You Know You’re a Recruiter When…

Reading articles and blogs centered on your profession is just good business.  It’s a great way to understand the top people in your industry, sharpen some skills, learn new tools and sometimes, have a good laugh.  And let’s be honest: having a good laugh every now and then is what keeps a Recruiter sane.

Recruiters come up with all types of tricks and tips to work through the stress and disappointment of the job.  But sometimes this profession leaves an indelible print on you.  Most of the time we don’t even notice; this job just becomes second nature. How do you know you’re a natural recruiter ?

You know you’re a Recruiter when…

• Normal You vs Work You: I first noticed this phenomenon last Thanksgiving when I was calling an orchard for some fresh pies.  I was stressed over the holiday and way behind schedule.  When I started talking to Bill, (the pie man) I realized some things.  First, Bill used to be a Farmer himself, but the economy the past few years put him out of business.  Poor Bill was supporting two kids on a meager salary, but it was something he could depend on. Most importantly, I learned that I’m a Recruiter to the bone.  You see, at first Bill was harried and uncooperative on the phone. (yes, I could tell from about .2 seconds.) So I turned into work me.  There was commiserating, laughing, cajoling and self deprecation involved.  There was some talk about our families and the economy and life in general.  I got my pies.
• You Believe Excuses… with Evidence:A few years ago, when I was still bright eyed and fresh to the business, I had one of my consultants call me very upset.  Unfortunately, he had to go to India unexpectedly for a couple of weeks and would have to miss some work.  I commiserated with him…I mean the poor guy had an unexpected wedding pop up. (yes, I failed to catch that one). A few weeks later his old Manager called…he had bumped into my consultant at a restaurant down the street.  Turns out Mr. Consultant had just taken another job and didn’t want to ruffle any feathers.  If you’ve been recruiting for any period of time, you get used to hearing a large incidence of awful stories.  Family members become seriously ill about every other day. Cars break down. Alarm clocks break. As a Recruiter, we tend to believe what our candidates tell us, as long as there is some evidence.  Have you ever extended your sympathies to someone who had a family member get ill or pass away? And then hung up the phone assuming they were lying to you?
• You’re Friends with the Highly Employable:After several years in this business I have built up a number of friendships with clients and candidates alike.  When I took stock of the business relationships and friendships I’ve built up I noticed something interesting…most of them are either highly employable or make excellent client contacts.  I don’t really become friendly with run of the mill or mediocre candidates. And this friendship parity is completely subconscious.  Does that make me an awful person? I hope not.  But I know that it does make me a very good Recruiter.  If you’re a Recruiter from head to toe, you’re absolutely building a private contact database in your head, every single day.  It makes you good and it makes you successful.  I’ve even submitted candidates to Hiring Managers with the phrase, “He’s a really good friend of mine”.
• You Hear Your Cell Ring…When it’s Off:Have you ever heard your cell phone ringing and actually pulled it from your pocket to answer only the phone was off?  This phenomena is closely related to “Phone Junky” Syndrome; the person who checks their smart phone in rapid succession every 90 seconds.  Why do we do this?  I don’t have a good answer, but I think it has something to do with always expecting either good or bad news.  If we don’t keep looking we might miss a new job, a new candidate, a new client, a placement or some bad feedback.  I mean, the email will be there later, but we NEED to check it now.  And if you can somehow avoid checking your phone obsessively, you start HEARING the thing ringing.  Quick confession; I’ve even felt it vibrate before… Phantom vibrations? Yikes.

Being a Recruiter isn’t always sunshine and placements, but it isn’t always bad either.  Recruiting can be a lot of fun and if you can find the ability to laugh at the day to day (and yourself) you’ll find this profession a lot more rewarding and fun than the guy who hasn’t.