A Good Recruiter Will Champion You for the Role
A recruiter’s purpose is to fill open roles. They want to put butts in seats (figuratively, of course), so work with them and not against them. Your butt might be the one to occupy that open seat!
(Can you tell I love the show, Ted Lasso? 🕶️👨🏻⚽️)
MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION
Recruiters are generally your first point of contact in the job hunting process and vice versa. They’re also your liaison. While corresponding with them, they may observe how you respond back—timeliness, tone, etc. All of that is part of your application process, and if you make a strong enough impression, they may note your diligence and communication skills to the hiring manager.
ASK QUESTIONS — INTERVIEW THEM
A good recruiter can be a wealth of information. While they may not always be able to answer very specific or technical questions (save those for the hiring manager), you can still find out a lot from them:
🧭 Successful interviewing guidance at that company, with specific interviewers
🍩 Company culture, perks, benefits
🪑 Reason the role is open — net new role or a backfill
New roles can mean the company is growing quickly
Backfills mean you’re replacing someone who left
🎖️ Hiring Manager’s top 3 requirements
⏲️ Timeline — when are they looking to start someone
🏁 Candidate pipeline — are they already close to making an offer to someone else
Asking questions both demonstrates interest/engagement in the role as well as your professional maturity. This isn’t your first rodeo. You know you can and should assess your prospective companies just as much as they should assess you.
KEEP THEM UPDATED
When recruiters ask if you have anything else in the pipeline, their reasons for asking are based on the type of recruiter they are.
🌼 Staffing agencies want leads. They serve businesses by providing a recruiting service to companies who are hiring. The recruiters there often double as or partner with an account manager to build rapport with companies, to whom they may present you as a candidate. Sometimes their relationships with hiring managers lead to high levels of trust that can be quite powerful in placing you in a job.
🌸 In-house recruiters work to fill roles at their company. If you’re a top candidate, they’ll want to do what they can do to keep you engaged and move you through the pipeline as efficiently as possible. If you’re interviewing elsewhere or already have another offer, keep the recruiter updated; this information may help them to expedite your application.
🌱 As a candidate, I’ve negotiated expedited response times while respectfully stalling other options that weren’t my top choice.
🌷 As a recruiter, I’ve fast tracked candidates who (1) told me they’re pressed with time due to other pending offers or final interviews and (2) the hiring manager really wanted to interview.
🌳 As a coach, I’ve helped job seekers finesse their communication in order to put urgency when necessary and successfully balance multiple offers.
