By Jeff Altman, Big Game Hunter
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away
My partners and I started a recruiting firm to try to place IT professionals in New York. Yes, we did do telemarketing recruiting, but in those days, the so-called technology was the phone. No computers, no LinkedIn, not even a fax machine. No Monster or CareerBuilder to complain about. It was a simpler time in the recruiting process.
You recruited candidates or recommended active applicants who applied for your ad in the Sunday New York Times. . . But in the Stone Age, The New York Times was expensive. At least that’s true for all of us.
You can easily spend more than $10 per column on classified ads. . . But then again, a new car at the time cost only $3,500.
Although the first year’s office expenses were paid for, we didn’t have much money. We made a lot of mistakes, but there was one thing we did well. We made an argument about active job seekers that still stands today.
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I remember sitting in the office with Peter as we were trying to create a marketing advantage and saying to him, “Let’s tell them we can’t find the best candidate to read the Times on Sunday. We found the best candidate!” I went on to say that the applicant we were recommending was too busy and doing a good job to see this ad in the Times. They are the people the company wants to keep, not get rid of, just like those who apply to job ads. “
That’s how it all started. Companies begin to believe that “passive job seekers” have the potential to become better employees than active job seekers.
Fast forward to today, where both third-party and corporate recruiters believe this parable to be gospel. . . But is this really true?
If the last few recessions should tell you anything, it’s that good people are losing their jobs.
This is not wealth extracted from the company. Many muscles also lost their work. Just because a line of business is sold, merged, or closed, doesn’t mean someone isn’t capable of doing your job. They were just people working for the wrong part of the business during a layoff.
Why would the source of your contact with someone make them a better applicant?
A corporate or third-party recruiter proudly exclaims what I did 40 years ago: “I recruited this person! (That means I didn’t find them from a job site. I contacted them through my database or LinkedIn). They’re great (you should interview them and hire them immediately so I can get a commission)!” Maybe they’re thinking to themselves, “My client recommended this to one of their friends who they thought was great!”
How does this make them a better job candidate? After all, their resume may also be on a job site, but they were recommended by a hiring manager or recruited by you.
So since they were recommended to you, they are awesome! If you find the same person on a job site, they will look inferior.
Does this make sense to you, because it makes no sense to me!
A smart strategy for job seekers is to list yourself on a job board without disclosing your name and instead order a long-hidden email address from a job board service. Also, make sure the keywords and terms/phrases in your LinkedIn profile are rich in the language of your industry, not your employer’s.
Doing these two things well will help you avoid being fooled by unthinking recruiters and give you an edge in your job search.
© The Big Game Hunter, Inc. Asheville, NC 2013. 2015, 2023, 2024
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