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Writer's pictureMatthew Cossens

All Recruiters Are......

All recruiters are……..You fill in the blank! (Share your comments below)


According to Google ‘all recruiters are’ liars or a combination of the below:


The above is an impressive list of attributes to fill, I can’t say we were looking for them when growing our team, but we did want people who are….


Obviously, I joke.


Show me any profession and you will find both good and bad operators. We all know stories of shonky tradesman, banking professionals, (did anyone say Royal Commission?) sales professionals in any industry (surely, they are all dodgy), lawyers, (no comments needed) doctors and dare I say politicians (none of them could be good, right?). No one is immune, nor any industry. To make it worse it’s often the person who looks and sounds the part that lets you down and reinforces the stereotype.


My career has been forged in Sales and Recruitment and I’d like to offer you my thoughts on what a great Recruiter looks like! The type of recruiter you will build a long term/career length relationship with, one that you value and that values you. A professional recruiter, an honest recruiter, a quality human being. An oxymoron? Too good to be true? Aren’t they all just in it for the money?



Here are the qualities and attributes you’ll find in an exceptional recruiter:


  1. They actively listen! They will understand your motivations, career aspirations and objectives and understand you as a person. They will ask both open and pointed questions and take the time to know you. It is all about the relationship and the career focused approach.

  2. They ask great questions (and don’t make assumptions). In line with the above, they know the right questions to ask, when to probe and challenge assumptions.

  3. They are skilled communicators who have empathy. They get into your shoes and walk a mile. They communicate at your level and are invested in your outcomes.

  4. Specialist knowledge of your industry, domain and technical discipline. They are experts in your domain and have deep knowledge of the business, regulatory, political, technical challenges and key programs/projects in your area. They know the ins and outs of your role and have insights and intelligence they willingly share with you. Their market knowledge will be well honed and accurate. In saying this a specialist Data Science recruiter isn’t going to be a Data Scientist (typically), they will not be able to do the technical elements of your job, (they are hired to find you, not do your job) but they will know your area, industry, trends and how you need to position yourself to take the next step.

  5. They are available and return phone calls! The sounds straightforward but the number 1 issue people have with recruiters is the lack of returning phone calls and receiving feedback in a timely manner. A great recruiter is busy (yes they really are!) but will always make time to call you back. They will also ensure you are communicated with regularly via multiple channels. (they have a laser focus on candidate experience) It could be after hours (in transit) or throughout the day, but they will get back to you. If they are not available outside of core hours then perhaps you are not working with the right recruiter. Candidate experience really is king both in the short and long term.

  6. They add value throughout the recruitment process. They understanding both you, the client and your respective drivers. They get excellent feedback and provide all parties with accurate and clear information throughout the process. A great recruiter doesn’t like surprises and the quickest way to eliminate those it to have a thorough process and have all parties informed. Which brings me onto the next point.

  7. They put their cards on their table. They are clear on expectations, what you can expect from them in terms of service and deliver on promises. You should know exactly where you stand at all times.

  8. They will provide direct feedback. A great recruiter will provide you with upfront, useful and constructive feedback. Sometimes this may be difficult to hear but constructive feedback can position you moving forward for the next process and/or give you the opportunity to cover areas missed as you move through a recruitment process. They will provide the same for clients.

  9. They will go in to bat for you. Great recruiters understand their clients and will actively position your value well beyond that of your CV. They know you well and will challenge the feedback and the status quo, negotiate on your behalf and strive to get the best outcome possible.

  10. Build a relationship with you for the long term. The best recruiters see what they do as more than a career, it is a craft and they are all in on the value of long term relationships. They are invested in your and your career, over deliver on promises time and time again, are a source of truth and insight and will stay connected. Recruiters with long term relationships are the ones that are recommended, regularly receive referrals from candidates and clients and called upon when a candidate moves into a hiring position. (even if they weren’t the recruiter who placed them in their role). They are not interested in just the transaction or the process, it’s about the relationship.

  11. Be available and provide advice even if you are not in a process or directly engaged with them. That’s what a relationship is all about. They will provide you with insights, market intelligence and advice regardless of whether they have an active requirement for you now.

  12. They are not in it for the money. This may sound counterintuitive. Great recruiters are paid well but this is not their primary driver, it is a byproduct of their success. Their primary driver is relationships, insights and adding value.

  13. Value their craft, have high standards and want to improve. To stay the top of their game as a specialist the best recruiters are always looking to improve. This includes understanding trends in their respective market, trends in the recruitment market, use of technology, marketing, personal brand and ways to improve client and candidate experience.

  14. They are not perfect. They are human beings. They have bad days, they have dramas outside of work, they fight with their spouse, they experience loss/grief, they have pressure, they get sick they don’t always get it right! They make mistakes. They cannot always get you the outcome you want. They would love to place every candidate they meet, fill every clients role but unfortunately that is not reality. This is not an excuse for bad behavior, lack of process, or not staying true to the above attributes, but they are not going to have it all together, all the time.

You could add to the above psychologist, technologist, data specialist, boolean search expert, marketer, salesperson, resilience proof, motivated purple unicorn but that is probably going too far!!


If the recruitment professional you are working with doesn’t exemplify this list then maybe you are working with the wrong people? The Recruitment Industry in Australia has some outstanding operators. If you are working with one of them then no doubt your list of ‘All Recruiters Are’ will be significantly different than the picture at the start of this blog.


All recruiters are human, (at this stage!) and that is about the only thing ‘all recruiters are’ at the moment. The rest comes down to the recruiter you are working with and your experience.


Share your thoughts, comments and feedback below.




This article is originally published at www.matthewcossens.com/blog/


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