Cultivating Advisor Relationships with Premier Candidates

This is the seventh in a series of eight articles geared towards recruiters but which provide important insights for job seekers.

The only truly finite resource we have is time.? There will never be more than 24 hours in a day.? A wise person once said, “Don’t reinvent the wheel.”? When you do not have a cadre of premier candidates, for every search, in essence, you have to reinvent the wheel.

Of course, all candidates should be considered “premier,” by which I mean individuals with a stellar resume of progressive advancement and achievements.? That said, someone whose career is just starting, will remember how they were treated by the recruiter.? If they were treated poorly, when they reach the status of “premier,” they’ll have nothing to do with the recruiter.? So, everyone should be treated like a “premier” candidate, meaning with respect.

That said, the current “premier” candidates can become an unofficial font of information and a source of valuable introductions, if they are treated well.?

There is a reason that a recruiter classifies a candidate as “premier.”? They have experience.? They know their industry.? They know people.? They know people who know people.? They can introduce the recruiter to the next candidate for their new or returning client.? In other words, being selfish, they can make the recruiter’s life, their job, easier.? Viva selfishness!

But a recruiter can’t build a relationship based on selfishness.? It must be a two-way street.? Think of what happens at a networking event.? You meet someone for the first time.? At the end of the conversation you ask, “How can I help you?”? They tell you, say it was nice to meet you, and walk away.? Odds are, you are never going to have anything to do with them again.? They don’t know how to network.? But, if they had reciprocated and asked how they can help you, you would email them the next day, take them to lunch or whatever, and a relationship would begin.

Same with a “premier” candidate.? A recruiter cannot simply contact “premier” candidates when they need them, they have to contact them when they feel they can be of assistance to them.? Odds are, they will have a client in the candidate’s industry.? See if a mutual introduction would be helpful.? Offer to get them invited to an event.? Even propose sending them a resume of a person, starting their career, who might be of interest to them.? No charge!?

If the candidate is truly “premier,” they will reciprocate.? Such a relationship could be valuable in more ways than one.? And at the end of the day, not only will time be saved, but it could be a very lucrative relationship for the recruiter.? To quote one of the most famous movie lines, “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” (I know, this one is better! )

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Future Articles:

• Efficient Candidate Vetting
• References
• You Accept One Job and Another is Offered
• LinkedIn's SSI
• Why a Job Interview is Like a Chess Game
• Turning Being Laid Off into a Positive
• DEI: Dead or Just Dying?
• Ageism
• How to Write and Read a Job Description