Mar 29, 2019

Active Listening Equals Quality Recruiting

You have options when it comes to recruiters. ETS Vision is just one of several professional recruitment companies to choose from. The question is, how do you decide who is the right recruiter for you?  

The answer comes down to listening. It’s vital that a recruiter be actively listening to you and responding accordingly in your job search.

A good recruiter needs to be intimately familiar with your professional goals, beyond simply those of location and salary. For example, our recruiters want to understand what you truly want to accomplish in your next position and ultimately how you hope your career will develop into the future. Your answers will inform their search and provide insight into the practices that best align with your professional goals.

Below are a couple of thoughts to keep in mind to help you choose a quality recruiter.

Where does it all begin?

  • Recruiting relationships should start with an open, honest conversation. ETS recruiters want to speak with you directly, on the phone, so that we can understand and appreciate your personal and professional goals.
  • Make sure the recruiter on the other end of the conversation is asking a lot of questions. He or she should be extremely curious about practice modality, region of interest, potential partnership concentration, compensation range, future goals, and more.

Watch out for red flags from low-quality recruiters.

Learn to spot and avoid low-quality recruiters.  Avoid:

  • Recruiters who will not discuss opportunities with you directly;
  • Recruiters who do not offer to provide details from practices that are not clients;
  • Recruiters who do not provide a precise search location;
  • Recruiters who shy away from discussing a market in which they have no current clients (even in this case, a quality recruiter will provide expected compensation numbers and try to answer any other questions you may have); and, most importantly,
  • Recruiters who do not interview you directly. Believe it or not, there are many recruiters out there who substitute an email exchange for an interview, and just forward your resume to any and all practices, simply hoping to be first to apply.

What sets a quality recruiter apart?

  • Quality recruiters will always interview you directly over the phone, no matter what. They will devote the interview time necessary to really get to know you and your professional goals before continuing the process.  
  • Quality recruiters are there to be a resource, even if you are not in discussions with one of their client practices. Recruiters should always be there for you, regardless if you have gone “outside of network” or not.
  • Quality recruiters won’t forward you to regions where you have blatantly said you have no interest in living or working. Further, a recruiter should not be sending you opportunities that are not of interest.
  • Always expect honesty and integrity from your recruiter.

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