It has been said that “helping someone find a job is one of the highest forms of benevolence.”
As a professional recruiter I can tell you personally that whenever I have assisted someone in finding a new job, I feel an overwhelming satisfaction that is almost unmatched in anything I do.
That is the best part of being in the “talent acquisition” business. Think about it.
Why does someone accept a job?
To better their life and the lives of their loved ones.
Arguably, making a job change is among the most important decisions that one ever makes in their lifetime.
To those of us in the recruiting field however there is a dichotomy. Although the result of a recruiter’s work is to help someone find a job, that is not really what a recruiter’s job is. That is correct, recruiters do not help people find jobs.
5 BS Facts About Recruiters Almost Everyone Thinks Are True:
1. Recruiters do not find jobs for people: recruiters find people for jobs.
The employer is the client not the applicant in that the employer signs an agreement to pay a fee if the position is filled by the recruiter. Recruiters get paid by employers so the employer is the client. Recruiters work on behalf of the employer. Also, did you know that the most challenging part of the a recruiter’s job is to find an employer client? Finding clients is exponentially more challenging than finding applicants.
2. Recruiting is an easy job, all you have to do is use the internet and make calls to find people.
Although there is some truth to this statement, in actuality it takes unique resourcefulness to earn an applicant’s trust enough to be able to represent this person to a client employer. Recruiters have to ask questions such as “how much are you earning?” and “why have you made so many job changes?” Recruiters have to pre-screen each applicant very carefully and in great detail before presenting an applicant to an employer client. Recruiters need to determine not only if the applicant is qualified for the job, but that the applicant is making a job change for a legitimate reason.
In addition, when “cold calling” a prospective applicant who may not be actively looking for a new position, one has about 15 seconds at best to clearly articulate the job opening and then to ask for referrals. Not an easy task at all.
3. Recruiters are only in it for the money, they slam dunk a placement, get paid and move on.
Oh really? Every industry has people working in it “only for the money” and yes money of course is important. However recruiters are also extremely motivated by the challenge of finding the best person for their clients. The high that one feels when finding an outstanding applicant for an open job is in many times more exciting than when the person actually gets placed by the recruiter.
4. “We can hire our own in-house recruiters and save money”.
In actuality, hiring an in-house recruiter or a team of in-recruiters is exponentially more expensive when factoring in salaries, overhead, benefits, workers compensation, etc. In addition, most in house recruiters take jobs “in house” because of the safety net of a salary. So other than to justify their own job, what is the urgent motivation for an in house recruiter to fill a job opening? After all, they get paid if the job stays open or if it remains open for a long time. An outside recruiter’s urgency level to fill a critical job opening is exponentially high and should never be underestimated. Can an in-house recruiter call competitors and solicit their employees? Maybe, but there could be severe repercussions. An outside recruiter does that and does it well. That being the case, an in house recruiter is limited to the most valuable applicant- the “passive” candidate who does not have a resume posted anywhere and is not ON the market to make a job change, but is IN the market to hearing about new opportunities.
5. Recruiters routinely falsify resumes to make placements so they can get paid.
Just the opposite is true in most cases. Recruiters do assist applicants with poorly written resumes when necessary however falsifying a resume can only harm a recruiter’s relationship with the employer client. Every industry has it’s “bad apples”; however falsifying someone’s resume is deceitful and disgraceful and serves no honest purpose. In addition, recruiters do not send resumes to client employers unless they are absolutely convinced that an applicant is legitimate. Falsify a resume? Out of the question.
In summary, the recruiting industry is misunderstood by most people. Professional recruiters are among the most talented and resourceful individuals in the workforce. Recruiters work hard at their craft and have to be able to articulate, negotiate and tolerate the human dynamic of change.
I am Bernie Reifkind, CEO and founder of Premier Search, Inc. I can be reached at 1(800) 801-1400 or email at ceo@premiersearch.com. I welcome your phone call.