So, How Do Recruiters Find You Anyhow?
I can’t speak for all recruiters but I can say with a reasonable amount of surety that most of us go about finding candidates in a similar fashion. Clients hire us because we are connected and have databases chock full of candidates that we tap into when conducting a search.
A database is just a database, though. Good recruiters not only have a lot of names, they know how to conduct great research and they meet a ton of people – in person. Beware of the recruiter who doesn’t want to meet you or who sends your resume out for jobs without asking your permission. This type of recruiter will treat you like a number, not a person. These are the guys who give recruiters a bad name.
Here’s what I do when I get a job. I review the specs and search through my database for the right match. I then email those potential candidates, following up with phone calls if I do not hear back. Many recruiters will call candidates they know to ask for recommendations. I confess that I HATE doing this. Why? Because I respect my candidates’ time and I know for a fact that they are asked this question over and over again by other recruiters. It becomes annoying and candidates start to resent the question. I try to save this for my candidates that I have very strong relationships with.
When my database and networking fall short, I turn to social networking. For years, LinkedIn was my mainstay. But then Facebook, which was once only for college kids, exploded onto the business scene. It quickly became an important part of my recruiting arsenal.
Let’s imagine that the job I’m looking to fill is a sales job for a gaming site. When it comes to social media, my first stop is LinkedIn where I conduct a search for gaming people. I’ll type UGO, EA, etc. to see whom I find in sales. THEN, often times, when I get names of people from LinkedIn, I’ll go to Facebook to find these candidates and send them an email introducing myself and the job. I can’t tell you how often I get notes back saying “wow, I better check my FB more often – I had no idea recruiters would reach out to me this way.”
Another way I use LinkedIn is to view my connections’ connections. If I’m linked in to the VP of Sales for a gaming company, you can bet that he or she is going to be connected to account executives at his company. So, I will peruse his connections. I’ll also look at the section that says “Viewers of this profile also viewed..” Once I have additional names through this network, I reach out to the names I gathered directly by phoning the main line at the company they work for, sending them an email to their work address (which I can pretty much figure out) or, by sending them a Facebook note.
Similarly, if I’m “friends” with the VP at UGO on Facebook, I’ll take a look at his FB friends and inevitably will find potential candidates to call or email.
What does this mean for you? A few things. 1st, make sure your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date and chock-full of information that will encourage a recruiter or hiring manager to call you. Don’t simply list where you have worked. Outline your most stellar accomplishments. 2nd, link to and “friend” as many people as possible so that your name is circulating through each network. 3rd, make sure your Facebook profile lists your company name directly under your personal name so recruiters know where you work. It’s way more important than the college you went to. 4th, if you do make a career move, make sure to update all of your social networking profiles.
Carpe diem…