Do You Need a Recruiter to Get a Job?
Have you ever wondered if you absolutely have to work with recruiters when job searching?
I love hearing the perspective of candidates and other career coaches and how they feel about the job process as a whole. It's always interesting to hear some of the feedback about what their thoughts are about the role of recruiters in the job search process.
I remember being on a career coaching panel and another coach said that they HATE recruiters. Now, being in the career community, this is not the first time that I have heard this. In fact, a lot of people would be surprised about my take on the relationship between recruiters and candidates.
Since I am both a recruiter and career coach, I have a unique perspective on each point that was raised. Here are some subjects that were raised during the panel and my REAL thoughts.
True or False? : A recruiter can be a barrier in the job searching process.
This is two fold. It is true, recruiters have to follow a process. They usually have a certain amount of calls they have to make and they are juggling a lot of balls at once which can lead to burnout. So I can be honest in saying that dealing with a recruiter can be less of an intimate candidate experience depending on your recruiter.
A good recruiter nurtures a candidate throughout the hiring process. Let's start with the notion that you don't need a recruiter: You will more than likely deal with a Recruiter or an HR Rep at some point of the process.
The truth is that companies need help with bringing on new talent. Even the best startup will most likely bring on some one or outsource to find talent - this means finding or sourcing, interviewing, making offers and onboarding which needs to be legally compliant.
At some point in your job searching process, you will encounter them, so I agree that they play a part in the hiring process. They can always let you know when there are other jobs that may come available
My verdict: It is always good to know a recruiter in whatever industry you work in. They can give you the lay of the land of the hiring trends and let you know about opportunities.
True or False?: Getting a referral is the easiest way to get a job.
I agree with this wholeheartedly! I would say that getting the RIGHT referral is the easiest way to get a job. The fact is, the candidates who know someone with a great rapport amongst management are the ones that get through the process quickly.
Jobseekers must know that even as a referral, you will have to go through some type of process i.e the company’s application, offer letter, etc
My verdict: Network! Network! Network! You never know who you might meet - you could make a great friend or a link to your next opportunity.
True or False?: Recruiters don't care about a candidate’s experience.
This will depend on the company and the recruiter. Depending on the company, they may have an applicant tracking system that will automatically disqualify you if you don't have keywords in your resume. A good recruiter puts the candidate's experience first.
For the Candidates: Find the recruiter of the company (or someone prominent in the department you are aiming for) and email them your CV (this is a key time to add your cover letter). This will for sure make you stand out against other candidates.
For the recruiters: Ask the candidate how their experience was, most likely they will be honest with you.
True or False?: The Recruiter does not make the final decision
In many ways this is true - the final say does usually rest with someone else, Especially if you are dealing with an internal recruiting and not a staffing agency- most likely you will be interviewing with someone else or at least given a yay or nay by someone else that is in authority in the department or company you are going applying for.
My verdict: Most times they don’t make the final decision, but let's not count out the role recruiters play in the process.
Final Thoughts:
Here's the thing, say you apply for a job you aren't good at and you just rely on connections at a specific company. If you are not selected for the job, your resume will mostly stay in the hands of that same person. Now a recruiter - a good one anyways, main concern is to ALWAYS have a candidate in mind for a role. Recruiters are constantly building their network full of professionals and new employers who may have a lead that could fit your expertise. This means that a good impression left on a great recruiter will keep you in mind for a future position that come across their desk.
All in all, when it comes to securing your next opportunity, your safest bet is to cover your bases. Get your resume in front of the key players and utilize the recruiter to as a resource throughout the process.
