An independent recruiter is someone who is hired by an employer to find a candidate for a specific job and who does not work in-house for an employer, but for themselves as an independent contractor that several companies hire to find their new hires. One of the most frequent complaints I hear or read about recruiters is that they do not return candidates’ telephone calls. If you are a candidate who has attempted to reach out or contact an independent recruitment firm, keep reading because my post today focuses on three reasons why independent recruiters don’t return candidates’ calls and three ways to try and get a response.
- The independent recruiter does not work for you.
When an employer has a difficult job to fill, the employer may choose to hire an independent recruiter to find the most qualified candidate. In return, the employer pays the recruiter a fee. In the United States, the fee typically ranges from 20% to 30% of the candidate’s first year of salary. Therefore, independent recruiters will focus on responding to employers who have hired them and only to candidates who are qualified for the jobs they are striving to fill.
2. The independent recruiter does not specialize in your niche.
Most independent recruiters specialize in placing candidates in a specific industry or job function involving a specific set of skills. You may not hear back from a recruiter to whom you sent your resume because the recruiter doesn’t work with people with your skill set or in your industry. A better approach to working with a recruiter might be to research the recruiters who specialize in placing candidates in your niche and then approach them.
3. Your resume is posted on job boards.
Again, remember my first point. Independent recruiters work for employers. In fact, many employers will advise recruiters they hire that they will not pay the recruiter for a candidate the recruiter submits to the employer who the employer can find on a job board. Why would a recruiter want to spend time presenting your resume to employers when they won’t get paid? The answer is they won’t. Determine your strategy in seeking a job. If working with a recruiter is a fit for your job search, then removing your resume from job boards will increase the likelihood of a recruiter wanting to work with you.
If any of the above are true, chances are that you are not going to be chosen for the position you are most interested in, but here are a few unique things to try to get a response.
- Snail Mail. If the recruiter owns their own agency and has a business address, get in front of them by mailing a hard copy of your resume and cover letter. Everyone opens their mail if it’s sent to their business location, so you can at least have confidence that your words were read and it might help you stand out.
- Pick up the phone and call the recruiter. Ask to speak with the recruiter directly for an update rather than relying on submitting your resume through a job posting or via email. In a conversation with the recruiter, they might better understand what makes you unique.
- When you follow up, don’t just inquire about the status of your application. You can also ask about the status of the requisition. Is it open, closed, on hold?
Or they are not nearly qualified for the position they are applying for. No degree, Need sponsorship, Can’t acquire a security clearance, can’t pass a background check, resume’ is full of gaps or misspelled words, mechanics or school teachers applying to be Ph. D. R&D Managers, etc. Or, they are making 450k and wanting $120k. Or, they won’t relocate.Or they want a management position with no experience, etc, etc. It isn’t ALWAYS the recruiter’s fault!