Five simple ways to DOUBLE your chances of landing an interview (through a recruiter)

Unless I’m mistaken, the majority of the “pro-active” recruitment industry works like this:

• A candidate will either apply for a job, place their CV on a job board, have their profile on LinkedIn or will simply send a copy of their CV through to a recruitment firm, in the hope that this will lead to their next career move.

• Once the recruiter has the CV, they take some time (this varies) to fact-find the candidate, attempt to understand what their skill set is, what their requirements are and either present their CV for a specific role, email their CV out the their existing network or target specific potential employers (they may even use that thing called a phone).

I’m not doubting that this tried and tested method works, because it does, but I do question how efficient and productive it is for the candidate, the recruiter and the employer.

For me, this process seems to lack quality, efficiency and accuracy. It seems to be a case of high volume and low quality.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• How much “essential” information can an employer actually obtain from just a CV?
• If a recruiter fact-finds 5 candidates over the course of a day, they might only get 5 minutes of air-time to relay the edited highlights to a potential employer; how watered down do you think you become (you’d get 1 min of air time)?
• How does the recruiter make YOU stand out from the other candidates?
• How do they relay your winning attitude, behaviours and social skills to the employer?

As an experienced recruiter I understand candidate, recruiter and employer habits. I know what really goes on behind the scenes and I know exactly what you need to do to get noticed and stand out from the crowd.

Ask good questions of your recruiter

Find out what their USPs are, what their placed candidate retention rates are, if they typically work contingency (results only) or retained (contracted), what they will do for you that others won’t, if they can present referees for you to speak with, what their fees are etc.

This will help you to build a picture of their professionalism and track record. If nothing else, it will help you to assess if you are dealing with the right recruiter for you.

Video Introductions

Find out if they use video technology to present you to potential employees. Video is a fantastic way for you to present yourself almost directly to the employer and will address nearly all of the above points.

Target List of Companies

Work closely with your chosen recruiter to put together a target list of companies to approach. Help them to find links and contact information. Trust me, out of all the people that recruiters interview, they will work harder for those that lend a hand in the process. Why wouldn’t you want to help in this way?

Behavioural Assessment

Ask your recruiter if they can run you through a behavioural assessment. This will allow potential employers to better understand how you could fit in to their organisation.

Progress Updates

Finally, agree regular follow up calls and progress updates with your recruiter. Make sure you remain as close to the process as possible. You need to find the right balance between hounding them, and being available when the time is right.

Pro-Tip: Remember to take your recruiter for a beer or a coffee if you’re in town. Typically, they won’t make a penny unless they place you, so always bear that in mind.

Within our recruitment company, GrassGreener Group, we’ve seen a 200% increase in “client interest” by working with candidates in this way and effectively marketing them. We use the i-intro? candidate delivery platform.