What A Good Relationship With A Recruiter Looks Like

When building a new relationship with a consultant, it always helps when you know what to expect and how everything will work.

If you are making that step for the first time with a recruitment consultant, it’s good to know how the early steps build for a good rapport. What are the expectations? What makes a good working relationship? What do you need to be aware of.

In this article, the team share their expectations during those initial stages when it comes to finding your next job.

Harriet Wilson, Industrial Division Manager highlights that a lot depends on a candidates immediate situation. “A person could currently be in work, they could be out of work, or they could be enquiring about a new level of work. Candidates are all at so many different stages and scenarios, that is has to be tailored to them. When you find your feet, the relationship is centred around you and how the world looks. For instance, the team share what the current job market looks like, support for writing an impressive CV, right down to interview preparation.”

“Another important side is setting expectations from an early stage. If someone says they will do ‘any work’ what does that actually mean? What feels suitable, what motivates, what is undesirable?”

Jordan Ball, Senior Industrial Recruitment Consultant, approaches from her own experience, “Prior to working at a recruitment consultancy, I had no idea how a consultancy worked. An early working relationship with me is to share my knowledge to make a candidate feel comfortable and at ease. It’s about trying to gauge what someone wants and how me (and the team) can help. As consultants we have to advise. If I can’t help, I can either reach out to another department or make suggestions for specialist agencies, such as care work."

Karen Jayne Harris, Senior Consultant, suggest that the commitment needed from both sides is important from the outset, “A candidate and a consultant, both need to know what is happening, this is how everything flows. It could be a time to both have a catch up and updates, knowing how often to be in touch. From a candidate side, it is so important to be open, such as other interviews, offers that could have been made elsewhere and any changes to their career progress. It’s the open channels of communication that are the most important. This is what makes a robust working relationship.”

A good candidate relationship is centred around a structure for both the recruiter and candidate to work together. Sharing priorities and aspirations (from a candidate) helps as a guide, it’s then the processes and experience that lead the way.