You check your LinkedIn and yet another recruiter wants to connect with you.
Depending on the status of your job, many things run through your head. However, the courtesy of what you should do, or how you should respond, may not. As a Talent Acquisition Manager, I reach out to people in hopes of connecting them with their dream job. But, admittedly, I have a tendency to be a bit biased. That being said, I’d like to offer a few different ways in which you can interpret and respond to messages from recruiters!
Be Thankful! I look at hundreds of resumes and LinkedIn profiles a week! The fact I wanted to connect with you and send you a message should mean a lot to you! Always thank the recruiter or the hiring manager for wanting to connect and hoping to talk with you about an opportunity.
Don’t be rude. You’re having a bad day at work and you don’t want to be nice. Well, you never know when your bad day could turn into a bad job. You just may need that connection for a new job. It’s okay to be direct, but don’t be rude!
Think outside of the box. Just because you don’t need a job, that doesn’t mean your friend couldn’t use one. Think about your network. Now think about what you have in common; jobs, likes, dislikes, career aspirations? That is why I “would love to network with you!” Use this as a time to help someone else, and connect us.
Don’t burn the bridge. I am going to tell you something you will not want to hear. There is going to come a time when you will need a new job. When this time arises you’re more likely to ask people you know. That means your social network. Now all of a sudden that one recruiter who reached out to you a year ago pops into your head. Now is when you’ll be glad you were nice and didn’t burn the bridge!
To most professional networkers these tips seem like common sense, but you would be shocked to learn that it isn’t! It takes one second to be nice to someone, and two seconds to be mean. You must treat others in the way you would want to be treated. You never know if the next time a recruiter reaches out if it will be your dream job, or a dream job for a friend. Either way I hope you will take my advice and think twice before you respond!