The document outlines 10 tips for job seekers to have a healthier relationship with recruiters. It advises that recruiters represent the employer, not the job seeker, and their priority is to find the best candidates for their clients. It also suggests job seekers treat every interaction with a recruiter as an interview and to be aware recruiters use screening techniques like assessing social media profiles to evaluate candidates. Recruiters want to find the right fit and say "yes" as often as possible.

1. 10 Tips
for a Healthier Rapport
with Recruiters
Presented to Tri-City Unemployment Group
Monday, October 13, 2014
Elyse Williamson, Staffing Consultant
Frank’s Employment
Photographs copyright 2014. All rights reserved.

2. 1: A recruiter works for the employer. A
recruiter works with you as a candidate.
• A recruiter’s priorities,
choices, and efforts are
organized within the
framework set by the
employer who is their client.
• Only one person has the job
of new employment for you
– and that person is you.
• Your healthy relationship
with a recruiter can be a
long-term one!

3. 2: Your ongoing contact with a recruiter is
a business relationship.
• Empathetic and interested in
your well-being, but not your
pastor.
• Amiable and engaging, but not
your friend.
• Collaborative, but not your
family.
• Refrain from saying that you
are desperate for work. Say
and show instead that you are
motivated, equipped, and
prepared.
• Most recruiters will not be
checking in just to see how
your search is going.

4. 3: We often handle 10-15 active searches
at one time, with a routine pool of 100-500
individuals for each search.
• Use your email, phone, text,
and in-person contacts
effectively and judiciously.
• Exercise patience in terms of
response time. Measure
your patience in days, not
minutes.
• Trust that a recruiter is
communicating and keeping
the process transparent as
much as they are able.

5. 4: Every contact with and from a recruiter
is an interview step.
• Each contact is documented.
• Each contact could be
assessed with respect to
possible hiring.
• Approach the recruiter the
same way you would
approach the employer –
he/she represents them!

6. 5: We triage and narrow the candidate
pool – and candidate contacts - based on
the employer’s priorities.
Work History
Education and Experience
Hard Skills
Soft Skills
Communication
Expectations
Preparation
Cultural Fit

7. 6: A recruiter advertising an opening on a
job board will generate a massive
response. Replies are often triaged.
• As much as 90% from
unqualified applicants.
• Average person spends less
than 50 seconds reviewing
ad before applying.
• Keyword algorithms for job
boards can be imprecise.
• No substitute for taking
extra seconds to read ad!
Electronic Recruiting Exchange: "Video Job Descriptions - a Not-to-
be Missed Application Accelerator," by John Sullivan. Posted
May 12, 2014

8. 7: A recruiter uses a job advertisement as
a first-step of prescreening applicants.
• Shorter content, especially
for increasingly mobile-driven
advertising
• Only key portions of
employer requirements,
priorities, and preferences
• Embedded instructions, such
as “call Elyse”

9. 8: We use social media resources and
contacts in developing our talent pool and
professional network.
• LinkedIn
– 96% search for candidates
– 92% prescreen candidates
– 91% post jobs
• Facebook
– 65% showcase brand
– 35% vet post-interview
– 31% vet pre-interview
• Twitter
– 43% post jobs
Statistics from “Social Recruiting Survey Results 2013,” published by Jobvite.

10. 9: We use social media resources to assess
and “vet” your qualifications and
suitability.
• 42% have reconsidered a
candidate on basis of social
profile content.
• Not a replacement for your
resume, but a complement
to it.
– Work samples
– Recommendations
– Discussion contributions

11. Recruiter perceptions – social media
POSITIVE NEUTRAL NEGATIVE
References to using illegal drugs 1% 7% 83%
Posts of a sexual nature 1% 16% 71%
Profanity in posts/tweets 4% 20% 65%
Spelling, grammar errors 3% 29% 61%
References to guns 1% 31% 51%
Pictures of consumption of alcohol 1% 39% 47%
Volunteering, donating to charities 65% 26% 1%
Political posts/tweets 2% 65% 18%
Overtly religious posts/tweets 2% 55% 28%
Statistics from “Social Recruiting Survey Results 2013,” published by Jobvite.

12. 10: Recruiters want to say “yes” as often
as possible. That’s how we succeed.
• If we say “no” at some point,
this is information for you,
not a judgment upon you.
• How you handle a rejection
is still a step in the
interviewing and
prescreening process!
• Most recruiters value an
open-ended relationship for
a potential “yes” in the
future.

13. Thank you for your invitation!
Frank’s Employment
• http://www.franksemployment.com
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/frank’s-employment
• https://www.facebook.com/FranksEmployment
Elyse Williamson, staffing consultant for professional positions
• Direct line: 630-457-4616
• Email: elysew@franksemployment.com
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/elysewilliamson/