Recruiter Screening Guidelines Dean Tracy 03/05/08

As you embark on a search for your next career opportunity, it’s important to develop a strategic plan and employ a methodical approach. This includes renewing and expanding your professional network to include the appropriate recruiters.

It’s essential to identify recruiters that are experts in your industry. Of course, they must also be willing to take the time to understand your background and take an active interest in your abilities. Remember, recruiters work for their client companies and not for you. Target a few appropriate recruiters, approach them professionally, and respect their time. The appropriate job requisition may not be on their desk today but may be tomorrow.

Recruiters may contact you to discuss your career path and assess whether you fit any of their openings. Remember, it’s important that you assess the recruiter just as diligently as the recruiter qualifies you.

The following five tips should prove helpful in screening and qualifying their capabilities:

1. Market Focus / Industry Knowledge
Be sure the recruiter has a strong presence in your specific market segment or discipline. If your target industry is contract manufacturing, you don’t want to engage with a recruiter whose primary focus is retail. Understanding the jargon, acronyms and buzz–words for a specific industry will demonstrate the recruiter’s degree of experience in your field. As you assess each recruiter, check their market presence through online research and professional networks.

2. Client Awareness
The recruiter should know all there is to know about the client company. This includes market position, focus and recent changes in management or in the direction of the company. It is also helpful to understand how financially solid the client company is and whether they are private or public. The recruiter should adequately understand the objectives of the position as well as the reason it has become available or is being created.

3. Appropriate Representation
If the position you are seeking is at the ‘C’ or Executive level, you want to be confident that the recruiter is experienced with placement opportunities at this tier. Don’t invest too much time in small talk with a recruiter who doesn’t focus on your type or level of position.

4. Accountability
Screen recruiters based on their relationship to the potential employer. Are they an in–house recruiter or have they been engaged on a retained or contingency search basis?

Remember the recruiter works for the client. It is in your best interest to ensure they adequately understand your value proposition and are able to convey it to the client company. Your performance in interviews with the client will have a direct impact on their credibility. Keep them informed and included in any direct contact you have with the client.

5. Intuition / Gut–check
Go with it – it’s usually correct! A “gut–check” is one of the most influential traits you have in your make–up. As you determine the compatibility of your working relationship with a recruiter and how well they can represent you in your next professional opportunity, follow your instinct.

If you take the initiative to embrace these recruiter screening guidelines, you will reap greater results in your search efforts. Not to mention how easy it will become for you to open new doors of opportunity toward landing the job of your dreams!