How to Choose a Good Recruiter

So your phone, email, LinkedIn, Facebook & Twitter are BLOWING up with recruiters trying to get some time with you.  Congratulations for being in demand…you’re evidently a good steward of your career.  Can you believe that 6 months ago you couldn’t get these SAME people to call you back?  Yes, things sure have changed out there.  Here are a few quick thoughts on how you can weed through a lot of these inane requests from strangers, because if you talk to EVERYONE, you’ll needlessly waste a lot of time, and may get whacked from the job you have!

Recruiters…who needs ‘em, right?  Well, I might be a little biased here, but someday, more likely than not…it will be you.  Not all recruiters are ambulance chasers, in fact, there are a lot of good ones out there, but you need to be able to quickly separate the good ones from the not so good ones.

Let’s think about it this way…a good recruiter is like a great lyricist to your songwriting.  They know your space, share your interests and they should be people you enjoy collaborating with on a semi-regular basis.  If you don’t like the recruiter you’ve chosen, or more importantly don’t trust them for some reason, then don’t work with them. 

Most job seekers don’t place enough value on how helpful it is to work with someone that is respected by the organization that they are interviewing with.  It’s more powerful than being introduced by a mutual friend.

Here is a quick checklist on how to find someone to begin building a relationship with that will ENHANCE your career, as opposed to just moving you from place to place.  This is by no means a comprehensive guide, but rather, just a few helpful things to think about.

Easy steps

• If you’re initiating the process, do some research.  There’s a lot of information out there about people.  Who have your friends used in the past that they would recommend?  Run a search on LinkedIn.  Who has recommendations?  Do they specialize in what you do?
• Interview them.  Ask for relevant experience in placing people like you.  Ask for references from people they’ve recruited in the past.  Are those people still at that company?  Did they get good advice?  A good fit?
• Pro Tip:  Anyone who sounds like they don’t know what they’re talking about or what you do…doesn’t.  Run.  Stop reading this and run.  Fast.

Advanced steps

• Don’t be tempted to use a bad recruiter because you like the job.  It is extraordinarily unlikely that a great company is only using one bad recruiting firm.  Find another representative firm that suits you and adds value to the process.  If a company really is just using one bad recruiting firm, take it as a warning sign…what other poor decisions are they also making?
• Take a poll.  Use your network on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to take a broader look at who might be a worthy advocate to help you manage your career.
• MEET them…for coffee or a drink.  Letting them choose the locale will tell you quite a bit about them.  If they invite you to their office, it’s a great opportunity to see their peers & their space.  If you meet out, is it someplace interesting?  Are they easy to talk to?  Do they have any helpful insight for you?

These ideas are just a few to get you started.  If you have more complicated questions or need specific counseling….reach out for someone at eHire, and we’ll try to help you as best as we can!