What is a Recruiter?

Not all recruiters are just recruiters. Human Resources generalists are recruiters. Hiring managers are recruiters. CEO's are recruiters. If you've ever suggested someone apply for a job you are a recruiter.

Usually when the word "recruiter" is used the perception falls into one of two camps - the corporate recruiter (HR) and the agency recruiter (headhunter.) These roles can be very similar, but the job seeker "customer experience" can be very different. 

Corporate recruiters are almost universally attached to the Human Resources department. Along with the legal department part of  HR's responsibility is to protect the interests of the company so they follow set procedures. The corporate recruiter role is more all-encompassing, so training and experience is more diverse. 

Unfortunately, talent acquisition tasks are often overshadowed by tasks related to existing employees such as benefits, training, compensation, retention, employment law, and employee issues. If you'd like to read about challenges faced by someone who is not 100% dedicated to recruiting impacting experience with the process I posted "Should Human Resources be Recruiting?"

Even though they may not be dedicated to the recruiting process, they are on the "inside" which can be an advantage. If you're hitting a wall with a corporate recruiter understand their situation and continue to persist, just don't become a pest.

Agency recruiters are usually "compartmentalized" to a specific discipline - technology, medical, light industrial, finance & accounting, or clerical / administration are the major agency categories. Agencies are sales organizations so recruiter training and experience is much different and focused purely on talent acquisition.

Because they usually have a more sales-oriented mindset they can be a great resource tailoring your resume & cover and preparing you for an interview. They are not recruiting for one company which will give you more market coverage. If a job doesn't work out they can help you find another. Just because they're not on the "inside" doesn't mean an agency recruiter isn't your best angle to a corporate job. Sometimes internal hiring processes are "broken" at a company so the agency recruiter will be in a better position to get the decision maker's ear.

Remember that an agency recruiter is looking to fill jobs, and they may feel you are not their best candidate to accomplish that task. A good recruiter will be honest with you about their client relationship and the competition you face within the agency. If they have a candidate they feel is better suited for the job don't be offended - chances are pretty good at some point that will be you.

About Us

RiverPoint is the only IT Staffing Agency in Kansas City that offers a full time consulting employment model that includes a competitive compensation and benefits plan including paid bench time between client engagements.

Our client list includes industry leaders in the digital marketing space, insurance, retail, financial, and many other business verticals.  Several of our clients have been recognized as "Best Place to Work" by a number of different organizations because they view employee engagement and satisfaction as much more than bullet points on a mission statement. 

The technology market is hot right now, so if you'd like to consider options for 2016 give us a call.

Recruiters.....

2016 marks my sixteenth year in recruiting which means I’ve spent approximately 40,000 hours of my life helping thousands of people explore new career opportunities, and have placed hundreds of them in new careers. Malcolm Gladwell writes about the “10,000 Hour Rule” in his book Outliers. The rule states that if you spend 10,000 hours doing something correctly you’re going to build what Gladwell calls “world class expertise” in that field.

While I don’t claim to have “world class expertise,” I think my years in recruiting have taught me a thing or two about the business.

One of the things that I’ve learned is not all recruiters are equal. Some are exceptional professionals who know how to cultivate relationships and leverage connections to the benefit of all. Others care more about hitting metrics than they do about the candidate. Believe it or not, some of them will lie to your face to get what they’re after.

Good recruiters are a valuable asset in a job search & can be worth their weight in gold. Bad recruiters can put you into a bad situation. Be discerning.

Another thing I’ve learned is not all candidates are equal. Many are exceptional professionals who make my job fun and make me look great to my clients. A few don’t appreciate the value a good recruiter brings to the table and can be demanding, unreasonable, and downright nasty. Believe it or not, some of them will lie to my face to get what they’re after.

I’ve interviewed thousands of job seekers – you can bet I’m discerning.

You want relationships with a recruiters in your field. You don’t need to be BFF’s with everyone, but you do need a few who you can consider “trusted advisers.” Someone you can turn to when your company merges with another and your position is eliminated. Someone that can help you get out of a jam when they make the jerk two cubes down your boss.

I would not be shocked if you’ve had a bad experience with a recruiter. If you’ve had enough exposure to recruiters I’d be shocked if you haven’t had a bad experience. Don’t let that bad apple spoil the bunch. There’s lots of great recruiters out there – make sure you have a few to lean on in bad times.