Recruiter

Of the job-seekers who come to you, are most of them unemployed, or are most still in a job that they're trying to leave? Also, who uses recruiters more: men or women?

Asked by slocam over 12 years ago

I think that every industry would answer this question differently. I think general recruiters tend to get a lot of people who are unemployed. I work in a very specific industry (digital advertising), and a lot of people are in tune when things are going south in their current jobs. They tend to reach out just before leaving. This is industry is also 60% men, and 40% woman. I would say that is the ratio of my candidates as well.

What's the most common résumé mistake you see from clients?

Asked by brikhaus over 12 years ago

There are a lot of little mistakes that we see frequently with grammar errors or format. Most resumes are guilty of this, but employers tend to care more about what you were actually doing in your most recent roles. Some people get so used to their day to day tasks that they forget their "accomplishments" in the work place. A resume is your opputunity to sell yourself, and a lot of people make the mistake of writing mundane details without selling themselves. I will use a receptionist job as an example A poor resume would show tasks like this: Answered all phone calls from clients Responsible for greeting all walk in customers Responsible for filing paperwork Responsible for confirming appointment times A strong resume for the same Job (someone trying to sell themselves) would look like this: Responsible for heavy phone call volume while multi-tasking in-office duties Greeting all customers as they walk in with amazing customer service continually Directly responsible for repeat business as customers considered me friendly, and reliable Responsible booking appointments, as well as confirming appointments Any job you have done can be sold in a strong way. When I try to help people with their resume I ask them to remember every time their boss complimented them. Even if it was for something small. Not calling in sick all year, or winning back a customer that was angry….etc. Those are the details people forget, and those are the details your next employer will care about.

Are companies allowed to ask what a candidate was making at his previous position? I know many of them do, but I've heard they're technically not allowed to do that.

Asked by cannonball! over 12 years ago

A company is now allowed to ask your references (previous employer or co workers) how much you made. A company can ask you directly "what are you compensation requirements?" It is another way of asking "how much will it cost me if I want to hire you?" - which is a fair question and not illegal. It is best to answer honestly, because this information is not too difficult to dig up especially with a full background check. As a recruiter, I am allowed to ask anything I want. Recruiters are great in this case because we negotiate on your behalf. We take the ugly-ness out of negotiating with your new potential employer. As a recruiter we usually know how much the company has carved out for the role, and we negotiate to make it a win/win for both the employee and the employer. I always try to get my candidates a raise, but I also try not to rip off my client (the company).

Do you think recruiters can sometimes hurt a candidate's prospects by pushing too hard for a salary the client is unwilling to pay?

Asked by bilquetoast over 12 years ago

That is a good question. It is not something that usually happens because recruiters know the comp range for a role before starting a search. For example: I usually ask clients in advance “what compensation are you looking to pay?”- with that I look for candidates within that range. If I have a candidate that is making less than what is budgeted for the role, than I do try to get them a raise, but NOT more than what the company originally carved out for the role. I never try to get the company at max budget. I try to find someone that they are happy to have on board and they don’t feel stressed paying for. I also try to get candidates a raise so they are excited to start the new job. It’s a balance that a recruiter should be able to manage so that it is a win/win ?

How are recruiters paid? Is it on commission? Who pays you - the client, or the company where you place the client?

Asked by Tammy F. over 12 years ago

Most Recruiters are paid on commission after a candidate starts the job, and the company is responsible to pay us. Basically a company will ask us to help with a specific search. They may enlist more than one recruiter. We sign a contract that says "If we find you the right person and you hire them, you pay us X amount." X amount is usually a percent of this persons base salary. So the candidate (person looking for a job) is never responsible to pay a recruiter anything. Sometimes I get candidates who are upset at me for not finding them a job. A lot of people don't understand that as a recruiter, my job is to find the right person for the role I have been hired to fill. Sometimes I get amazing resumes, but its not a home-fun for my client. I see a lot of great candidates that I can't place because I am not working on any jobs that are relevant to their background. Its not a personal thing, but some people take it personal.

On resumes, does the inclusion of "fun facts" or other humorous bullets help or hurt a candidate?

Asked by D-Train about 12 years ago

I think its a great idea to include one or two humorous facts, or even special interests/hobbies like cooking, line dancing, or under water basket weaving. It is great for a conversation piece when someone starts an interview. It gives them insight to your personality beyond just the task items you are capable of.

Do the Internet companies come to you for help, or do you go to them offering it? Besides programmers, what types of positions are these Internet companies most looking to fill?

Asked by shane-1-1 over 12 years ago

Half of my clients have come to me asking to assist them with a specific search that has been really hard for them to fill. The other half of my clients I have approached. Sometimes I have an amazing person looking for a job, and I will approach a company to see if they need help filling a role. Its a fun game of matchmaking. Our company actually fills a lot of sales roles. A lot of internet companies generate revenue from selling ad space. We place a lot of people who have sales experience Junior to executive level.

Do you use LinkedIn to scout for potential clients? Do you do a lot of cold-calling?

Asked by 3tan over 12 years ago

I do use linkedin quite a bit. I connect with people and then introduce myself. I hate cold calling, and I never do it. I don't think its nice to "surprise attack" anyone with a cold call. I do send out introduction emails to let people know that when/if they are looking for a job, they can reach me by phone or email. I don't like to pressure people or sell them into something. A lot of recruiters do that, but it is not my style. I teach my employees the same thing. We advertise and network so that a lot people in our feild know us personally. Cold calls are so 10 years ago.

Read your "nightmare client" answer... that sucks hard. Do you (can you?) structure deals with clients that ensure at least some level of base pay so you're protected if they decide to scrap the position? Only seems fair.

Asked by Harold, Esq. about 12 years ago

There are some companies that demand a retainer fee to start a search, but that is a hard way to start generating new business/new clients.
I love getting new clients so I try not to make my terms difficult to work with.
It is a risk to work on a commission only basis, but with that is the reward of being able to ask for a good amount of $$ when it comes time to pay.
My work is proven, the job is done, and now I can send you a bill guilt free.
I work in the internet industry where things change all of the t ime. I don’t know that my clients would sign with me if I had a term that required an upfront payment.
Over time I have been better about realizing which clients are serious and which ones are giving me the run around.

If a client hires your candidate, but the new hire proves to be a dud immediately after he starts the job, do you still get paid in full? Are there any repercussions?

Asked by jackwanna about 12 years ago

We usually do enough pre-screening to make sure that doesn’t happen, but it is not full proof. There are people that interview great, and then lose steam when it comes time to actually do the job. Recruiters typically have a clause in their contract that will give employers 30 days to see if someone is a dud. Some recruiters (depending on the type of role) will even do 60 days or 90 days. This has only happened to me one time. We had someone start a marketing job, and after starting the job the employer realized that he didn’t actually know the technical programs he claimed to know. He was let go after 10 days. We didn’t bill the client. We eventually filled that role with a rockstar candidate that they still have today.

We just moved to Illinois for my husband's work, and I'm now looking for work myself. Since I know NO ONE out here, what sites or resources would you recommend I use to find out which recruiters are good in the area?

Asked by hungry mom about 12 years ago

It really depends on what industry you are in. It depends what type of experience you have had. If you are looking for admin work or accounting work than a temp agency in your area would be ideal. They have a ton of roles that are temp to perm. If you have a more specialized background (for example: Advertising) then there are specific recruiters for each field. Make sure you also post your resume on monster, indeed, and other websites where it is free to post. Recruiters all use those tools to find people.

Do you ever run into situations where you source a candidate for a client, but the client also applies to the job directly, he winds up getting hired, and then the company claims they don't owe you anything?

Asked by supernorm about 12 years ago

Yes, that does happens. A company has to tell us within 48 hours if they already have the candidate in their database. If a candidate says they didn't apply then the company would have to prove it. I usually walk away from a situation if it will prevent a candidate from getting hired. I prefer that people have jobs than for me to get paid

Do I have to have a degree from a good college to be considered for jobs with most internet companies? Or is that becoming less important?

Asked by The Dao about 12 years ago

Every company is different. I don’t think a “good college” is an important as work experience these days. That is my personal observation. For example if you go to a community college but you intern for free at an internet company, than your experience is more valuable than someone out of USC with zero work experience. The internet space is a fast moving environment, and the less training you need- the better.

Why do companies use outside recruiters, as opposed to just having their own?

Asked by bellcastle about 12 years ago

It is usually not necessary to keep someone in house unless you are a LARGE company that is hiring frequently. For example: if you have an in-house recruiter, you have to pay them a salary + benefits, and that is really expensive if you are only looking to hire less than 10 people in a year. Recruiters only get paid once per hire. So if they hire one person from a recruiter it cost a onetime rate. If they have someone in house they are paying a lot of money and might not necessarily need that.

What is your favorite resume' format?

Asked by christine2464 about 12 years ago

There is no set format really. I need to be able to see where you worked, and the task items you were doing. Font is not too important (as long as it is readable). I think this is clear Company Name City, Date that you worked there Title - Task item - Task Item - Task item Remember that your most recent job should be on the top, and Education should be under your most recent jobs.

is it true that the majority of recruiters are women? why do you think that is?

Asked by gobruins! about 12 years ago

I am not sure that is true actually. I would say that the majority of recruiters I know (or know of) are male. I could see how it is becoming more popular for women, but I think that is across a lot of industries these days. In general women are more aggressive/assertive and well known in the work force today than ever before.

If you speak with a candidate who looks like a perfect fit on paper for a client but (s)he is solely focused on salary, does that turn you off and make you want to look elsewhere?

Asked by Go Bears about 12 years ago

Good question. There is a fine line with this one. Salary is important, and candidates should know what to expect so that they don't waste their time, BUT when a candidate asks about salary in a first interview - HUGE turn off. A lot of times if you can sell yourself to a company, they will put their best foot forward and pay a great salary. This is why working with a recruiter is great. We find out what a candidate would like to make and we send them to jobs that can pay that. So we take out the "wasting time" part of it. Recruiters will also help negotiate a great package.

Why are recruiters so bad with calling back?

Asked by P.T. Barnum about 12 years ago

I think every recruiter is different. I usually prefer email when it comes to following up. I am bad about returning phone calls, but I ALWAYS respond to emails. However, there is a big misconception with recruiting that is important to point out. A lot of people think that a recruiters job is to find people jobs. In actuality a recruiter is hired by a company to find the perfect person for their company. I work for a client, and that client pays me to find their ideal candidate (whoever it may be). If you are not my ideal candidate, than I can’t really help you- even if you have an amazing background. A lot of people are mad when recruiters don’t send them on a lot of interviews or don’t help them find jobs, but candidates are not the people that pay us. I will usually always help people if I can (whether I get paid or not), but It is not my responsibility to help get someone interviews at different companies. My obligation is to my client -the company who hired me.

What makes a client a nightmare client?

Asked by boltthrower76 over 12 years ago

Haha... where do I begin? Most of my clients are very respectful, but I do get a few "nightmare" clients. Clients don't pay us until they hire someone. We get clients that expect us to find very specific types of candidates, and we have nightmare clients that will make us work for weeks at a time, and then decide to put that hiring on hold. That is a lot of wasted weeks and effort for us, as well as the people we interviewed that are anxiously waiting for next steps. I completely understand that some times hiring needs change, and people feel bad about it, but we have clients who really enjoy scanning resumes and have no problem having us work to get them resumes with no intent to hire. We do a lot of legwork for our clients and that is part of the job, but sometimes we get really ungrateful clients who like to put us to work without solid intentions. Its a pet peeve because it hurts everyone involved.

Do you look at applicants' social media activity (tweets, FB statuses, blogs), and how much does that stuff matter when sizing them up? Can it be a dealbreaker?

Asked by Steph about 12 years ago

I don't typically do that, and most recruiters don't do that... but employers certainly do. As a recruiter I judge a candidate based on their qualifications, and ability to conduct themselves in an interview. I am much less concerned with what people do on their off time. Most employers feel the same way I do, but there are some who are invasive and like to stalk Facebook. I think it is important to keep a level of professionalism on FB, and/or twitter. Having a drink in your hand in photos is not a big deal in some industries, but if you are teacher (for example) or work with kids at all - it is a HUGE deal. So it matters what industry you are working in

Is it a red flag when a job candidate has changed employers every year or two, or is that not the drawback it used to be since it's so much more common these days?

Asked by THD over 12 years ago

It is a red flag if someone is consistently changing jobs every 1-2 years. If someone has been at a job for 3 years and then their last two jobs have only been a year, than that is not so bad. I see that pretty often actually. However, if someone is 1-2 years job after job… its a red flag. It usually means that they can't hold a job or they get bored with their environment quickly. Either way, most employers are not excited to hire someone that they will have to replace that soon

Do you actually verify a candidate's education credentials? How?

Asked by CK06 about 12 years ago

I recruit for Director level and executives, so Education is less important to me. Most recruiting companies will do a background check that includes your level of education.

Hi - this is not about sour grapes but I'm getting tired of applying for jobs & keep getting rejection emails. I would really like to know if the company just will never hire me? Why can't they just say, we'll never hire you? It would make it easier.

Asked by DD over 4 years ago

I was always told that a resume should never exceed one page. Agree/disagree?

Asked by KingsCourt about 12 years ago