the job offer to you, too. They have to sell you on the idea that the offer being made is the best one for you. Why? Recruiters will make money when job candidates accept an offer. Does this make them dishonest? No. But it does mean as the job candidate that you have to be diligent about deciding who you work with and the type of job you want. Do your research and make sure the companies you decide to work with are respected in their field and provide an honest service to job candidates. 6. Your chances are better than you think Recruiters will receive dozens of applications for a job. But if you are in touch with a recruiter about a job, it is a good thing. Why? Recruiters contact fewer job candidates than most job seekers realize. If they contacted you it means you are in the running!