Article: A-Z of Communicating with Recruiters

Recruitment

A-Z of Communicating with Recruiters

Whether recruiters knock your door or you contact them, dont forget your etiquette.
A-Z of Communicating with Recruiters

Right from the word go you should be one such candidate that recruiters wouldn’t want to let go off. Be polite and confident. Stop being clingy. Use industry jargons sparingly. This and much more in this guide to communicating with recruiters. 

Here you go!

Know what you want

Don’t waste your and recruiter’s time by beating around the bush. Talk about your professional goals. Find answers to these questions: Do you want to change your profile and start from scratch? What’s the expected salary band and whether it is negotiable? In short, it comes down to being specific and providing as much information as you can to the headhunter. This way they can position you to a company that best suits your qualifications and expectations. 

Don’t disconnect cold calls

“My past three jobs have all been a result of HR leads and talent acquisition specialists cold-calling me. In a way - as it turned out for me -  I feel sometimes these cold calls do good to job aspirants. However, the latter fail to acknowledge that cold calling is a lot of hard work. Not every call converts! It is disheartening and unpleasant when candidates disconnect without even listening to what we have to say,” says Neha Hans, Assistant Manager Recruitments, Web Team (Landmark). 

Don’t lie 

Recruiters know the tricks of their trade. They can sniff out any lie – about your qualifications and experience - you tell them. With LinkedIn’s growing popularity it is easier to find out the truth you might be withholding. You are one fish in the bowl they often go fishing in so why lie! Think hard when giving references too because that’s one thing recruiters don’t compromise on. They go backtracking and find out all they can to make sure they’re sending the right candidate to their client. 

Please decline opportunities that don’t interest you

No matter how much a recruiter pressurizes you to appear for an interview, don’t give in. Don’t put yourself in a difficult spot because you under no obligation to do so. Stay true to your career goals and politely decline. It’s totally up to you to give an explanation or not, but it’s true that having an honest discussion certainly pays off. 

Akashay Sharma, Manager Human Resources at Web Team (Landmark Group) says, “I’ve heard my recruiter friends narrate a few embarrassing experiences. Sometimes a job seeker agrees to interview for a position which is discussed at length yet they chicken out last minute and don’t even have the courtesy to inform why. Wouldn’t it have been good if they would have refused to go for it in the first place and made way for someone who perhaps needed this more than they did?”

Go easy on follow-ups

‘Hey, you never responded to my email I sent an hour ago’ or ‘Can you contact me as soon as when you hear from your client’ or ‘I can’t understand why there is a delay in communicating your decision’ – each of these statements reveal your anxiety, desperation and restlessness.

Re-read your email when connecting with the recruiter and gather your thoughts if you’re planning to call them. Go back to the last communication you had with them and follow the protocol. If they said they will get back in a week and don’t then reply to that same email saying you were just following up on your application. Don’t go about blaming them for delays etc. 

Remember your ‘thank yous’

Smarita Mohanty, who has worked with Sapient, Adobe and Flipkart as a Talent Partner says, “It is a recruiter’s job to put forth your application and that’s that. Now, whether you get the job or not pretty much depends on how much you were able to convince the interviewers that they should hire you. Regardless of the interview results don’t forget your courtesies. If you don’t bag the job, tell them you can be contacted if they come across similar opportunities. The point is not to close the door behind you with petty, ungrateful behaviour.”

Neha adds, “I haven’t quite been at the receiving end of a despondent applicant, but if even if they do I won’t take it personally. If the profile is good I would still consider them for other opportunities or pass them on to my industry contact.” 

Is there someone you can recommend? 

A lot of recruiters who either get in touch with you over an email, phone call or LinkedIn have targets to meet. Well, it’s not really your weight to carry but if you aren’t a perfect fit or are not looking to change jobs perhaps help them with a reference or two? This is nothing but a favour you are doing someone. Once you’ve done that do make sure you let the person whose contact details you have passed on know they will be contacted by a recruiter. Whether or not it works out is a different thing. You’ve done what you could in good faith. THAT counts. 

It’s always better to mind your etiquette. Recruiters can actually open a world of opportunities if you are warm instead of being hostile to them. Ask them the right questions and get the answers you are looking for. Who knows they might even give you job market insights and how to go about job-hunting. 

In the end, it is a win-win. 

Read full story

Topics: Recruitment, Life @ Work

Did you find this story helpful?

Author

QUICK POLL

How do you envision AI transforming your work?