Five inside secrets of a recruiter

It’s not uncommon for candidates to misunderstand the role of a recruiter. Sometimes our clients engage us because they don’t have the time to recruit, but more often than not it’s because we’re the experts who know how to find the best person for the job. Our clients pay us a fee to present a strong shortlist of candidates to them. That means that when we meet you we’re looking for the signs of a candidate our clients will like. When we interview you, we will create a mental list of all the companies who might want to meet with you.

That said, know that we always act on your behalf too: nothing makes us happier than being able to place our candidates in rewarding roles. If we’re impressed by you, we’ll do absolutely everything within our power to find you the job of your dreams. These are the secrets we wish all our candidates knew:

1. We’ve already completed our background research

Be wary of your online and offline imprints. We often complete Google searches of our candidates ahead of meeting them and certainly ahead of introducing them to our clients. If we can easily retrieve photos of you emptying buckets at full moon parties in Thailand, we’ll probably hesitate to put you forward. Make sure you delete your online photos and anything else that could incriminate you!

Similarly, it’s entirely possible that people within our network have worked with you in the past, so always act with integrity. You never know what may come back to haunt you!

2. We don’t want to hear that you’re a perfectionist

Try and give us something genuine to hold on to rather than a rehearsed response you’ve been using in all your other interviews.

3. It’s about the whole package

Yes, your skills are important. Yes, you should be qualified for the job. But we also want to like you. Try not to let nerves get the better of you so much that you’re unable to show off your personality in interview. Show confidence, smile and tell personal anecdotes to win us over.

4. Demonstrate enthusiasm

Showing enthusiasm for your career aspirations and for the job vacancy at hand will put you in very good stead. We want to work with passionate candidates who really care!

5. We rarely place candidates in roles for which they applied

Don’t get us wrong, this doesn’t happen because we wish to mislead you. Nor is it because we advertise imaginary roles. The main reason is because, quite simply, we often notice qualities about you that mean you’ll be a better fit for something else. Our shortlists are usually created from a mix of pre-registered Candidates – both actively and passively seeking – and those who may have applied for a different role.

Don’t wait for us to advertise a job before reaching out to us! Register so that we can get in touch with you when the perfect opportunity becomes available.

Author David Morel Tiger Recruitment Team