The "Four Leaf Clovers" of Recruiters

When I tell people I am a recruiter, I can pretty much predict their reaction…they’ll either politely nod and immediately have something to do (“oh darn, I think I forgot to turn off my curling iron, gotta run!”) or they’ll change the subject immediately as if they didn’t hear the words come out of my mouth. On occasion I’ll get the person that just takes a moment before they respond – almost as if they need a bit of time to come up with a polite reply. As much as it perplexes me on the granular level, I get it - most people know someone who has a horror story of an experience trying to find a job through a recruiter. I frequently hear “Last time I used a recruiter, they didn’t listen” or “They didn’t understand my background and what jobs made sense for me.” My least favorite things to hear about my counterparts are “The last recruiter I worked with didn’t care about what I wanted” or “My recruiter lied to me.” It seems that a lot of people think that recruiters waste their time, force their own agenda, and/or are rude. That stinks for my profession’s reputation, but honestly, it’s great for me because I work for a firm that, I’d argue, has never heard one of these complaints. I have the great fortune to work for a firm of genuine recruiters, and unfortunately, most people have not had the pleasure of dealing with a ‘genuine recruiter’.

What the heck is a genuine recruiter?

No recruiter I’ve met has ever said that headhunting had been their dream job…ever. It’s just not an occupation that educators or parents think to suggest to their students or kids. Doctor? Yes. Lawyer? Of course. Teacher? Definitely. Accountant? Why not?! I even had an uncle that took my love of rocks and minerals and encouraged me - for what felt like 3.5 hours – to become a geologist. But a recruiter? Nah. It’s just not something a career assessment will spit out as your ideal occupation or a job that many people in your circle will suggest. What’s also tricky, is that there is no certification or degree that someone can obtain to confirm that they’re a reliable, trustworthy, or qualified recruiter. For this reason, it’s hard to determine who is a genuine recruiter. 

So, let me help you figure out what a genuine recruiter is…

It is someone who prides themselves on working through the job search process, from start to finish, with integrity and the best intent for every party involved. They’re doing what is right for the client, for the leading candidate, for the candidate who doesn’t make it past the first-round interview, and for all the candidates in between. It’s the recruiter who truly cares about bringing people and companies together to capitalize off of an individual’s career progression and a firm’s opportunity. 

A genuine recruiter is like a four-leaf clover.

I’d argue that a genuine recruiter is even harder to find than the “dream” candidates that so many of our clients describe. An honest and trustworthy recruiter is rare and may seem like they don't exist. But they do, and when you meet one, you'll recognize them instantly and feel as lucky as if you just found a four-leaf clover! Promise. Why? Because when you find a genuine recruiter, you will feel like you have a true partner in your job search – you’ll trust their judgement and advice and know that they have your best interest at heart. They will talk to you about interesting and relevant opportunities that fit your needs and desires, with fair and competitive pay, and a chance to obtain professional growth. They aid a company’s growth with their most important asset: talented and inspired employees! A genuine recruiter knows what firms and what candidates to align themselves with – they won’t just work with anyone or any firm. They know that their reputation is everything. Additionally, they know how to spot the best talent in any market and they know that only capable people can help transition companies into success stories. Excellent recruiters know how to target recruit, engage passive or inactive job seekers, and identify opportunities that even the “sought-after talent” doesn’t know will change the course of their career for the better! Once you’ve met a genuine recruiter, you’ll know. And you’ll never settle for a lame “three-leaf clover” recruiter again. 

Genuine recruiters are innate connectors.

I’ve found that most recruiters ended up in the business because they were inspired to help people or loved the idea of sales.  They are the ones who pride themselves on setting up couples, who love the idea of people’s inner circles converging, and love when their friends become your friends. They are the people who bring people together just because they enjoy doing so: they are born match makers. Most likely they 'fell' into the career path of recruiting because it was their calling. It is their destiny to connect people, to care about people, and to guide them on their way. 

Recruiting is a complicated job despite what many people think. I’m pretty sure my dad thinks that I just post Help Wanted signs around New York City and sit back and wait for calls from applicants - he’s old school. I’m pretty sure there are recruiters that do the modernized version of that on LinkedIn and Monster. A genuine recruiter is doing so much more than that though - they combine sales with compassion, procurement with purpose, human resources with law, communication with empathy, sourcing skills with resilience, and intuition with enthusiasm. On top of it all, a genuine recruiter does all of that with sincerity and positivity in their heart.  

How to detect a “Genuine Recruiter” as a candidate:

·      They are responsive: good news or bad, they will get back to you.

·      They will take the time to meet you and gain a true understanding of your work history, accomplishments, and future goals. They will always ask “What is important to you?”

·      They will focus their meeting with you around what you want to do versus around a particular job and how many boxes you check for it.

·      They will help you to optimize and tailor your resume for openings you’re applying to.

·      They will assist you with how best to apply to jobs outside of their agency just because they care!  

·      They will never send your resume out without your explicit consent. 

·      They will share interesting opportunities with you, that are not actively marketed in public forums, and will ask for your feedback on the roles they present to you. 

·      They have meaningful relationships with the clients they are recruiting for and will give you invaluable information on the firm, far beyond what’s available on the internet.

·      They will be keen to match your personality with a company’s culture.

·      They have a genuine interest in your career. 

·      They’ll challenge you to think about things that you might not and how those things may influence your job search. 

·      They’ll offer guidance on what a new opportunity will mean to you long term – they will offer insight on how this role will set you up for the future and help you to determine if it gets you closer to your end goal. 

·      They won’t just force feed you the “good” about every job you interview for – they’ll talk about the downsides and potential risks if they exist. 

·      They will educate you throughout the interviewing and job-hunting process to keep you ahead of your competition and “in the know” about what is going on in the market as it relates to openings, compensation and hiring trends. 

·      You will want to refer all your friends to them because you have enjoyed dealing with this genuine person and felt you had a true ally during your job search and you will want your friends to have the same supportive and educational experience.

How to detect a “Genuine Recruiter” as a hiring manager:

·      They know your industry and ask questions that are pertinent to your company and industry sector.

·      They are knowledgeable within their areas of expertise; they can offer guidance as to how tight or how loose the market is for particular level individuals within specific areas. 

·      They are diligent and follow through with all requests.

·      They will not begin conversations about a new job that you are looking to fill with “How much are you willing to pay?”

·      They are honest about their shortcomings or areas they do not cover within your industry.

·      They will tell you if they don’t have a strong active pipeline of candidates at the time the job is initially discussed.   

·      They will ask for a sense of company culture because they’re not just looking to check every qualification box, but are committed to finding you a right long-term hire though personality assessment.

·      They will offer insight into the recruiting pipeline as the process begins and continues. 

·      They will not share resumes of candidates without their explicit permission.  

·      They will know what other activity your top candidates have in their job search to make sure you’re constantly apprised of competition.

·      They will consistently educate you throughout the recruitment process on where difficulties may be in recruiting a specific profile or difficulty in attracting candidates.

·      They will inspire you to think about profiles that may be slightly off mark when their intuition strikes and they know there is a chemistry that will exist. 

·      They will be realistic with you about the hiring timeline and manage your expectations as it relates to candidate flow.

·      They will insure that all of the things that happen behind the scenes after a candidate accepts an offer, is handled properly – from references to resignation to counteroffer considerations to family/friend/spouse approval – they will be on top of all relevant information to help make sure that once you receive an acceptance, you have a new hire.  

Despite some people dodging me at dinner parties, I am sincerely proud and excited to do what I do at Cardea Group every day. Sure, this includes having people not trust me based off of my occupation, getting hung up on, and dealing with precarious employment situations – but the end results are what make my world so fascinating: changing someone’s life with a future at a company and an opportunity to work in a role that was truly meant for them. 

So the next time you’re job seeking or hiring for your team and are searching for a recruiter - try to figure out if who you are working with is a genuine recruiter. If not, you might want to move on and continue your search for the recruiter that can be your lucky four-leaf clover!