Headless Headhunter and Irrelevant Recruiter
For the past several years I have meandered through various
recruiters and headhunters with a mixed bag of experiences. As an Information
Technology professional the middleman has to be just as versatile and adept as
I am. Most recruiters don’t know anything about the positions they looking to
fill. Yet again it becomes a numbers game and as a jobseeker, without the
correct headhunter we become a square peg being forced into a round hole. There
are several questions I ask when interviewing with recruiters and headhunters.
Here are the first three questions we should ask, and why.
What business sector is your area of expertise?
I ask this question for obvious reasons. If the recruiters’ biggest clients are in the
green industry, clearly filling IT positions is a totally different challenge.
Each industry has a different skill set. From a digital standpoint each
industry has a different keyword make up that designates a qualified candidate
or not. Many say send you resume to a multitude of recruiters, and headhunters.
I disagree. Finding and cultivating a relationship with the recruiter who
specializes in your career field is much more productive in your job search.
What percentage of your talent pool gets a permanent hire?
Asking this question seems to stimulate a conversation.
Especially when the recruiter is clueless, or the percentage is non-existent.
If the latter is true then the recruiting agency is really a temporary service.
Temporary Services seem to have no relationship with their hiring managers or
the talent pool. In both cases the primary objective is to fill the available
positions for the primary client. Once the position is filled the recruiter collects
a fee. That said who fills that position makes no difference to the recruiter.
They have an agenda.
How long have you been in the recruiting industry?
This is another straightforward question. Since I have been
in the IT industry for over ten years, I would like to have a recruiter who has
been recruiting in the IT industry for at least 10 years. Their ability to
recognize evolution and changes in the field is astute. Every quarter or so there
is a transformational change in most areas of IT. The technology moves so
quickly. However, the base or the core remains the same. Recruiters and
headhunters in the area of IT understand this. Therefore irrelevant questions,
conversations and interviews are avoided. How’s that for productivity in your
job search.
Are meeting the hiring managers’ needs or creating careers
for the members of your talent pool, or both?
Once the interview is over, and a few days go by, this
question will be answered. For the seasoned recruiter the answer is both. My
goal is to become more than just a number to the recruiter and better than a
temporary to the company that hires me. With that know the companies you would
like to work with, and why. Know the recruiters’ areas of expertise. Know how
long they have been specializing in these areas. In addition, create ways to
add value, and become an asset. In most recruiters eyes we are already
commodities.
Gene Williams specializes in Mobile and Web Development. He
is the Director of Websology Consulting. A full service forward thinking
creative engine located in Cleveland, Ohio serving small to medium sized
organizations.
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