Did You Know Your Recruiter Falls In Love With You?

Posted On 13 May 2016

Did You Know Your Recruiter Falls In Love With You?

13 May 2016
Did You Know Your Recruiter Falls In Love With You?

Candidate Resource, Employer Resource, News & Events, On The Job

Did You Know Your Recruiter Falls In Love With You?

When I talk about a recruiter falling in love with a candidate, it’s not a creepy, stalker type of love; it’s a pure, supportive, flag flying, advocator type of love. Not all recruiters have the capacity to love their candidates, but those that do – the good recruiters – are interested in more than simply placing you in a role. When we fall in love you, we’ll identify your talents, see your potential and champion your cause.

We are that one teacher at school that encouraged you, the sports coach that got you off the bench or the mentor who saw your potential and identified something special in you. It becomes more than wanting to do a good job for those that have entrusted their recruitment to us; once we fall in love we will go well out of our way to help you achieve the career milestones you are aiming for.

And it is for that reason you should want your recruiter to fall in love with you. I say ‘your recruiter’, because to have the relationship I speak of, there needs to be commitment from your end. A good recruiter that believes in you and connects with you will go that extra mile for you, looking beyond a resume, becoming your personal cheerleader and advocating your worth till the end.

When I interview I always go beyond a resume, I look at what you do outside of work, explore competencies and I search for those unique traits that others might deem unimportant. When recruiting for an EA at C-Suite level some years ago, the candidate was offered the job because of their experience 15 years’ prior working for a fast food restaurant during their school years. They had worked there for 7 years, illustrating responsibility, work ethic, resilience and most importantly for this particular CEO, loyalty.

Yes, this person had the relevant EA experience, but there were other contenders much stronger on paper. The truth is, I fell in love with this particular candidate, making it so easy to be their advocate and cheerleader. In fact, it was a pleasure to do so.

Just to be clear though, while our capacity for love is enormous, we cannot fall in love with each and every one of you; for our love to be authentic, that’s just not possible! Recruiters meet with hundreds of candidates each and every week so if you do sense that special spark, be very flattered. Do encourage us, flirt a little, call us back, answer our calls, indulge us when we get excited and engage with us. Like all good relationships, our commitment will only grow stronger.

If you are wondering how you can get your recruiter to fall in love with you keep in mind that not every recruiter is capable of this love, so choose wisely. Do meet with a couple of recruiters to see who you connect with, and be yourself! By that, I mean your authentic, genuine, honest, open and professional self. If you do find a recruiter you connect with and think they could be the one, then reciprocate the love and become their advocate too.

If a recruiter has yet to fall in love with you, we sincerely hope you have the pleasure of experiencing this thrill in the not too distant future. And when you do find that someone special – commit!