No one likes to have their time wasted – especially on things that could have been addressed previously or avoided all together. Recruiters know this better than anyone else as their days are filled with hundreds of tasks around sifting through resumes while searching for the next star candidate.
If you happen to be working with a recruiter internally or externally – there are four things you should stop doing now to avoid alienating yourself and losing a valuable lifeline for your own career success and sanity.
{No. 1}
Not being prepared.
If you are an external candidate applying within a company, do your homework on both the role you are applying for and the company in which it resides. Sounds obvious right? Well you would be surprised at how many candidates think they can B.S. their way through an interview or assume it’s not important because the recruiter is not the hiring manager. Survey says…WRONG. The recruiter is the first line of defense when screening candidates and it won’t take much to waste their time if you are unprepared.
If you are internally working with a recruiter looking for their assistance in filling a role within your organization, make sure you give them everything you want, need and desire in the potential candidate. Don’t assume they know what you want or can read your mind…they can’t and don’t have the time even if they did. Work with them, not against them and provide as much detail as possible so they can get working on the role. In the end time is money.
{No. 2}
Using them as bait.
It’s been done more times than worth counting but candidates use offers against each other so that they can either level up in their existing company or strike a better deal with a different one than they are currently interviewing with. No one said you couldn’t have multiple job opportunities at one time but you can be honest with your recruiter as it relates to your activity, potential offers and overall timeline without giving away any specifics. It’s called professional courtesy.
{No. 3}
Copping an attitude.
No one enjoys arrogance on any level and if you are copping an attitude with the one person who can assist you in getting what you want than it must not be important enough after all. Domination and arrogance may work if you are some third world dictator but in the world of recruiting it will get you as far as the front door. Try being open, receptive and willing to play ball – you may be surprised how much farther a smile and being courteous gets you.
{No. 4}
Going dark.
If you called someone with the intention of needing an answer to something relatively soon – you would most likely be upset if you never heard back from that person again right? So don’t to it to your recruiter. This is common behavior for some candidates to take part in, why? I am not sure, seeing as this would be one way to create utter confusion with your recruiter and most likely toss away any chance of working at that company ever again. If you decided you are no longer interested in the role, then tell them – don’t leave them hanging. It’s like telling the other person after a first date, “We should do this again” when you know all to well you have no intention of doing so. Don’t be afraid to be upfront. It will save them time, and you your reputation.
Final thoughts:
Since you wouldn’t like having your time wasted, don’t waste someone else’s. It’s pretty simple and works both ways for both parties involved. Recruiters are typically dealing with many variables in placing a candidate; from hiring managers, job descriptions, number of reqs, applicant tracking systems and the list goes on. In the end, you are both working towards a common goal. Make sure you show up and be in communication so you can avoid any pitfalls towards the finish line.
The floor is yours: What else may upset a recruiter and should be avoided?
Please leave your comment below as your insights are greatly appreciated and a learning opportunity for everyone reading this article.
With leadership,
Joshua
www.JoshHMiller
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