Since most of us were knee high, we were taught that if you need to find a job, you need to interview with a recruiter, because they have the jobs – right? Well, yes and no. Depending on the sources quoted somewhere around 25% of job placements are through recruiters. Still, if we want to cover every option (and we do), we want to utilize recruiters. If engaged correctly Recruiters can be another tool in our Career Survival gear box. The trick is to use recruiters – not just be used by them. In the middle ground we can also have a symbiotic relationship, where clients and recruiters use each other to mutual benefit. In some cases, an actual job placement is not the primary goal. (More on that later.)
There are two types of recruiters – those that work for the hiring company, and those that don’t. This second group is made up of recruiters that are either self-employed, or work for recruiting agencies that may only include a handful of recruiters, or be part of a much larger national agency, such as Robert Half, Allegis, Addeco, or another large national agency. In both cases (at least in the US) both types of recruiters are paid by the hiring company. Either directly or indirectly, they work for the hiring company – not the client. Let’s divide and conquer and discuss each type of recruiter separately, starting with the Recruiter that is an employee of the hiring company.
Recruiters that are employees of the hiring company follow a set procedure to select, interview, and extend an offer. These processes are instituted by company management, and almost always need to be adhered to by the recruiters. All but very small companies have software that scan résumés for keywords. They may also scan for job relevance. This software is called, applicant tracking systems (ATS). There is also software that tracks and reports on applicant’s use of Social Media. So if you ever posted material that was off-color, a political rant, or really anything you are not especially proud of, now would be a good time to go out and delete those posts in social media. For tips on how to make it through the ATS gates, see… https://www.themuse.com/advice/beat-the-robots-how-to-get-your-resume-past-the-system-into-human-hands .
A more detailed discussion of ATS will come in the future. But for purposes of our discussion on recruiters, just be aware that ATS, along with other methods work to reduce the big stack of résumés down to the small stack of résumés that the recruiter actually scans manually, and makes decisions on who to bring in for interviews. Depending on the company, the recruiter has anywhere from 2 seconds to 30 seconds to read your résumé and make a decision to call you in. Regardless of the organization, the number of candidates to be called in for the initial interview can be as low as a couple candidates, to as high as ten (although this is rare). The key point here is that once you are called in for the initial job interview, you are down to competing with only a few other candidates for the open position. It may be surprising to many, but the recruiter who calls you in for the initial interview wants you to get the job. If you are called in, it has already been established that you have skills, and experience that the organization wants, and values. The sooner the recruiter delivers the right candidate, and offer, the sooner their job is done, and they can move on to other placements, and other demands of their job. Short story, if the recruiter brings you in, they are hoping to place you. However, there are times when you are brought in for an interview where the main objective is not to place you – but rather to gain knowledge on a particular technology, process, or methodology you have on your résumé. At a recent workshop given by a former recruiter for a large newspaper, the former recruiter described how the paper wanted to move from old, proprietary computer systems, to the more common IBM mainframe-based COBOL systems. Since the recruiter needed to learn more about the technology, in order to create a better job requisition, she called in many applicants that had COBOL on their résumés, to pick their brains on mainframes, and COBOL language. So be aware that in some cases the recruiter may ask you expand on an item in your résumé, not just because they want to see if you have the knowledge, and experience, but in some cases to educate themselves on some piece that is key to the open or upcoming position.
Below are some best practices to remember when engaging with the hiring Company’s Recruiter:
1) If the first interview is by phone, make sure you have a quiet place to take the call, and a window of time that is free from distraction.
2) Review the job description and have it on hand as you go into the interview.
3) Do your research: In addition to researching the position you are applying for, research the company. Look for recent news on the company, and if the company is public, search for, or request the annual report.
4) Different companies have different cultures, but in general it is better to keep your answers short, and to the point. If the recruiter wants more information they will ask for it. Try to provide answers in two to three sentences.
5) If your interview is in person, dress for success. It is better to be overdressed than too casual in dress. If you are interviewing for an executive position, save your best suit for the final interview with the hiring manager, or their manager.
6) If your interview is in person, maintain eye contact. For some people this is an interpersonal skill that needs to be developed. This will improve with practice.
7) Be prepared for questions about your successes. Don’t go into small details, but be prepared to do so if the recruiter wants a deep dive.
8) The recruiter will most likely ask about challenges, or areas where you have failed. The recruiter wants to see how you respond to challenges. Do you blame others? Do you accept the situation? Do you look for solutions? Be prepared for this question.
9) During the interview do your best to listen. To answer a question confidently, but not on topic is as bad as not having an answer to the question. If the question is not clear (or if you need time to think for an answer) say “I’m not sure I understand the question, could you perhaps state it differently?”
10)) Have questions for the interviewer. Equal to your being interviewed – you are interviewing the company. A couple questions that are appropriate to any job is “how soon would you like the position filled”, and “what is the hiring processes for this position”, and “is this a new role, or back fill for a position that has been vacated?” (This question may give you some information on if the company is expanding, or if there have been problems in keeping people in the position – which is a red flag.
11) As a wrap up, ask the recruiter if they have covered all the questions they need to get to.
12) Ask the recruiter what the next step in the hiring process will be – try to get dates if possible.
13) Thank the recruiter for their time.
14) Tell the recruiter that you are interested in the position. A close something like “I’m sure the hiring manager will have some questions for me, but based on how you described the job, and its duties, I am very interested in pursuing the position”.
15) Send a thank you note to your recruiter. The recruiter will look positively on this, and it is another way to get your name in front of the recruiter.
A professional such as a career counselor, or a career coach, or transition coach can help prepare you for your interview with a company recruiter. Doing mock interviews with a coach or other professional can only help when you meet with recruiters.
This segment focused on in-house recruiters. In the next segment we will look at best practices when dealing with agency recruiters.
There are two types of recruiters – those that work for the hiring company, and those that don’t. This second group is made up of recruiters that are either self-employed, or work for recruiting agencies that may only include a handful of recruiters, or be part of a much larger national agency, such as Robert Half, Allegis, Addeco, or another large national agency. In both cases (at least in the US) both types of recruiters are paid by the hiring company. Either directly or indirectly, they work for the hiring company – not the client. Let’s divide and conquer and discuss each type of recruiter separately, starting with the Recruiter that is an employee of the hiring company.
Recruiters that are employees of the hiring company follow a set procedure to select, interview, and extend an offer. These processes are instituted by company management, and almost always need to be adhered to by the recruiters. All but very small companies have software that scan résumés for keywords. They may also scan for job relevance. This software is called, applicant tracking systems (ATS). There is also software that tracks and reports on applicant’s use of Social Media. So if you ever posted material that was off-color, a political rant, or really anything you are not especially proud of, now would be a good time to go out and delete those posts in social media. For tips on how to make it through the ATS gates, see… https://www.themuse.com/advice/beat-the-robots-how-to-get-your-resume-past-the-system-into-human-hands .
A more detailed discussion of ATS will come in the future. But for purposes of our discussion on recruiters, just be aware that ATS, along with other methods work to reduce the big stack of résumés down to the small stack of résumés that the recruiter actually scans manually, and makes decisions on who to bring in for interviews. Depending on the company, the recruiter has anywhere from 2 seconds to 30 seconds to read your résumé and make a decision to call you in. Regardless of the organization, the number of candidates to be called in for the initial interview can be as low as a couple candidates, to as high as ten (although this is rare). The key point here is that once you are called in for the initial job interview, you are down to competing with only a few other candidates for the open position. It may be surprising to many, but the recruiter who calls you in for the initial interview wants you to get the job. If you are called in, it has already been established that you have skills, and experience that the organization wants, and values. The sooner the recruiter delivers the right candidate, and offer, the sooner their job is done, and they can move on to other placements, and other demands of their job. Short story, if the recruiter brings you in, they are hoping to place you. However, there are times when you are brought in for an interview where the main objective is not to place you – but rather to gain knowledge on a particular technology, process, or methodology you have on your résumé. At a recent workshop given by a former recruiter for a large newspaper, the former recruiter described how the paper wanted to move from old, proprietary computer systems, to the more common IBM mainframe-based COBOL systems. Since the recruiter needed to learn more about the technology, in order to create a better job requisition, she called in many applicants that had COBOL on their résumés, to pick their brains on mainframes, and COBOL language. So be aware that in some cases the recruiter may ask you expand on an item in your résumé, not just because they want to see if you have the knowledge, and experience, but in some cases to educate themselves on some piece that is key to the open or upcoming position.
Below are some best practices to remember when engaging with the hiring Company’s Recruiter:
1) If the first interview is by phone, make sure you have a quiet place to take the call, and a window of time that is free from distraction.
2) Review the job description and have it on hand as you go into the interview.
3) Do your research: In addition to researching the position you are applying for, research the company. Look for recent news on the company, and if the company is public, search for, or request the annual report.
4) Different companies have different cultures, but in general it is better to keep your answers short, and to the point. If the recruiter wants more information they will ask for it. Try to provide answers in two to three sentences.
5) If your interview is in person, dress for success. It is better to be overdressed than too casual in dress. If you are interviewing for an executive position, save your best suit for the final interview with the hiring manager, or their manager.
6) If your interview is in person, maintain eye contact. For some people this is an interpersonal skill that needs to be developed. This will improve with practice.
7) Be prepared for questions about your successes. Don’t go into small details, but be prepared to do so if the recruiter wants a deep dive.
8) The recruiter will most likely ask about challenges, or areas where you have failed. The recruiter wants to see how you respond to challenges. Do you blame others? Do you accept the situation? Do you look for solutions? Be prepared for this question.
9) During the interview do your best to listen. To answer a question confidently, but not on topic is as bad as not having an answer to the question. If the question is not clear (or if you need time to think for an answer) say “I’m not sure I understand the question, could you perhaps state it differently?”
10)) Have questions for the interviewer. Equal to your being interviewed – you are interviewing the company. A couple questions that are appropriate to any job is “how soon would you like the position filled”, and “what is the hiring processes for this position”, and “is this a new role, or back fill for a position that has been vacated?” (This question may give you some information on if the company is expanding, or if there have been problems in keeping people in the position – which is a red flag.
11) As a wrap up, ask the recruiter if they have covered all the questions they need to get to.
12) Ask the recruiter what the next step in the hiring process will be – try to get dates if possible.
13) Thank the recruiter for their time.
14) Tell the recruiter that you are interested in the position. A close something like “I’m sure the hiring manager will have some questions for me, but based on how you described the job, and its duties, I am very interested in pursuing the position”.
15) Send a thank you note to your recruiter. The recruiter will look positively on this, and it is another way to get your name in front of the recruiter.
A professional such as a career counselor, or a career coach, or transition coach can help prepare you for your interview with a company recruiter. Doing mock interviews with a coach or other professional can only help when you meet with recruiters.
This segment focused on in-house recruiters. In the next segment we will look at best practices when dealing with agency recruiters.
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