To ghost or not to ghost - that is the question.

Let’s face facts, recruiters for a variety of reasons have had a bad reputation. The consensus when you speak with people about their pre conceptions make for quite uncomfortable reading. Somehow we have been grouped together with some of the world’s most unfavourable vocations alongside lawyers, stockbrokers, the taxman or even the dreaded used car salesman.

Whether you are a candidate or client you have no doubt had a call from one or two of these “rogue agents”. You know the ones, the guy that calls you up with the perfect opportunity, he/she gets you excited about an opportunity and gets you to update your resume, jump through several hoops, compete in a triathlon, write an essay on the best route to world peace and then doesn’t have the decency to call you back and let you know why you weren’t successful in the process. Or as a client; you have got the call about the role you are recruiting for and the consultant tells you about how they can re-invent the wheel in order to get you what you are looking for while saving you time and money, they promise the world and deliver nothing and it compounds the problem in relation to our reputation.

There are multiple reasons why you may have received a substandard experience but don’t let that influence your judgement of the whole industry, for every “rogue” recruiter I will show you five that are the most conscientious professionals I have ever had the pleasure of working with. With that in mind I have compiled a list of 5 reasons why working with (the right) recruiter could seriously increase your chances of successfully navigating the job market or help you find that diamond in the rough that can help you achieve your business goals. In this blog we will delve into the perspective of a candidate but watch this space for the follow up – 5 reasons to work with recruiters from a client’s perspective.

1.      We are well networked – So you have made the decision to move into a new job, it’s a life changing decision so what next? You’ve updated your resume and uploaded it to the job boards, you’ve scoped out linked in but the job offers aren’t coming in and you still have to work your current job. A good consultant can speed up the entire process, good recruiters have trusted relationships that can get a foot in the door early – be ready though, once you put someone good to bat for you the results can come thick and fast so make sure you know what you want and you engage with the process fully.

2.      Let us guide you – Moving into a new role can be a stressful thing to do, some say only second to moving house and having a baby. Let us share and help manage that stress, as a middle man we give advice, counselling you prior to interview, giving you advice on what NOT to do based on previous applicants, telling you what to expect in interview, the personality of the interviewer. What’s not to like, why wouldn’t you take advantage of this service – and that’s without telling you the best bit. We don’t charge you anything for this - cue mind blown emoji.

3.      Niche industry expertise – At Barrington James each of our consultants is a market specialist. This means they have understanding of your skills, qualifications and experience. It also means they may know what’s going on behind closed doors and truly have the finger on the pulse. What does that mean for you? Well quite simply when a new opportunity arises in your area, any market specialist worth their salt should be amongst the first to know. Not just that but a true specialist will also negotiate exclusivity so not working with them may mean you may miss out completely.

4.      Interview prep – Interviews can be tough, even if in normal life you have the comedic ability of Kevin Hart or you can charm the skin off a snake your recruitment consultant will help you prepare for the big day and should be seen as a valuable commodity. We share insights about working for the company, previous interviews that our candidates have been involved in, the culture and the role specifics. Whether it be dress code, logistics of getting there, body language, etiquette, cultural fit or how to answer those tough interview questions designed to trip you up. Essentially your consultant is a fountain of knowledge so tap in and utilize us and as Tom Cruise quite rightly uses as his mantra in Jerry Maguire “help me help you”, then we can all both be saying “show me the money”. (if you don’t know that reference then shame on you, go and rent Jerry Maguire immediately).

5.      Negotiate the best deal for you – Even the most cunning of negotiators in their current role can find it hard to talk about their own worth. This is where your chief negotiator comes into their own, they will help you to navigate the myriad of figures such as annual salary, bonus, PTO, incentives and they can also help you understand the long term prospects. It’s always tricky if you are negotiating directly with a client as you don’t want to come across in the wrong light, you’ve heard of good cop, bad cop, let us be the bad cop in relation to chasing the best possible deal for you while you can sit back, relax and still come up smelling of roses. One thing to remember is that our fee is relative to the deal we negotiate so rest assure we will always push to get you the very best offer possible.

Hopefully this gives you some insight into the world of a recruiter and what we can do to help you in one of the most important decisions and transitions that you will probably ever make. And when that number pops up on your phone and you wonder to yourself “to ghost or not to ghost”, you will think back to this article and realize that a few minutes of your time, an open and honest conversation and an open mind could mean the difference between your dream job and mediocrity.