The relationship that you have with your recruiter is similar to your other relationships: the more communication that occurs within that relationship, the better it’s going to be for everybody.
While it’s true that the relationship you have with a recruiter is different than the one you have with, say, your spouse, the key factor of communication is equally important. In addition, that communication is important throughout the entire recruiting, interviewing, and hiring process. A breakdown anywhere along the way can have negative consequences, not just for the relationship, but also quite possibly for the process itself.
To facilitate a greater level of communication with your recruiter, below are six things you should absolutely tell them:
- If you’re working with other recruiting firms—Working with multiple firms does not mean that you’re going to receive more quality candidates. However, if you are working with more than one, inform the recruiters involved of the situation. Remember that more information (i.e., more communication) is always better, and the recruiters will appreciate your candor.
- If funding for the job hasn’t been approved yet—Information like this changes the nature and scope of the search significantly, which is not a bad thing. Perhaps you’re being pro-active in anticipation of a hiring need (tied to growth, a retirement, etc.), and you’d like to have a list of candidates waiting when the time comes. However, the recruiter needs to know extenuating circumstances such as these.
- If you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for—This might be difficult to admit, even to yourself, but one of the many roles that a recruiter fills is that of consultant. They may be able to help you articulate your needs, especially in regards to the job description, and therefore present better candidates and help you fill the position more quickly.
- If an internal candidate has been identified—Such a person can serve as a benchmark for any outside candidates the recruiter might be able to source and present. This could serve to further enhance the quality of the search, and ultimately, the quality of the candidate who eventually fills the position.
- If the recruiter’s candidate is no longer in the running for the position—Disclosing this information saves time for everybody, including the recruiter, the candidate, and you. It allows you to focus solely on the candidates still involved in the process and reduces the chances you’ll be contacted regarding candidates who are not.
- If the job has been filled—Obviously, if this is the case, then there’s no reason to continue with the search. Also, let the recruiter know at the beginning of the search process if you’ve already interviewed candidates. If so, provide the recruiter with your feedback regarding those interviews. That feedback could also help with the speed and accuracy of the search.
Not communicating effectively about any one of these six points can be detrimental to your relationship and potentially hinder your ability to locate, recruit, and hire top-notch talent in the future. Be sure that a high level of quality communication is the cornerstone of the relationship you have with your recruiter. It’s a small investment that could yield a big return in terms of acquiring superstar talent.
If you have any questions about this article or about how we can help provide solutions for identifying, recruiting, hiring, and retaining the right people, send an email to stacy@thevetrecruiter.com. You can also see more about our recruiting process at www.thevetrecruiter.com.