15 ways to evaluate the headhunters and recruits

By Jeff Altman, Big Game Hunter

The advantage of the plug

When I started working as a recruiter many years ago, I knew very little. I looked for square sticks for square holes and performed myself as a little more than a basic screener. I will ask questions that reflected a mental checklist – have you done this? Have you done it? How did you go to do this? How did you go to do it?

With time, effort and a deep drive to work and be world -class at my profession, I slowed down and asked a better class of questions to get to know a person and what made them effective for what they did at work, or an institutional customer, and how they evaluated people for the role they tried to fill. Brake made me less transactional, more careful and more caring about my work.

Here are a few things to note when talking to a headhunter that allows you to decide whether to rely on their recommendations.

  1. Top Headhunters exhibit behavior that is in line with the qualities they look for in the people they represent. If you are aware, you will notice that they seem honest when asking for your help finding someone for a client. Keep talking to them, not because they are honest. The more you listen to them, the talk, the more likely you are to learn if they are actually honest.

  2. They are easy to handle because they are polite, respectful, direct and concise. They are not sneaky.

  3. They don’t waste time pretending to know something they don’t or playing games with you.

  4. They do not exaggerate when they talk about themselves or their client. They make you feel important.

  5. They don’t seem desperate.

  6. They do not speak quickly (unless they are extreme caffeine). They listen to what you say and don’t say, and dig deeper to learn more.

  7. They answer questions to best abilities and makeup do not answer when they are uncertain. They are honest about what they do not know and get answers for you.

  8. They show respect for you and are knowledgeable about their client, the position they are trying to fill (or the person they represent if you try to hire someone).

  9. Good Headhunters exhibit integrity by being reliable and honest.

  10. They keep their promises by returning your calls, texts and e emails. They are thorough. The questions they ask make this obvious.

  11. A headhunter will not only ask for your resume, but will talk to a large extent with you to understand more about you, your work, your influence as well as your influence. They will actually be curious about your work, your qualifications, your professional interests and your goals.

  12. They give advice if you ask for it and will be transparent with the process to control your expectations. Yes, there may be delays, but they will lead you through what to expect in the search, how to prepare for each interview, whether they are phone, video or personal, and offer a timeline for each step.

  13. Do they seem to be aware of the market for what you do (or the kind of person you are trying to hire)? Basic answers show a depth of understanding that helps you land the job or an employee if you hire.

  14. Not least of all of all, a quality headhy Hunter administers your expectations. If you appear to be a good fit, they will try to arrange an interview quickly and at least warn you of any delays. They will also tell you if you do not fit what their client is looking for. They do not apologize for their decision not to refer you. They will talk about “Miss” in your background. If you try to hire someone, they will give you competitive intelligence about how your ideas for the role can make it possible or more difficult to find someone.

  15. Based on your conversation with them, could they write a good performing brief for their client about me based on the conversation? If you hire someone, can they create a job description that focused on the skills, background and personality traits required for success in the position? The main hunter is not very good (or the conversation was not very good from their perspective and they do not have the integrity to tell you) if the first call was short, remember, even if your first screening interview with a good headhunter does not result in you being interviewed for a position, they are the kind of people you want a long -term connection with.

Your ambivalence about the job may mean something else

Although headhunters like these can seem unusual, there are many very good ones out there. Remember that sometimes the reason why Headhunter does not deliver results has nothing to do with them. It has to do with you and your unwillingness to open up to them and reveal your personality.

Too often, job hunters want mom or dad headhunters to deliver a new job to them without spending a lot of effort. They do not take time to examine the people who will represent them and wasting too much time with requests not worth their efforts. Then they complain to anyone who (pretend to) listen. The same goes for organizations that reuse job descriptions and do not make managers available to the search company they are hiring.

Do these attributes sound like anyone you’ve already talked to or worked with?

For a few of my clients, one of the saddest days was when I told them I was switching from search to coaching.

“But why” exclaimed one. “Don’t we pay you enough?”

“Yes, but now I want to be a strength for good,” I said with my best superhero voice.

We laughed and then he hired me to train him in his job search.

Ⓒ The Big Game Hunter, Inc., Asheville, NC 2023

Do what recruiters do

About Jeff Altman, Big Game Hunter

People hire Jeff Altman, Big Game Hunter to give no BS Job Search -Coaching and Career Counseling globally because he is doing job searchJeff Altman, Big Game Hunter

And succeed easier in your career.

Career Coach Office Time: 14 May 2024

You will find good info and job search coaching to help with your job search at ⁠⁠jobseearch.community⁠⁠

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What recruiters know you don’t do it: they don’t see all of these screening videos

He hosts “No BS Job Search Advice Radio”, # 1 podcast in iTunes for job search with over 2900 episodes over 13+ years.

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