but it is a turbulent profession. I’m talking about recruiting, which I have done since 1997….12 years. Here’s what I love:
- Examining the skills and talents people have. Interviewing them, getting a glimpse of their history and their progress through the world of work. Helping them fine-tune their resume if they need help. Understanding what they want for the future – and helping them find it.
- Being reminded as I talk to people that they ARE unique. Their skills and talents are as unique as their fingerprints. For me, recruiting is an antidote to the too-easy-to-fall-into-trap of believing that we are just tiny little cogs in a big machine. Even the tiniest cog contributes to the smooth operation of a big machine, or to its failure.
- Finding a manager or corporate recruiter who communicates well and values what I do. Gaining a clear understanding what the employer needs and who will succeed in the position, so I can succeed in my quest to find the right employee.
- Learning from all of the people I talk to….they are both my teachers AND my students…..I believe everyone we meet plays that dual role in our lives, and as I interview candidates and talk to hiring managers and corporate recruiters, that is a continuing theme. I teach them, and I also continuously learn from them.
- Connecting a quality candidate with a quality company, and placing a person in a really good position that will last…..that is my goal. If the person is right for the position and the company is right for the person, both parties will ideally gain some stability from the relationship.
- Getting feedback from an employer or a candidate who says, “Thanks, you really helped me.”
- Earning commissions from this form of matchmaking that just cannot be done well by automated systems. There are intangibles involved that a good recruiter senses…..about the candidate, about the employer’s needs, about the suitability and endurance of the match. I’ve heard recruiters say, “It’s not rocket science.” That’s true, but a really excellent recruiter starts with good instincts and persuasive communication skills and over the years hones them into something approaching ESP.
- Thinking about the future…..what kinds of jobs will we be recruiting for in 5 or 10 or 20 years? Advances in technology, engineering, medicine, nanotechnology, pharmacology — wow, I get excited just thinking about all the progress we will make.
So, am I the recruiter on Cloud 9 with rose-colored glasses? Well, no — there’s a flip side, of course….here’s what frustrates me:
- Seeing the best and brightest people in our society, smart, well-educated, successful people, sitting on the sidelines without work.
- Only being able to help a few people out of the many I talk to…..if I talk to 20 good people, I may be able to place 1. The reality is that a recruiter submits only a small percentage of the candidates he or she interacts with. Wanting to help every candidate, but not having enough time to do so.
- Employers who give little or no feedback on a resume and then suddenly, perhaps weeks after submittal, expect recruiters - and candidates - to be available for a phone interview in one hour, or a face-to-face interview the same day. This is working right now because of the unemployment situation, but it is not, in my humble opinion, a wise long-term recruiting strategy. The market will turn and candidates have long memories….and companies do earn reputations among candidates.
- Employers who rule out the best candidates for a position by including requirements for degrees, certifications, etc., while ignoring the value of experience that is equivalent to, or perhaps better than, degrees, certifications, etc. Companies that rule out candidates for being “overqualified,” making the assumption that the person will leave for something better…..when the candidate may be quite ready to step back to a position at lesser pay for many valid reasons. Yet, my job and my truth is to understand that I work for the employer, and to provide what the employer wants, while still presenting the person my instincts tell me is the best, if the employer is open-minded enough to consider this.
- Candidates who refuse to learn new strategies when the old methods of job search just aren’t working. Candidates who submit their resume online for dozens or even hundreds of positions and don’t keep track of what they are doing, thus making it difficult for me to represent them even if they are a good match. Candidates who refuse to see that networking has become a necessary part of the entire process of career management.
- In general, my belief is that thoughtful approaches work best, whether it be for job searching or for filling a position. Thoughtful approaches yield clarity and results. This is why we are seeing many good companies not posting jobs on job boards……it isn’t working as well as it used to, they’ve acknowledged this, and have turned to networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook to find people, and for difficult searches, to recruiters.
Are you a frustrated candidate who needs coaching with your job search? Or a frustrated manager who needs to find a great employee? Contact me at lizk@talentlegends.com and I’ll do my best to assist you in reaching your goals.
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