The biggest problem comes from not listening. Many recruiters are in the 'bullet point' business. They ask you for qualifications in the form of bullet points and then they take a bunch of resumes and simply try to closely match the bullets.

The problem with this approach is that it doesn't deal at all with what you're really looking for in a hire, namely, someone to help you build your business. What you really want is someone who will help you avoid common problems with hiring such as motivational, ethical, and expertise problems. So, unless the recruiters can help you weed out potential problems that go beyond skillset shortcomings (skills can be trained), then the recruiter is simply finding more time consuming resumes to peruse.

posted April 29, 2008

Few people act the same in their busines and social environments. In fact people, for the most part, adopt to the environment they are in. When I give a recruiter personal information, I do so in the hope they can match me with an appropiate environment, not to disqualify myself. Perfect matches are hard to fine, but adjustments are easily made.

All good relationships are built on trust, an often discussed but seldom practiced, subject.

posted April 29, 2008

They are not trained to spot talent. The only parameters they consider are the number of years of experience that one has, rather what you, as a potential candidate can offer.

Also, they fail to inform you if you have not secured a place in the company.

posted April 29, 2008

I didn't even have to think about this for a second; the answer was obvious as soon as I got through the question.

The best and worst traits I've seen are at the opposite ends of a single spectrum. The worst traits have been those recruiters who, looking at my resume, feel that the hiring company would love to have me working for them, but have no regard for whether or not I'd actually want the job. Granted, this is something of a grey area for the most part, but what I'm talking about are the extreme cases where it's not grey at all. For example, on my Monster.com profile, I have the words "No contract work" in the title of my resume, in the objectives section of my profile (first or second sentence, at that), and of course, only the "full-time employment" option box is checked. So, when I get approached about a position that is contract work, a thousand miles away, on a contract of only 6 months...well, couldn't the recruiter have possibly guessed that I've have no interest? Did they really think that I'd pay to relocate myself, and leave a full-time job with benefits, just so I could work 6 months on a project that, by the way, is less advanced than any of the work on my resume from the past several years?

Okay, enough of the rant...now onto the good traits. I've had some recruiters call up, and we've talked. The job wasn't a good fit, but the key is that we *talked.* Had a good conversation, and in some cases I was even able to give them some tips as to what skills to look for to fill a certain role. I know that recruiters, particularly in the security field, have to deal with the fact that they don't entirely understand what they're being asked to find, but the ones who don't try to force a square peg into a round hole come across so differently, I make a note to remember their names should I ever speak with them again. Oh, and these are the ones where I also take a moment to ask myself if I know anyone they might want to talk to.

So, to sum up: recruiters who see candidates as a potential commission, and try to close the deal for the sake of closing a deal...bad. Recruiters who try to make a good match between employee and employer, between worker and job, and who want to understand as best they can how to do that...good. We are trained, skilled professionals, most of whom have put years of work into developing ourselves. We prefer to be treated as such.

posted April 29, 2008

I find that many technology recruiters do not understand technology at all. They don't know what their client wants nor do they know how to read a technologist's resume.

Nothing turns a techie off faster than thinking that they're being treated as an interchangeable commodity by a recruiter simply trying to earn a commission.

posted April 29, 2008

My experiences would be:

1. Posting jobs for a week on online job websites, then re-submitting them with 0 Applicants.

2. When they claim to want to help you find work, they look for a few days, then you never hear from them again, unless you chase them up.

Sometimes they can suck. I've no idea what systems they use, as I've never had any installation or IT Deployment/Support for any recruiters/Agency's.

It seems to me they don't keep track of applicants. If a job comes in that matches a certain criteria, this should flag up all the candidates (in the area of the job) who would suit the role, then email them automatically.

If this system already exists, it needs more development.

Just my 2 cents worth.

posted April 29, 2008

Personally the worst trait that I have seen is somewhat small but yet occurs witch such a frequency it's just mind numbing. That trait is when it's plain and obvious that the recruiter did not read your resume before picking up the phone before calling you. 80% of contacts I receive are just so off base what my expertise is in it's just hilarious that someone would waste their time to give me a call... and it's obvious they have searched monster or what-not with a keyword, printed a stack of resumes and are just calling away.

Best trait is that some good recruiters out there, have been networking quite well and know people in that industry. Thus they are able to tell you a little bit more about the position than just description, and interviewing with their backing is a breeze.

posted April 29, 2008

The Best: back in 1998 I had a 2 month contract that was a perfect fit...the recruiter actually knew her stuff.

The Worst?

Tech recruiters in general are ruining the IT industry. No longer do companies care about career paths and "the right person for the right job"

...Now it's all about getting the most possible experience for a posted position, while maintaining the highest profit margin possible.

No longer do I (or ANY of my friends or colleagues who have dealt with them) see them in a positive light. It's a pyramid scheme, only we (you remember us,...the actual people doing the work?..) are always the bottom brick.

"Don't like your contract? Quit! Even better for us: we get another finder's fee and make more money"

Honestly, the IT industry in Ottawa is so diluted with these "experts" that you (literally) can't get a full-time permanent position anywhere without dealing with them.

How many times have I been called by 10+ recruiters in the same day for the exact same position?!?

I GET IT, ok, you know how to search monster....can I please give you 40% of my salary?

And don't even get me started on speaking to someone once and never hearing from them again...(probably 80% of recruiters)...

Oh, and this is my favourite...when you actually do a phone interview with a recruiter and then they say this at the end:

"well, this is for an UPCOMING position that we're submitting an RFP for"....What? you mean I just wasted 45 mins for a job that doesn't even exist?!??

Part of the blame goes on the company doing the hiring though. What ever happened to submitting a resume to an actual company?

Recently I tried to do a follow-up phone call with one. They said "we're not accepting phone calls or resumes for this position. please submit it through our talent agency".....wtf? And this is the company that is actually hiring the person....? Needless to say the talent agency wouldn't even talk to me because I'm not an MCSE (what, 10 years of experience with Windows isn't good enough?)

I'm sorry if I offended anyone, especially those recruiters who are actually "in-tune" enough to subscribe to LinkedIn....

And, yes, I know that it doesn't exactly make me look professional when posting something like this...but seriously, I've been ruined by years of broken promises, cold calls and outright lies....

I'm sure that there are good recruiters out there...but how do you justify taking 40% of what you bill me out for?...it's not like you provide ME with a service....

Sorry again for the tone.

posted April 30, 2008

Best: Follow through
Worst: Follow through

posted April 30, 2008

Best:

There's only one criterion that I care about, and it is very easy to satisfy if you have a modicum of common sense.

* Talking to me and actually listening, thus being able to suggest jobs that are a fit on both sides (they like me and I like them).

Worst:

* Calling me at work through switchboard, pretending to be a friend or a vendor to get reception to put them through, then castigating me when I object to being lied to

* Unsolicited email at work, the contents of which are "Please confirm that you are happy for Bloggs & Co to represent you to XXX company", thereby increasing the possibility of my management seeing this and asking me "Why the heck are you looking for another job"

* Ignoring my requests (4 of them, to 4 different recruiters in the same company) to take my details off their database as I am not looking for a job and was getting sick of the spam

* Carpet-bombing my CV out to everywhere without first asking me where I'd like it to be sent to. Scheduling interviews for me without first asking me whether I want to interview there.

* Not replying to email requests about scheduling an interview thus resulting in me chasing for three days only to find that the company can't interview me this week

* Repeated unsolicited identical emails for the same job week after week, after I have said that I am not interested

* Totally ignoring my job preferences- when I have said no web development, no investment banks, calling me about a web development job fair in an investment bank

* Being pushy and pressuring me to go through him/her when I have stated that I have a personal contact in the company whom I would like to go through

* Disrespecting my preferences for being contacted, which are clearly stated on my LinkedIn profile

As you can see the list of "worst" is much longer than "best". This is representative of my experience with recruiters. Because of this, any recruiter who contacts me is automatically under suspicion until they prove that they exhibit none of the above traits.

I am writing this hoping that recruiters will read the above and get some clue.

Despite all the above, I have worked with some excellent recruiters and have found at least one job through them that I was very happy at. They're just not in the majority.

posted May 1, 2008

As a recruiter myself who endeavours to act rather as an 'advisor' than salesman I have always been very conscious to avoid doing the likes that are mentioned above by Petra.

There are a lot of cowboy recruiters who will talk to as many people as possible, send their CVs to firms they don't actually represent and hope that some of it sticks and who don't take the time to talk to candidates about the market either because that would be a 'waste of time' or because they simply don't know anything about the market they recruit into. Annoyingly for everyone, these are often the recruiters who make the most money.

However the negative stigma associated with recruitment consulting (further strengthened and evidenced by discussions such as these) is bound to keep those who would make very good and trusted advisors out of the industry and make the best recruiters (in terms of trust, credibility etc) leave the industry. I think people need to start pointing out more of the positives, and naming the people/firms they think are good rather than vilainising an industry that actually has a lot of very good people in it.

posted May 1, 2008

I agree with Joe Connors response As a specialist recruiter in Information Security it is core in our small but incestuous business area to retain a good reputation by avoiding all of the inherent problems that frustrate both candidates and clients.

I believe that candidates have a choice about who represents them and it is their bad experiences that should gravitate them to the agencies / consultants that they trust - those who DO understand their requirements and the environment and those that HAVE relationships with the clients they mention. Too many individuals accept the 'bad' nature of recruiting and still go back to the agencies that have not delivered in the past or where they don't even like the person they deal with.

Additionally I believe that you should remain in contact and build that relationship and trust with your own consultants even when you are not looking. Good recruiters will not hound you with uninteresting or irrelevant opportunities but will give you informed advice on the market, skills and career advice for your next move in a few years time and generally make sure that your best interests are looked after - after all - its YOU that gets the job and does the work building the solid reputation for that recruiter whilst you are there and its our job to ensure you are given the best opportunities to consider at that time, utilising our strong client relationships.

posted May 1, 2008

All the answers given definitely made sense. I would just add that I don't like when recruiters blind market resumes to a bunch of firms and when I call about a specific candidate they have to take a minute to figure out what I was talking about. It is easier to work with a recruitment firm you have an established relationship with. I want resume submittals to be tailored to my company and positions we offer.

posted May 1, 2008

Recruiters who try to sell you jobs that are beneath your qualifications are not doing themselves, their clients, or you as the candidate any favors. They may get a quick hit here or there, but in the end, they are bound to have a checkered reputation at best.

I think that the best recruiters seek opportunities to help clients and network with candidates at all times and have the highest possible ethics.

Gary Smetana is such a recruiter and I recommend him highly.

Pat K also suggests this expert on this topic:

• Gary S

posted May 1, 2008

Best - IT recruiters who genuinely specialise within a technical area and when they see a question like this they read all the answers because they want to understand how to deliver a better service to their clients and candidates than the competition.

Worst - recruiters within the recruitment industry (rec to rec) are appalling. They have all of the short comings listed by the other respondants on this page. So even as a recruiter myself I feel I have had a bad service from some recruitment companies. Now as a hiring manager with a team to expand I cannot find a good agency to find me the right talent.

Having said all of the above, recruitment is a very difficult business involving very long hours and requiring you to juggle a lot of demands from clients and candidates. There are some of us out there that do manage to do this better than others and we shouldn't all be tarred with the same brush.

posted May 1, 2008

A very thought provoking question indeed, Barry.

As an Information Security recruitment specialist, I frequently hear stories from candidates and clients that many recruitment consultants do not sufficiently understand the industry they work in. Todd and Emma make some interesting points on this. Also, as Curtis infers, it is important to carefully listen to the needs of candidates and clients. Adopting a policy of 'throw as many CVs as you can at the client and hope one sticks' is not good practice, especially in the information security market.

My company uses its information security and enterprise network expertise (from having worked on the 'other side of the fence' in corporate end-users, integrators, vendors and service providers). This facilitates an accurate understanding and interpretation of client & candidate requirements so as to minimise time wasting and maximise the probability of success, professionally and efficiently, for all parties.

I also hear of some consultants out there sending CV’s to clients / prospective clients without prior permission to do so from candidates (which can cause a data protection issue). This practice is explicitly forbidden by the The Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) Code of Practice, which its members are required to follow.

posted May 1, 2008

Worst: My biggest complaint is when a recruiter goes fishing to get resumes by posting a non-existent job. Sometimes it's a "bait and switch," where the posted job is just the bait, and then the real job is something different, usually lower pay and/or contracting.

Best: When a recruiter provides pertinent information about the hiring company and what they are looking for.

posted May 1, 2008

Hi Barry,
Interesting question that really started a discussion. As a person who is a recruiter, and has trained recruiters, I can tell you what traits work and what don't:
First off I think listening is the most important skill that a recruiter can have, and you can't teach it. You want someone who is aggressive, and it seems that some candidates don't undersrtand the value that we have. We must bring some type of value if clients keep hiring us and paying me thousands of dollars.
To everyone that answered this question I saw an underlying theme about calls back or lack there of, that is too bad, because you deserve a call back, and if you are not a fit for a role, you deserve closure. As for the people who don't understand that we are working for our clients (clients pay the bills) and if a client is looking for something specific such as a cert (mcse) they need it to be able to out you on-site and justify their own bill rate. So in this case no your ten plus years of experience means nothing, clients pay a premium for certain certs.

posted May 1, 2008

I hope other recruiters are reading this as well. It saddens me to see all the negativity, but I completely understand where it's coming from. Personally, it's about treating people like human beings. I'd want a call back if I left someone a message, so I make sure I do just that.

I think it comes down to a few traits....honesty, ability to listen, and the sincere willingness to help people with their careers (no matter if it puts money in your pocket or not). There are too many greedy, money hungry recruiters out there in it for the buck, and that's always a recipe for disaster. But, on the other hand the company that they're working for is rewarding them for being that way, so I can’t blame them exclusively.

Phil mentioned relationships in his response, that's the key word. If you're a recruiter that isn't willing to spend the time and effort to get to know your candidates and facilitate the process of helping them (not you), you're not doing your job and should find another career.

Also, take the time to learn some of the technology. You’ll be more effective because the candidates will respect you more, and you’ll be providing a greater service to your clients.

posted May 1, 2008

As a Recruiter, I read this question and thought "Uh oh". I realize i'm not the target audience for this discussion. I do, however, greatly appreciate Rob Shein's answer. He's right - there are some out their who play the "numbers" game and are taught to round up the Recruits like they're cattle. However, it's important to remember that we're not all like that and some of us genuinely have a passion for the business and enjoy helping people find careers that make them happier, more fullfilled professionals.

Good question, thanks Barry.

posted May 1, 2008

I have to admit that as a recruiter, you really have to live by a code of ethics in order to establish and maintain a good reputation. Ultimately, I think that you 1) have to do what you say you are going to do 2) treat people the way you would like to be treated (with respect) 3)Be as honest as you can . I try to live by those rules in my everyday life and in my professional life and it has served me well in both areas. My advice is be picky with the recruiters that you work with . If they don't respect you and do what they say they are going to do, then don't work with them anymore. Actions speak louder than words!! If the recruiter only cares about the money, you will be able to spot their behavior a mile away. Hope this helps a bit! Good question, by the way Barry!!

Sandy H also suggests these experts on this topic:

• Kiran R
• Dennis S
• Lacy T

posted May 1, 2008

Answer that I don't think I have seen yet, the worst trait a recruiter can have is short term thinking. If you are a quality recruiter (top 10%), you have to think long term in all things, so if the person isn't a fit for today's job what about tomorrows?
Also, under promise and over deliver, a recruiter is only as good as their word. A recruiter with a good reputation doesn't have to work half as hard, because they are getting slam-dunk referrals.

posted May 2, 2008

I find that most of the problems brought up here are right on the money. This is especially true in a tight market because it is a large number of recruiters for a small amount of jobs. In my organization, we fix most of these problems. On the candidate side, once you sign up with us, only hiring companies contact you. But in turn, you have to divulge everything including citezenship status, salary, and education. I do not understand why people put thier resume on Monster if they do not want to be called by recruiters, or if you say you are negotiable when in fact you will not accept anything less than $100,000. Ultimately, the job boards are so flooded with recruiters that hiring companies do not bother with them any longer. If you are going to use them, you should know the nature of the beast.

Links:

• http://www.readytohire.com

posted May 2, 2008

Best: The recruiter actually took the time to talk with me in great detail and they call you back.

Usually recruiters go,"do you have XX, YY, and ZZ? Ok, good, let me go see what I can do!" and then you don't hear from them again. While I understand that recruiters are busy, not following up has the potentially recruited talking bad about you to other people, thus the recruiter won't be as productive in the future.

The flip side of this coin is when a person calls a recruiter, expecting the recruiter to have a job for them immediately. Recruiters are not working for you personally, they are working for the *company* that *hired* them. Many people do not understand that, thus get upset when the recruiter does not work with them more.

posted May 4, 2008

You know recruiters deal with alot of VERY flaky people who not honest and try to go around them to get to their client. Many of us really do try to help candidates find jobs and are not just looking at the margins. Candidates though need to be honest and not try to around us to get to a client of ours.

So the honesty card works both ways!

posted May 4, 2008

Hi Barry,

One thing that I have observed in different companies and when I talked with Hiring Managers is that the recruiters don’t keep a good communication with them neither with the candidates; this happens due the pressure put on recruiters to find the right skill/person for the job in a short period of time.

All problems related Recruiter/Manager/Candidates are related to this lack of communication; starting from the requirements from HM and from when we realize that a candidate did not make it through the process.

All we all have to do is communicate better in all ways, ask the right questions and answer to the questions.

Thanks
Leo A.

posted May 4, 2008

Traits Of A Great Recruiter
Just how good are recruiters? How can you be assured that your recruitment investment goes to the best in the market? Here's a checklist for you to assess your recruiter and see if they make the mark!

1.Deliver top quality candidates promptly and within budget?
A strong recruiter delivers result consistently and always on schedule, earning the respect from both clients and candidates.

2.Understand or uses job description and position requirements in the candidate search process? The best job fit is only possible through strong, in-depth understand what you need in your candidates.
In fact, a recruiter should know hiring needs as good as your hiring manager, and uses all kind of performance needs knowledge to assess, close and influence everyone involved in the search.

3. Use at-the-edge sourcing tools to hunt for the best candidates?
A recruiter should always deliver to the bottom line - that is, to use whatever means necessary to build a pool of highly qualified candidates in the shortest time possible. He or she should be extremely proficient in using high-tech tools to deliver you the best candidates possible.

4. Network to find top candidates, using high-touch direct sourcing technique?
Most of us know that the best candidate is, and should be, happily employed and not actively seeking new employment. The best recruiter, in turn, must be in the best networks of people to build a pipeline of top candidates through referral initiatives.

5. Manage all search activities efficiently?
Recruiters in large organizations need to manage many job requests from different hiring managers at any one time. Therefore, the competent recruiter should not only be a great multi-tasker and able to obtain needed resources effectively, he or she should also be competent in using array of tools to manage recruiting work in a fast-paced environment

6.Use job market expertise to improve results?
In-depth market knowledge is the key for optimal result in your recruitment work. Highly regarded recruiters are experts who know every facet of the job market, and proactively learn new trends and emerging best practices. Such recruiters are often seen as a strategic partner and yours should be an advisor to you.

7.Work closely with your hiring managers?
Recruiter should work very closely with them for maximum recruiting efficiency. A great recruiter is often seen as a "coach", helping hiring managers making hiring decisions and able to influence the whole search process.

8.Manage candidates' needs throughout the process?
Overzealous recruiters can be too focused on sales - they tend to "suck-up" to their clients so much that the other party in the process - the candidates - are often neglected. What makes a good recruiter stands out is that he or she not only attend to the clients' need but influence and advises candidates as well. The best recruiters are often seen as career advisor by many top candidates.

9.Accurately interview and assess candidate competencies?
In today's competitive employment market, active job seekers are always a handful and at times it is very difficult to differentiate the good ones from the bad. Therefore, a thorough assessment on your candidates is essential to ensure job fit. A good recruiter is one that initiates and manages effective assessment using a variety of tools. He or she always should be confident that the results are very accurate and insightful.

10.Work with your team to coordinate all search activities?
A strong recruiter is one that is very proactive to initiate team action. Often, he or she supports and even train others in your team to improve your recruitment process results. Many HR professionals look upon the best recruiters as advisor in their search process.

posted May 5, 2008

After reviewing these responses, it seems as if there are those out there who view working with recruiters as a “waste of time” due to poor follow up and feedback. The fact of the matter is, in recruiting, no two days are ever the same. You are constantly moving forward with very little time to look back. With the business being so fast-paced, it is very easy for follow-ups and call backs to slip through the cracks. Still, the recruiter needs to make a strong effort to keep the dialogue open throughout the process to prevent the relationship from falling apart. The successful recruiter is proactive and continuously planning ahead and recruiting for that next job down the road. Some may view this as being dishonest or unethical; however I believe that as long as the recruiter is up front with the candidate about the situation in the effort to establish a relationship, it is perfectly fine. With that said, that is one of the two key elements/traits I believe are crucial to separating yourself from the competition. Honesty, and Communication. With job seekers being approached by dozens of agencies as soon as they are on the market, the firm that will stand out will be the one with the individual who listens, and doesn’t try to fit square pegs into round holes.

posted May 5, 2008