Working with a recruiter does NOT have to be difficult. However, some candidates make it more difficult than it has to be.
There are a number of reasons for this. They include inattention to detail, a lack of foresight, a lack of preparation, and miscommunication. Sometimes, candidates are even intentionally dishonest, failing to reveal facts or omitting information.
Regardless of intent, the result is the same: the person loses their candidacy for the position and the recruiter is less likely to work with them in the future.
What follows is an example. This scenario actually happened earlier this year after I contacted a candidate about what I believed would be a better employment opportunity.
Candidate: “Yes, send my resume to Company XYZ for that position.”
Me: “I will do that as soon as I hang up.”
Candidate (calling back five hours later): “Oh, I forgot I interviewed with XYZ Company last week. Let’s see what happens before you send my resume there.”
They interviewed with the company last week . . . but they forgot that fact when I contacted them about the opportunity?
In another case, a candidate told me that they had not applied for a position and that I should submit their resume to the employer for consideration. After I did so, I found out that the person already sent their resume to the employer for the same position.
Why did they do this? Probably because they thought that if they sent their resume and/or applied through multiple channels, this would enhance their candidacy. That assumption is 100% wrong.
In yet another scenario, candidates have given me their permission to submit their resume to an employer for a position when they’ve also given their permission to another recruiter to submit their resume for the same position.
Once again, I found out after the fact. Once again, the assumption is that such tactics will enhance their candidacy. Once again, that assumption is 100% wrong.
These candidates do NOT become a more attractive candidate to employers with these methods, whether intentionally or not. In fact, they became less of an attractive candidate.
This is why you should always be honest and upfront with your recruiter. Here’s the reality of the situation: there are quite a few candidates in the marketplace. If you screen yourself out of the hiring process, there are plenty of candidates who will be willing (and able) to take your place.
As a search consultant, I want to fill my client’s open position with the best candidate possible. If that’s you, then I will recommend to my client that they make an offer of employment to you. If it’s not, then I will not. However, by being honest and upfront, I would absolutely keep you in mind for future opportunities.
That’s why working with a recruiter does NOT have to be difficult. Don’t screen yourself out of the process by making the mistakes mentioned above.
Transparency is your friend, both for your job search and for your career.
We help support careers in one of two ways: 1. By helping to find the right opportunity when the time is right, and 2. By helping to recruit top talent for the critical needs of organizations. If this is something you would like to explore further, please send an email to stacy@thevetrecruiter.com.