Welcome back everyone. If you were a reader earlier this week, you’ll remember the topic of discussion is on the rules for working with recruiters written in the article 10 Rules For Working With Recruiters And Search Firms. If you missed out on the first part of the discussion you can find it here: The "Rules" to Working with Recruiters: Part 1
Let’s pick up where we left off…
Rule 6: Play the field. Sure, I agree that the more people you are networking with you may have a higher chance of landing your next gig. My advice to you if you want to “play the field,” you should know how to play each position if you want to win the game. Meaning if you don’t commit yourself to every relationship or “position,” you may be sacrificing quality for quantity. This isn’t something you want to shoot yourself in the foot over; your career is in the balance.
**In regards to the comment in the article about not signing exclusivity agreements, the author may not realize the process some hiring companies require. When I worked with T-Mobile and Verizon, they required that if a recruiting company submitted a candidate, they must obtain an exclusivity agreement between the candidate and the firm. The point of this was so that T-Mobile or Verizon would not receive the same candidate submitted multiple times by different agencies. I see nothing wrong with candidates agreeing to this. Perhaps the author of this article was referring to non-competes. I have seen many agreements that prohibit someone from leaving one staffing company to work for another agency in the same role with the same client. I can see why this would be unfair to a job seeker and I also see why this is frustrating to a recruiting company but we will save this discussion for a separate blog.
Rule 7: Maintain control. Control is important in this kind of relationship. I think you should always give your approval before a recruiter sends your information/resume out to anyone. We have a few competitors who won’t tell candidates where they are sending your resume until an interview is requested. Talk about bizarre. As a job seeker, how are you supposed to know if an organization is aligned with your values if you don’t even know who they are? Maybe this is a company you interviewed with two years ago and you decided it wasn’t a fit. The concept of sending a resume to a client without consulting a candidate is a practice we would not recommend.
Rule 8: Retain editorial control. You should always know what your resume says before it goes out to a potential employer, so I’d agree (for the most part) with this rule. The only comment I would add is that you should consult with a recruiter to get advice on any modifications for your resume. Often times, recruiters will help tailor your resume to that particular position. It’s not unheard of that some HR teams or hiring managers want to see specific key words, quotas, or specific project examples. It’s part of a recruiters offerings to help you make these adjustments but
Rule 9: Handle salary negotiations yourself. If you are working with a recruiter there is a good chance you won’t be handling the negotiations alone, and this should be seen as a positive. With permanent placements, it’s in the best interest of the recruiting company to get you a competitive offer. Prior to getting to the offer stage the recruiter should have a detailed understanding of your earnings over the last 5-10 years, and should know what you are looking for to make a move. Your initial salary requests may change after an interview, and may also depend on other factors such as benefits, paid time off, flexibility, or bonuses. It’s your responsibility to communicate your questions to the recruiter and it’s the recruiter’s job to make sure these are answered and addressed with hiring managers. Many companies prefer that recruiters have these conversations to eliminate back and forth negotiations and make the process go faster. Companies trust that we have built a relationship with the candidate and therefore there may be more trust. There are times when companies will want to do the negotiations 1-1, which is totally fine too, it just depends on the organization. Regardless, as a job seeker, I wouldn’t take the approach that you always have to do the negotiations without the help of a recruiter. Trust your recruiter’s recommendations since they know the client best. In contract positions you would not be negotiating directly with the client because they are paying the recruiting company an hourly rate for your services, and the recruiting company is then paying you a different rate. You will most likely put both parties in an uncomfortable situation, including yourself.
Rule 10: Don’t rely entirely on recruiters. I can’t disagree here. It’s absolutely up to the individual to put time and effort into their job search. In this section of the article, there is a quote that says, “95 percent of their search time and effort should be in networking, and the other 5 percent should be in everything else, into which recruiters fall.” It would be interesting to hear how they break this down, but somehow I think their process wouldn’t be the best option for a candidate.
It’s important to note that these aren’t the only 10 rules to working with recruiters, nor does it mean you should follow these 10 as if they’re the gospel truth. Remember, recruiters are here to help you – not the other way around. At eQ we’re passionate about doing what’s right for the candidate. I promise you’re not a resume on a desk, and you’re not a means to a sales goal. We’re not your average recruiters.
