What Recruiters Wish You’d Stop Doing

Recruiters can seem to occasionally be a little hard hitting with their approach to recruitment sometimes, but that’s really because they work smart and are focused on getting their job done.

They have to sift through multiple resumes every day to find the perfect match for their clients while screening you not just for the job but also to ensure that you can represent them and their services well.   They also need to juggle all of the numerous appointments and interviews with their clients and candidates and rely on you to do your part in the process well.

It’s not an easy job; it’s also one where a lot of time, effort and reputability can be wasted through no fault of their own.

We know that you won’t be working for the recruiter, but it is the recruiter who will open doors, negotiate and liaise on your behalf to ensure that you can make your next professional move a hit. However, there are a few things recruiters hate, which can cause them to lose interest in working with you or even blacklisting you from their services.

This isn’t a great start.

So we decided to give you the lowdown on what recruiters want you to know so that they can help you find the perfect job without getting in your own way (and theirs!).

1. Giving Them The Run-around

Giving recruiters the runaround has to be at the top of the list of what recruiters hate. If they have contacted you about a position and left you a message, call them back, or if you have said you’ll call them in a few hours – call them.

Don’t make them wait.

If you are serious about your job hunt and with working with the recruiter, then you’ll call them back swiftly. Recruiters want you to know that not doing so can make you look tardy (not a desirable characteristic) and you could potentially be loosing out on this and/or future positions.

2. Missing Interviews or Cancelling Them At The Last Minute

It doesn’t matter what you are doing if you have scheduled an appointment with somebody and then you don’t turn up – that’s disrespectful and unfair. Everyone’s time is precious, and if you have done this you have just wasted somebody else’s time who was prepared to spend some of it investing in you!

It’s not only the recruiters time you waste – but it’s also the representatives from the company who are offering a position and the recruiters reputation (it’s hardly surprising that this is one of the things that recruiters hate).

If you are not interested in the position, say so, and be honest about it. If you have found another position call the recruiter and tell them the situation as soon as you know. The same applies for last minute cancellations – of course, rules bend in an emergency, but that should be the only reason you cancel at short notice.

3. Sloppiness

In this category, there are many instances of things that recruiters hate, and things that recruiters want you to know because it makes their life easier if you are aware. A lack of preparation, incomplete or incorrect information, failing to provide the necessary paperwork, unprofessional portfolios, unsupported claims, tardiness, untidiness, errors on your resume, lack of professionalism are all classic pet peeves a recruiter has to deal with daily.

It’s a big no-no.

How can your recruiter represent you if you can’t even represent yourself? It’s time to step up and be accountable, and you can do so by being organised, getting your paperwork in order, being where you should be at the right time and being fully prepared. Just like you’d expect to be if you were employed by the company that they represent.

If the recruiters can’t see this in you how are they going to feel confident in presenting you to their client aka your potential employer?

4. Dishonesty

What recruiters won’t tell you is that if you are dishonest about whether you’ve already applied for a position they are discussing with you, or even about what you want, it just wastes their time. And one of the biggest things that recruiters hate is having their time wasted! 

Just be honest with them. Say no when you want to say no, stand firm if they start to try to push you, say yes when you mean yes and stand by your word.

Don’t lie about whether you’ve already made contact with a company. They’ll find out anyway. Honesty is always the best policy; it just makes things run smoothly for all parties involved – including you!

Recruiters want you to know that they are always trying to represent you well. If they think you can hold your own in a position they want to find you that position – that’s how they get paid. But they also have to take care of their clients too and to do so they want you to work with them not against them. Remember, you’re a team, all after the same end goal …. landing a position that fits you well and that you’ll thrive in.