Isn’t the Recruiter/Candidate Relationship a 2-Way Street? Or Am I Asking For Too Much?
By: Terence Channon
Tags: Candidate Experience, Job Hunting, Human Resources, Résumé, Recruiters

3 years ago, I came into contact with an independent recruiter. As part of my job-seeking strategy, I was encouraged to seek out recruiters that may be more in tune with the local job market, opportunities, and more.

I did not have many expectations. Sure, I hoped I would have a 10-minute phone call, the recruiter would review my CV, and the next day, I would be flooded with interview opportunities. Fantasy? Absolutely. I never expected that form of response. We can hope, yes?

We talked for about an hour — the recruiter asked me some questions about my career, my background, my profile, my goals, and more. I was excited — and even more so when the recruiter told me: ‘Hey, you have a great profile and I know there are some great jobs I can help you find. But, today, I just don’t have anything that matches your skills. Can we stay in touch?’

I enthusiastically replied with “This is great!” And it was great. A new connection — a chance to build a relationship.

The reality, well, left much to be desired. We agreed to stay in touch and commit to speaking at least quarterly to talk about new developments in the job market, my profile, and more. From then on out, my calls went ignored; our scheduled meetings were canceled by the recruiter; the only email I received was the recruiter’s email newsletter.

I get it. Recruiters are busy. And I am not their client — the employer is. I learned very quickly that most recruiters prefer (and out of necessity, need) to spend more time with clients. The people that will pay them. But does this reality preclude the recruiter from building a relationship with the candidate? The very asset that the recruiter will place and exchange into dollars? Yes, the gold buyer is the one writing the check to you, but you still have to find the gold and take care of it — storing it until the gold buyer is ready to make a transaction. Or again, I am asking too much?

Last week, the same recruiter called me out of the blue. He definitely sounded friendly and apologetic — “hey man, I know it has been a while and we never really stayed in touch and that is my fault, but I think I have something for you.”

I am not sure this is the best way to ask forgiveness, but I was open-minded and grateful he acknowledged this. Unfortunately, that would be the peak of the goodness from the upcoming exchanges.

It started with him first asking if I was still at XYZ company. A place that I left nearly 4 years ago. This told me that (1) it has been that many years since we last spoke — wow, how time flies?!?!; (2) he did not bother to take a brief moment to look at my LinkedIn profile. Again, am I asking too much?

That awkward part of the exchange continued and then I was presented with the opportunity. I have become an expert at applying for jobs and identifying what is ‘not a fit’ or not — and this job, 100% ‘not a fit.’ Could I do the job? Yes! Would I excel at it? Yes! Because my current projects invoke many of the tactical items required for the position.

Nevertheless, we talked through the position, the opportunity, the pay, the tactics, and more. Was I interested? A big part of me, yes, absolutely. Did I already know in my heart this would not work out? Yes. But, I wanted to genuinely entertain the conversation. Why? Well, the hiring company is a great company — one that I could see myself spending the rest of my career with. If I could just get in the door, I could perform, and then the sky is the limit — from excelling in that role to building relationships inside the company and more. It’s like politicians — they have to win first and then they can do good things. Right? So, let’s move forward and make the best of the opportunity.

Unfortunately, it became very clear why the recruiter found me for this role. It was already clear he did not bother to review my LinkedIn or even review the CV I had on file with him. He just did a cursory keyword search and well, since I used the word a couple of times, it popped up. Bang, this guy must be my best shot! The conversation with me was entirely selfish — driven merely by the hopes of the X% commission of the 12-month contract. There was no alignment to my needs and skills — and even worse, to the needs of the hiring company. It was almost comical.

We wrapped up the call. We were going to move forward. The recruiter asked if I could reply to his email along with write some really great content and highlights of why I am a great fit for this role. I did this. 3 hours later, I receive a call from one of his associates. She let me know that she talked with the primary recruiter earlier and she just needed some more information from me. What did she need? Confirmation of the same information I already shared in the first conversation with the recruiter, in my email with the bullet points and some of which are clearly available on my CV and LinkedIn. She then continued to give me objections on why I may not be a good fit for this role. None were relevant to the role — they were related to basic demographic information (e.g., location, pay, etc.) that I already verified on multiple occasions I agreed to and accepted. We finished the call and I never heard back. No surprise.

Unfortunately, my experience with most recruiters mimics this exact story. Being interested in keywords on my resume only when a commission is on the line. Is this how relationships are built? Is it too much to build some trust with the candidate over time, even if there are no immediate openings? I was already on guard — knowing I could not trust this recruiter the moment he signaled to me he never even bothered to review my LinkedIn. It’s funny because a 60-second review on LinkedIn would have saved him 2–3 hours plus saved his associate another hour or so. My time? Well, I have already invested 6–8 hours into this role — one that was not a fit, to begin with, and it could have all been avoided from a 60-second pre-emptive LinkedIn view.

Yes, I blame myself. I could have turned the time spigot off in the first 10 minutes of the conversation, but I did not. In part, because I really do have an interest in the company and role, which I knew I could do and do well. The other part, sheer dumbfoundedness at the recruiter's behavior and complete lack of empathy for candidates and clients.

This is not an isolated case with me — or many other job seekers I have observed and spoken with.

A few notes and suggestions for recruiters— which perhaps I will elaborate on in another entry.

Build trust with your candidates. Even if there is no opportunity to today, showing that you do care about the candidate will play in your favor when a matching placement comes up.

Do some homework. Candidates are often asked to do a lot of homework as part of a job interview process. Search the company, read press releases, and more. Recruiters can do the same — read the CV, not just do a keyword search. Check out the candidate’s LinkedIn or blog — and before reaching out. This will save everyone some time and frame up a more productive conversation.

Think of your client. Yes, we all need money. Solve your client’s problem. Not your financial problems. This is a critical rule in providing B2B service. Bringing a vetted candidate — one that you know well and can confidently vouch for will increase the closing rate with the hiring candidate and paint you in a great light as a recruiter for future businesses.