How to work with your recruiter

I’m often asked by candidates and clients "What is the best way to work with recruiters?" So I thought I would share some tips that might help. It’s a bit of a brain dump, and not an exhaustive list, so please feel free to add anything else below.

Know what you want - We are all incredibly busy, often balancing very demanding working weeks and busy weekends. However, it’s important to spend some time thinking about what really is important to you in order to make a move. So, is it role, salary, location, industry, flexibility, career development (or all of these and more)? Make sure you are really clear on what you are looking for, what the deal breakers are and what you are happy to be flexible on. Often candidates only really think about this when it comes to the pointy end of the discussions so it’s worth finding the time to do it at the outset (and even if you aren’t actively looking right now).??

Find a recruiter that is invested in you - Good recruiters will invest their time in you and your career and will interact regularly (regardless of whether they have any suitable roles for you in the market). So, do your research and connect with the specialist recruiters in your space. Focus on those that have a good track record of placing roles at your level and work with the ones that you can trust and are genuinely invested in your career.??

Update and refresh your profiles - Most recruiters will want to have a copy of your updated CV and resume, but you may not have looked at these in years. As you can imagine, we see a lot of CVs, resumes and profiles and good recruiters will take the time to work with you to craft these, if needed. This does not need to be done during the job application process and we regularly review CVs, resumes and professional profiles, providing input on the best way to sell yourself in a competitive market, often to candidates who are not actively looking. It’s free, so it’s worth utilising, and it’s also a great way to showcase to your recruiter any new skills, experiences and/or professional development.?

Build rapport with your recruiter - A lot of candidates only reach out to recruiters when they are job hunting. Likewise, it may feel like your recruiter only picks up the phone to you when there is a job on. It’s a two way relationship that requires trust, respect and regular interactions so take the calls or emails and find the time to stay in touch. Your recruiter is someone who can be a lifelong career advocate for you, and you never know when you might be on the market again, so attempt to stay in touch for the long term, even if it's an email, call or simple text every 3 to 6 months.?

Trust your recruiter to do their job - A good recruiter will help you navigate your job search, direct you to roles that you might not have previously considered, and sell your skills and experiences to their wide networks.? They will have lots of information to help prepare you for the interview, far beyond a job description or job ad, they will coach you along the way, providing advice where needed, and will help to secure the right package for you, including salary and working arrangements. It's a competitive job market out there and a good recruiter will help you navigate that.

Communication is key - Communication skills are one of the most sought after attributes for hiring organisations, especially in procurement, and this is an attribute that should not stop during the recruitment process. A good recruiter will keep you updated on the recruitment process every step of the way and will stay in touch, even if they don't have a job on. The same applies to good candidates. So, if you do secure another role, or decide to stay where you are, don’t disappear. Take the time to close out the process with your recruiter and the hiring company. The procurement and supply chain market is extremely small, so managing your personal brand during these interactions is extremely important.?

Be open about working with other recruiters - Recruiters appreciate honesty. So, if you are registered with another agency, or have applied directly for certain roles, it really is ok.? Just let us know where you are in the process so there is no doubling up.

Ask for constructive feedback - Good candidates may not get shortlisted and will miss out on some roles, especially in a competitive market. Whilst this can be really disappointing, and take a bit of time to digest, it is also a good opportunity to get some really useful insights and learnings for next time. So where you are unsuccessful, make sure you schedule in a time with your recruiter for some more detailed feedback, including what you can do differently next time.?

Please reach out to me for a discussion on the above on [email protected]