How to Get the Best From Your Recruiter

If you’ve never partnered with a recruiter before or haven’t had a fruitful experience in the past, below are a number of tips to help you get the best from your recruiter relationship. Finding a recruitment consultant who advocates for you and shares market insights will protect the trajectory of your career and increase your chances of success.

How to find a recruiter in the first place

• If you already know a recruiter in your market, you rate him/her highly and they are trustworthy, go straight there. Simple.
• If you don’t, does one of your peers know a recruitment consultant who they rate highly?
• If a recruiter has found you but you do not want to move yet, respond in a polite, professional manner. You never know when that relationship could be beneficial for you.
• If you cannot get a positive referral from anyone, Google and the large online job boards are an easy place to start. Just because a recruitment agency has more ads than anyone else doesn’t necessarily make them the best agency but it will at least give you a starting point of options you could introduce yourself to.
• Once selected, send your chosen recruiter your CV and follow up with a call. If they have your CV, it makes the initial call more productive and efficient.

What to look for in a recruiter

Put simply, someone who cares about helping you and is able to. If they are interested in getting to know you, your achievements, what is important to you going forward and have the knowledge and desire to advise you along the way, you have yourself a keeper! If they don’t listen or care, you don’t have to continue with them. Tell them that you do not want your CV sent to their clients for now.

What should be confidential and what you can disclose:

• You do not have to disclose the firms that your CV has already been sent to. This will inform other recruiters of firms who are recruiting and they may then try to find someone more appropriate than you for that job. However if a recruiter asks if they can send your CV to a firm that you know your CV is already at, definitely inform them.
• Do not disclose the names of your clients.
• Do disclose the size and complexity of the clients you dealt with. Unlike the names of your clients, this is actually helpful information for a potential new employer to know the type of work you have been exposed to.
• Do disclose your salary expectations. Also ask the recruiter if that is a fair number. I would personally also encourage you to disclose your current salary. If you are asked for this in an interview and you do not disclose it, it looks like you are trying to hide the fact that you are asking for a big jump. At least if you have had that conversation with a recruiter beforehand, they can advise you on why you are worth the increase.
• If in doubt about what to say, just tell the truth.

What you need to demand from every recruiter you speak with

Just like a recruiter should respect you, let’s not forget, you should be respectful of their time and efforts too. Things you should demand from your recruiter include:

• Not sending your CV to any particular firm without your consent, ideally in writing.
• Asking the recruiter to email you the firms they plan to send your CV to before sending it and that they can only send it once they have your permission. It is in your interest to do this quickly too. This guarantees you will remember the firm name in the future weeks in case another recruiter mentions the same firm, avoiding duplicate introductions that will make you look bad.

How often to contact a recruiter when seeking updates

• I suggest asking the recruiter when they expect to know an update and letting them know how and when is the best way to contact you.
• If you can only speak after 5pm, make this clear. If you expect regular updates, how regular do you expect them? If it is unrealistic, your recruiter can inform you of this. Transparency is key, in both directions.
• If you interview at several firms, through several recruiters, things can get complicated. Make a transparent plan and keep it as simple as possible for yourself.

Reflecting on who worked well for you

Just like in the first point, reflect on who tried to help you all the way, and spread the good word.

Obviously the recruiter who secured your new job has helped you, but I would be thinking most about who tried the hardest to help you and referring them to your peers first. Your recommendations could not only assist your network but will encourage all recruiters to provide an excellent service.

By following these steps it will help you and your recruiter achieve the most desirable outcome for you. At Lawson Delaney, we guide our candidates through the most efficient and effective recruitment partnerships.

Lawson Delaney is a leading executive search and professional recruitment firm based in Melbourne. We specialise in recruiting CEOs and leadership teams, and accountants of all seniorities for Accounting firms. Contact us on 03 9946 7300 or support@lawsondelaney.com.au to learn more about how we can assist you with a vacancy or new role today.