The 4 Keys to Good Candidate-Recruiter Relationships
Good candidate-recruiter relationships should be a top priority for both candidates and recruiters. Being open, honest, and trustworthy benefits both parties. Recruiters will make more placements and better serve their clients with high-quality talent, and candidates will find the roles that are truly right for them.
Here are four things both candidates and recruiters should know about building great relationships with one another:
1. Recruiters Should Have the Candidate’s Best Interests in Mind
Candidates need to trust that their recruiters have their best interests in mind. It can take time for a recruiter to find the right job for you — and that’s okay. They could give you a mediocre option right away, but isn’t it more worthwhile to wait for the perfect role?
For their part, recruiters have to understand how their candidates may be feeling throughout the process. The recruiter may feel successful once they’ve gotten a candidate to the interview stage, but the candidate is probably stressing about impressing the employer. Pay attention to how your candidates are doing, and be ready to offer assistance when they need it.
In short: Candidates, trust the process and be patient. Recruiters, stay in touch with your candidates and always be accessible to them.
2. Get to Know Each Other
Recruiters are looking for more than just skill sets — they’re looking for candidates who will fit in and thrive at a company. In order to match candidates to cultures, recruiters have to get to know their candidates on a personal and professional level. Recruiters cannot place candidates in the right roles without first understanding who they are and how they work best.
Recruiters and candidates should get comfortable with each other before jumping right into job-finding mode. Learn about each other’s personalities, interests, and likes and dislike. When it comes to a successful placement, lifestyle choices, attitudes, and character traits are just as important as work experience, location, and qualifications.
3. Put Yourselves in Each Other’s Shoes
It is necessary for both recruiters and candidates to be fully engaged throughout the entire process. For this to happen, both parties need to understand what the other is doing. This is why it’s a good idea to put yourselves in each other’s shoes.
Candidates need to know about all the behind-the-scenes work recruiters put in to secure interviews and land placements. Recruiters need to understand candidates’ motives and career goals to make informed submission and placement decisions. Only by being totally on the same page can each party get the outcome they desire.
4. You Share the Same Goals
Both the recruiter and candidate have the same goal: filling a position. If you are both on the same page, success is already in the works.
But great recruiters go above and beyond. They don’t just want to get their candidates jobs — they want to get their candidates jobs they like and will excel at. That’s what the candidate wants, too. When recruiter and candidate are aligned, better placements are made.
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From start to finish, the recruiting process can seem like a giant, unbeatable maze. How can a candidate find all the employers that need a person just like them? How can a recruiter zero in on the perfect candidate for an open role?
However, when candidates work with recruiters and recruiters give their full efforts, the maze becomes much easier to navigate. A good candidate-recruiter relationship leads to better outcomes for all involved: The recruiter makes a great placement, and the candidate lands a great job. Through honesty, communication, and understanding, everyone wins — including the client, who gets an awesome employee out of the deal.
A version of this article originally appeared on the IQTalent Partners Blog.
Chris Murdock is cofounder and senior partner of IQTalent Partners.