Recruiters are people (shocker, I know) and as adults in this world, we too have been in the job search seat. We understand that you are most likely applying to a bunch of roles, interviewing at multiple companies, and for lack of a better term, “playing the field” until you find the perfect match.
We get it. I would too!
I mean think about it: You spend almost 1/3 of your life at work (yikes) and there’s certainly a lot of things to consider when making a transition: growth opportunities, compensation, leadership & product, etc. etc.
When it comes to partnering with a recruiter on your job search endeavor, we are in the passenger seat with you! We are considering all of the factors that are most important to you and more importantly, finding you a position where they all fall into place. Any good recruiter will build an actual relationship with you; learning not only about your current position, but what you actually want to do, where you thrive, who you are, and hopefully some fun little things in between!
But what happens, more often than not, is that the relationship built is not a two-way street (or at least some roadblocks) and communication and honesty falls by the wayside.
And before you start a rant about how recruiters haven’t been honest with YOU, stop right there. We’re not saying all recruiting firms are perfect, they are not. Like any industry, you have good eggs and bad eggs. The purpose here is to share some perspective and explain why it’s OK to share and be open! Honesty is the best policy, so they say.
- We do not want to waste your time – It is not in anyone’s best interest to share an opportunity or set up an interview for a job you are not stoked about. It wastes your time because you don’t care and it wastes our time having to go through the scheduling, coordination etc. Is the compensation too low? Are the responsibilities a step back? Being transparent about it! That way, we can pivot from there and believe it or not, we’re more than likely working on other positions that better align.
- It’s OK to let US down – Piggybacking off the above, if you aren’t “feeling it” anymore with a job, don’t keep it to yourself. I promise we won’t be mad! If you finish an interview and you thought “I LITERALLY could not work there.” or “Oh my gosh, that was the worst things ever.” whatever it is, air it out. Did you receive another offer somewhere else? We know you’re actively interviewing and chances are an offer will come up. Ideally, you’d share that you received the offer before actually accepting it because hey, maybe the other company was about to extend an offer too and oh darn, you get to PICK!
- Professional courtesy goes a long way – I’ve talked to hundreds, maybe thousands of people, and what always stands out is professional courtesy. Understanding that nothing is personal and continuing to be positive and not burn bridges or ghost people. That stuff sticks long-term. Hiring managers remember people that don’t show up for interviews…
Long story short: Your recruiter is on YOUR team. Teamwork makes the dream work and that only happens with transparency and open communication; and that goes for us too! We’ll be honest if you are, deal?
