Recruiters work hard to find the right candidates and match them to job opportunities. But not all candidates may understand the best way to work with a recruiter once they’re contacted—especially those who are passive and not necessarily looking for a new job. As part job coach, you can provide information to help guide an unsure candidate through the process, and toward a successful future.
Five ways to work with a recruiter
Help your candidates help you! Share the following tips to build strong and beneficial working relationships:
- Keep your documents up to date. This is a good career rule—when working with a recruiter and just in general. Be sure your resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn page are up to date. Make updates regularly, rather than leaving your files untouched until it’s time to dust them off and look for a new job. Regular updates help prevent last-minute panic when your dream job pops up, and you need current documents ASAP. This is always stressful, and you may leave out important points. Instead, take your time and make additions or changes every six months or so.
- Be honest. Honesty is the best policy! It helps your recruiter understand your background and determine how to represent you to potential employers. So if there’s anything you feel you might need to hide—don’t. Be upfront about gaps in employment, layoffs or firings, a criminal background, etc. It’s also helpful to be honest about working with more than one recruiter, and where you’ve previously applied or interviewed. This will help to make the most of everyone’s time and effort.
- Know what you want. The more you can share about your job goals, the easier it will be for a recruiter to help you find jobs you’ll be interested in. This will make your job search much faster than a string of mismatched job opportunities.
- Ask for feedback. Your recruiter may not know what you need help with, so never be afraid to ask. Do you need to spruce up your resume, brush up on your interview skills, or understand a little more about your competition? Your recruiter is a wealth of valuable industry information and can help you do your very best.
- Stay in touch. When your recruiter calls or emails you, always get back in touch with them (even if you aren’t currently looking for a new job). And if they’ve helped you find a job, contact them with information about how it’s going. This gives them insight into future job opportunities for you.
Make the most of your candidate relationships
Your support to build stronger connections with your candidates is a win-win for both of you. It gives them valuable career skills and will help you maintain a longer go-to list of potential job matches.
Looking to improve your candidate pool?
The more candidates you have access to, the better you’ll be at making solid matches for your clients. And Insurancerecruiters.com can help. We’re a network of recruiters with inside links to top job candidates in the insurance industry. To learn more, reach out today!
