10 reasons why you need a good recruiter in today's hiring market.

Take a look at the image above. These are the top Google results when I type in "salespeople are" and "recruiters are". What follows those are top searches.

You might or might not feel this way but when I was a sales trainer, one of the toughest obstacles for salespeople of all stripes to overcome was the perception that they were seen as "pushy", "sleazy" or "manipulative".

It doesn't matter if YOU feel that way, the fact remains, the stereotype remains.

And it kills a TON of productivity.

As a salesperson, it's well known you have to set that aside, do your daily activities and keep moving forward.

Worse, this stereotype often keeps great candidates from meeting great opportunities.

I haven't been in recruiting for long but I can tell you, our reputation suffers worse than the average salesperson. Often for good reason!

The fact remains, having a good relationship with a recruiter will open doors that were not only closed to you in the past but often expose doors you did not even know were open to you.

So how to navigate the apparent alligator pit that is the recruiting world?

1. Be proactive. Don't wait until you are desperate to leave your job or get laid off.
2. Interview multiple recruiters, find the right fit.
3. Be honest. A good recruiter will mostly ask questions. Some about money and resume stuff but more about fit, culture, expectations. You will know you have a good recruiter when the conversation feels more like a therapy session and less like an interrogation.
4. Be open. Your expectations might be unrealistic. Be open to that fact and hear what this person has to say. If they are decent, they will have a handle on the market at large and not just peddling their assignments.
5. Stay in touch. Once you have someone you like and trust, send them regular emails or texts. All the good recruiters I know talk to hundreds of people a month. We can't always remember every detail. Also it's a two way relationship. I know that my clients who stay in touch are more invested in their success.
6. Be picky. Your best recruiting partner will not press you into any role. Instead, make sure you know what a perfect fit looks like and ensure you get most of what you want. I say "most" because:
7. Be flexible. The hiring market changes all the time and a good hire is one where everyone's on the same page. Often that means compromising in places to ensure a win in other places.
8. Work with multiple recruiters. We don't all carry every single opportunity (obv), so as long as you trust your recruiter, you should have a nice array of options.
9. Be patient. This is why #1 is so critical. Your career and daily work life is so important, giving yourself space to find the right fit is easier when you are thinking ahead and not trying to rush. A good recruiter will not pressure you into interviewing anywhere you don't want to.
10. Know your why. I expand on this here but if you put the work in ahead of time, you will be rewarded in the long term. A good recruiter will help you with this!

In the end, like any other profession, there are good and bad players. In today's day and age, we don't reward the good as much as we complain loudly about the bad.

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* Geof is a talent advisor/recruiter focused on SaaS companies across the US. He can be reached easily on LinkedIn or via his calendar here.