There are some common misconceptions about recruiters and the staffing industry in general. It’s important to address these.

1. Lack of Communication from Recruiters. What’s important to understand is that right now, recruiters and staffing firms have as many as thousands of available candidates that are available and wanting work right now. There is simply no way possible that they are able to communicate properly and timely with everyone. They want to but it’s just not feasible to expect that. If you call in your availability to a staffing company for example, it’s important for you to know that your file is updated and that they are actively working to find you a job. If you call in weekly, you can rest assured that the company has you on their “hot” list of available candidates and will call you if a job opportunity arises for you. Staffing managers and recruiters have no intentions to be curt or less communicative than what you’d like. However, they are working diligently with hiring companies to identify opportunities for you, the job seeker. The more time spent on the phone giving general updates of “we don’t have anything for you just yet”, is not conducive to time well spent in actually filling the jobs they do have. Don’t take it personally. Recruiters don’t often get paid unless they put someone in a job. Please understand that they may not always be able to chat with you but it does not mean that they are not working behind the scenes on your behalf.

2. Staffing companies don’t have “real jobs”. This is simply not true for the majority of staffing companies and recruiters out there. They don’t get paid to advertise false openings and then spend time interviewing for jobs they do not have. Most recruiters will only post real positions and call you if they truly have an opportunity that might be a fit. Recruiters don’t get paid for their time or efforts unless they place candidates in jobs.

3. Working with Recruiters will cost the job seeker money. That certainly used to be the case years ago. In fact, when I got one of my first corporate jobs in the early ‘90’s, I paid more than $2500 through a recruiter. However, those days are over. Companies absorb the cost of recruiting. The job seeker should never have to pay a fee to a recruiter or staffing firm to find a job. If there are companies out there charging you money, you should consider other options.

4. The recruiter works on behalf of the employer and not for the jobseeker. It is true that the employer pays the fee. However, anyone who’s been in the industry for very long understands that it has to be a match with both client and candidate. Recruiters want to build long term relationships with their clients. In doing so, they must make sure it’s a mutually beneficial match between any employer and its employee. We also realize that our business is a cycle. It’s common that our candidates become our clients and our clients become our candidates. Therefore, it’s in our best interest to please everyone we work with in the process. If it weren’t for the jobseeker, we wouldn’t even have a profession!

5. Why work with a recruiter when I can get a job on my own? Well, any candidate is certainly capable of obtaining certain positions on their own. However, working with a recruiter can increase your chances of getting the job you want and getting it quickly. Recruiters have relationships with companies who often rely solely on them to fill their positions. Many companies don’t even advertise their openings because they outsource the entire process to recruiters. Often, your recruiter can open doors for you where and when you might have never thought possible otherwise.

I hope this has given you a better understanding of how you can get the most out of a relationship with recruiters or staffing firms. They can be a tremendous resource for you if you understand how they really work.