Secrets Revealed! Working with a Recruiter

Shedding some light for job seekers working with recruiters! 

Pinto Employment Search LLC - Logistics & Supply Chain Recruiters

Chris & Nancy Pinto, Owners
Website:  https://www.pintoemployment.com/

Chris Pinto:
Phone: 908-578-5814
Email:  chris.pinto@pintoemployment.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/chrispintoemployment

Nancy Pinto
Phone: 201-988-2293
Email:  nancy@pintoemployment.com  
http://www.linkedin.com/in/nancypinto

Thank you for listening! Please subscribe, share and rate!
Chris Pinto
https://www.chrispinto.com/
IG: @chrispeterpinto
FB: https://www.facebook.com/chris.pinto.940
Twitter: @chrispeterpinto
LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pinto-employment-search-llc/
Email: chrispintoactor@gmail.com

Music and Sound FX Credits: https://freepd.com/

Transcript

NANCY: Whether you asked for a job transition or not, searching for a new position can be scary, frustrating and disheartening.  Times and technologies change quickly, and there’s a lot to organize!  But the journey can just as easily be exciting, fruitful and rewarding.  I’m Nancy Pinto. 

CHRIS: And I’m Chris Pinto.  Together we own Pinto Employment Search, an executive recruiting firm specializing in the supply chain and logistics industry.  You can learn more about us at pintoemployment.com.  Our combined experience in transportation jobs and recruiting is over 50 years!  

NANCY: We’re here to help you navigate the world of resume writing, job applications, interviews, negotiating compensation, and everything in between - to help you land the job you want!  

CHRIS: We will also regularly drop a bonus episode where we announce current job openings we’re working on.  It’s set to music and state trivia, and we think it’s more fun to listen to job descriptions than read them, so give it a listen and share!  

NANCY:  Welcome to the Job Search SOS Podcast!  Today we’re going to expose ourselves!

CHRIS:  What Nancy means by that is, we’re gonna provide some insight as to what recruiters (formerly called headhunters) do and how to work with them during your job search.  Obviously there are going to be differences between recruiting companies.  Our advice is based on our own knowledge, experience, and practices.  

NANCY:  Right!  So let’s start with the basics.  What is a recruiter?  A recruiter is someone who works on behalf of an organization to fill job openings.  They can be independent individuals, like Chris and I, or they can be employed by a recruiting company.  Either way, they are not direct employees of the hiring company.  

CHRIS:  Why do companies use recruiters?  There are many reasons, such as:

NANCY:  The hiring manager doesn’t have the time needed to conduct a proper search and wade through hundreds of resumes.

CHRIS:  They determined that outsourcing their hiring functions is more cost-effective than maintaining an HR department. 

NANCY: They’re branching out into a new business area and don’t have the proper connections or even command of the lingo.  Therefore, they need a recruiter who specializes in that specific business area.  For example, a global paper supplier who is growing might want to set up an internal logistics division.  They know paper inside and out, but not much about the world of logistics.  So they hire a recruiter - like Pinto Employment Search! - who are experts in that particular industry and have lots of connections. 

CHRIS: They want someone who works for the competitor, but unwritten rules prevent them from actively soliciting anyone from the competition. 

NANCY:  They need their job opening to be confidential.  They don’t want it to be known internally or externally that they’re looking, and need to treat every aspect of the staffing process with discretion.  It’s a lot easier to do that if you work with an outside party. 

CHRIS:  When a recruiter is hired, they set up an agreement, or contract, with their client.  These contracts cover all the payment terms and legalese needed to do business. 

NANCY:  There are two main ways recruiters handle searches and how they get paid.  One is called a retained search, where the company pays the recruiter part of the fee up front and the rest after a candidate is placed (meaning hired). 

CHRIS:  The other way is called contingency.  This is where a recruiter gets paid only after one of their candidates is hired and starts working.  They do all the work up front - putting all their resources and expenses into a search - and only get paid if the candidate is hired.   

NANCY:  What this means is that a recruiter can spend time and money on advertising, networking, reviewing resumes, interviewing promising applicants, presenting the most qualified candidates, and coordinating multiple interviews - and it can still end in none of them being hired, and the recruiter not making a penny.

CHRIS:  Just like other freelance-type jobs, this setup has its advantages for the recruiter and  is great for the company. It’s also great for the job applicants, who get advice, hand-holding, and access to great opportunities for free.  For the new employee, your salary is your salary.  They don’t deduct anything in order to pay the recruiter fees. 

NANCY:  Remember that the next time you’re slamming a recruiter for not getting back to you after submitting a poorly written resume for a job you’re not even qualified for. 

CHRIS:   Once they decide to work together, a recruiter will learn everything they can about the job and company, and get to work writing the job description, posting and advertising it on the appropriate sites, and reviewing resumes that start pouring in.  The best matches get a phone call, and if all goes well, they introduce the applicant to their client, the hiring company.  The hiring company tells them if, when and how they’d like to interview the candidate, and the recruiter then coordinates back and forth to make it happen.  

NANCY:   Recruiters such as Pinto Employment Search provide customized search services.  We may have a database full of resumes, but we don’t just do a keyword search and send in all the ones that pop up.  Nor do we send resumes to hiring companies without the applicants’ knowledge.  Every application is reviewed and handled on a case-by-case basis, by a human.  

CHRIS: Some recruiting agencies offer temp or part-time jobs. Others, including us, only handle full-time, permanent placements.  Be sure to read the job description before applying, and contact the poster of the job with any questions.  

NANCY:  Please keep in mind that some recruiters need to keep the name of the hiring company confidential until the interview process with serious applicants.  Why?  A few reasons.

CHRIS:  Their clients only want to deal with recruiters because they know they’ll only get pre-screened, qualified candidates.  They don’t have time and don’t want to be contacted by job applicants directly. 

NANCY:  The hiring company is replacing someone who doesn’t know they’re being replaced!  Working with a recruiter is more discreet.  I once interviewed a gentleman for a management job and told him who the hiring company was, because it seemed like a good fit and I wanted my client to meet him.  I learned the next day that upon hanging up with me, this gentleman had proceeded to call everyone he knew at that company - as well as others in the industry - to get more intel about my client.  It was a smaller market where everyone knew everyone, and in no time at all the manager being replaced was learning about it through a gossipy grapevine.  My client called me, understandably extremely upset. He disqualified the applicant immediately, and it was an embarrassing event for all involved.

CHRIS:  Recruiters also have been burned by job seekers who start spreading the word about who’s hiring, and before they know it people are approaching their client directly, effectively cutting them out.  The problem is that once a company gets a resume directly, they’re most likely to consider it THEIR candidate, not the recruiter’s, even if the applicant found out about it - however indirectly - from the recruiter.  

NANCY:  So please don’t try to play the guessing game, throwing out company names or requesting the exact address in order to figure it out.  Coming across as unprofessional, demanding or as a know-it-all will not increase your chances of moving forward in the process.  Sharing your thoughts and concerns is okay; arrogance is not.    

CHRIS:  So even though we understand you’re itching to know the company name for one reason or another, we’d like for YOU  to understand some of the reasons we can’t just go around disclosing it until the appropriate time.  Trust us.  We’re not going to send you in blind, without your knowledge, and we’re not going to contact you if you work, or have ever worked, for our client.

NANCY:  That out of the way…
When applying to a job through a recruiter, follow the instructions provided.  If they give you a link or a website to apply through, use that.  Don’t email them your resume.  Recruiters get lots of emails, and you don’t wanna get lost in the electronic pile.  Plus it creates more administrative work, and it shows a lack of attention to procedures.  

CHRIS:  Treat the recruiter with the same respect that you would your potential hiring manager.  Be professional and enthusiastic.  Respond to emails and phone calls in a timely manner.  Answer questions politely and diplomatically.  Just because you’re talking to the recruiter doesn’t mean you can get away with being unprofessional, as the hiring company will be paying the recruiter for their honest assessment and recommendation. 

NANCY:  Fortunately, 99% of interactions are positive and upbeat.  Plus it goes both ways, of course.  A good recruiter will show respect, attention and understanding.  They want you to be “the one” and help you transition to an exciting, new, long-term work home.  It’s very rewarding!

CHRIS:  But they want it done right.  They want you to love where you land and be there for a long time.  They don’t want you unhappy and searching for a new job right away; that wouldn’t be good for anyone involved.  They’d rather not make this placement, if it’s not right, than force something and then have to deal with consequences later.

NANCY:  Be honest with a recruiter.  Make sure the resumes you submit are updated with employment dates.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve asked A CANDIDATE how things are going at their current company (as their resume says, “til present” only to learn they left 5 months ago.  

CHRIS:  When the recruiter finally tells you who the hiring company is, tell them immediately if you’re already talking to them, if you applied for the job some other way, or if you’ve spoken with another recruiting agency about the same company.   Too often a candidate will swear up and down that they never heard of my client company, so I present them, and the client turns around and says “I’ve already interviewed this person”  Recruiters can’t vouch for you in that case.  

NANCY:  If you’re actively interviewing, and especially if you’re close to getting an offer from another company, be up front about that too.  You have every right to pursue as many options as you want, but it is not cool to have a recruiter schedule an interview with their client, and on the day of you email that you want to cancel (or worse, ghost!) because you accepted another offer.

CHRIS:  Keep the recruiter posted with any questions or concerns you may have along the way.  Don’t cut them out of salary discussions, interview coordination, or any other communication.  They know their client and are skilled in navigating the scary, uncertain path of getting a new job, including negotiating compensation and other terms. 

NANCY:  Don’t be afraid to keep in touch with the recruiter!  They would love to know how you’re doing at your new job.  If it’s going well, it’ll make their day.  If it’s less than stellar, they can see if there’s anything they can do to help before it gets out of hand.  They’re happiest when the matchmaking is a sweet success.  And they greatly appreciate recommendations and referrals!

CHRIS:  Let us know if you have any questions or comments on this topic!  Our next episode will be a bonus episode announcing the hottest logistics jobs we’re working on.  Our website and contact info will be in the show notes of every episode, so please feel free to share with anyone you know, and reach out with comments, questions, or just to say hello!

NANCY:  We would also like to thank and credit the following websites and all artists for use of their music and sound effects:  pixabay.com, freepd.com, fesliyanstudios.com, mixkit.co, freesound.org, and incompetech.com.

CHRIS:  Thank you for listening to the Job Search SOS Podcast!  
Please visit www.pintoemployment.com and feel free to reach out to us.  See you next time! 

Pinto Employment Search LLC - Logistics & Supply Chain Recruiters
Chris & Nancy Pinto, Owners
Website:  https://www.pintoemployment.com/
Chris Pinto: 
Phone: 908-578-5814
Email:  chris.pinto@pintoemployment.com
www.linkedin.com/in/chrispintoemployment
Nancy Pinto
Phone: 201-988-2293
Email:  nancy@pintoemployment.com  
www.linkedin.com/in/nancypinto