There can be stigma attached to using a recruiter to help secure your ideal role (usually the stigma is from people who didn’t use a recruiter and now regret doing the hard work themselves!). Don’t let this hold you back- truly, using a recruitment consultant can save you significant time and effort. It’s worth checking out my top tips below to help you optimise the way you interact. This will ensure that you get the outcome you need in the quickest time.
No two-timing!
You may be approached by several recruiters on social media or other recruitment platforms such as CV library. It’s a competitive world and recruiters need to act fast to find candidates, so they’ll often descend on you quite quickly. Try and choose just one recruiter to work with- perhaps base this decision on who you feel you have the most rapport with, or who has the most experience in the sector you are looking for work in.
By working closely with one recruiter, it gives them a chance to properly assess the market and find you the role that fits you best, without having to rush/compete with other recruitment agencies. Not only this, but it is embarrassing for both the recruiter and you (the candidate) if they approach a practice/business with your CV and are then told that they’ve already seen it from other recruiters. It gives the unfortunate impression that you are on many recruiters ‘books’ and can look a bit desperate. Not the vibe we are going for! It’s not professional for recruiters to accidentally overlap and send your application to the same places, but it’s very tricky to keep track of who’s sending it where when there are several agencies involved. Avoid this by working with one agency at a time.
Be honest
Always be absolutely clear and honest about what it is you are looking for. It’s always better to be specific as this helps your recruitment consultant to find the right role for you. It might be that they occasionally go off piste and present you with another opportunity that they feel could suit you, but for the most part they will try and match exactly what you want. Don’t go with the flow and end up doing interviews for roles that you know you wouldn’t accept. It’s a waste of your time, and ultimately the recruiters time too.
Don’t ghost us ☹
Unfortunately, being ghosted is a common problem for recruitment consultants- candidates begin the initial process and then fail to respond or reply when opportunities are presented. Your recruitment consultant is human- they understand that life is busy and that things happen- but if you no longer need/want their help, have the courtesy just to tell them that. Otherwise they just don’t know whether to keep pushing you for a reply.
Let us do the work for you!
Have the confidence to hand the reins over to your recruitment consultant- stop job hunting for yourself 😊 Similarly to when you have multiple agencies trying to find you a job, it can be very tricky not to overlap when you (the candidate) are also applying. One of the benefits of using a recruitment consultant is that they do the hard work for you, so sit back and have a cuppa whilst they generate you some opportunities. Best not to scupper a potentially great new lead by applying for it at the same time as your consultant- it looks a bit unorganised and unprofessional.
Hopefully these few tips on ‘recruitment agency etiquette’ will be useful on your next job hunting adventure. At Elite Staffing Solutions, we are always excited to hear from new candidates for a confidential chat about your requirements.
Please get in touch today 😊
