An experienced recruiting professional is a valuable asset for those looking to land a new role. However, it can be difficult to know where to start when searching for an independent recruiter. Fortunately, there are multiple avenues you can pursue to find a recruiter who can aid you in your job search.
Below, 10 business leaders (including a number of head recruiting managers) share their best tips on connecting with independent recruiters.
Don’t Be Afraid to Reach Out
With the current state of the economy, many people have lost their jobs which conversely means many people are looking for new ones. If you’re in the market to hire, now just might be the time to start looking. Try a quick Google search for independent recruiters, read reviews, compare your options, and don’t be afraid to reach out to them with any questions you might have before engaging in business. An independent recruiter can be a huge help in finding the perfect candidate, just make sure you find the perfect recruiter first.
Denise Gredler, Best Companies Arizona
Make LinkedIn Your Best Friend
LinkedIn is your best friend. Get in front of their face and be persistent with follow up. Nothing impresses me more than follow up!
Emily Beattie, Recruiting Manager
Publicly Let Others Know You Are Seeking Employment
One of the best decisions I’ve made was publically and immediately letting people know I was part of a mass RIF (reduction in force) of 1800+ employees on a company-wide phone call on January 7, 2016. Doing so helped me land a new role and start by January 29, 2016! I share this as many often feel shame, blame, etc in situations like this and don’t tell people. That is a major detriment to yourself when looking for a new opportunity. I highly encourage anyone who may find themselves in a situation like that to share with people they know. Utilizing your personal network and social media is critical in exploring opportunities – career or otherwise. Doing so allowed internal recruiters to find me to either place or connect me with those hiring! I have done this in all of my subsequent job searches and made this my own personal job search best practice.
Katie Gillespie, Senior Recruiter/Account Team Lead
Take Care of Yourself and Others
Be nice and patient. EVERYONE has been inconvenienced during this national crisis. Make sure you have a good resume, a decent attitude, and take care of yourself through exercise and diet. You can’t interview well if you want to dump all your personal baggage on the interviewer’s doorstep. Reach out to any local recruiters and be prepared to fill out a lot of apps. So don’t get all snippy with the person on the phone, they are the gatekeeper and can refuse to consider your resume or application.
Michael D. Hayes, St Joseph the Worker
Get Referrals from Your Network
The best way to find independent recruiters who are hiring is through referrals from others you know, candidates who tell you where else they have interviewed or received an offer from, or friends and former co-workers.
Rachel Valentino, Recruiting & Staffing Manager
Appeal to Recruiters through Research
It’s one part online research, one part leveraging social networks such as LinkedIn. And once you’ve identified a recruiter, do additional research to see what industries, companies, and specializations s/he is hiring for. Similar to how a publicist has to identify which journalists and media outlets may pick up a story or press release, job seekers have to appeal to recruiters in a similar fashion so that they’ll amplify job seekers’ appeal to potential employers.
Rennie Leon, Director of Marketing & Communications
Find Online Groups and Forums
To find independent recruiters, search on LinkedIn or Facebook for groups by industry or by individuals. Also there are some really good Google Groups that have independent recruiters by industry.
Ron Rapatalo, Edgility Consulting
Hone in Companies Who Received Fundings
As always, great research skills are a bonus! Right now, pages like https://candor.co/hiring-freezes/ with live updates are more popular than ever. They’re easy to find and navigate. Another idea would be to look for companies who just received funding – they may be hiring very soon!
Scale down Your Network by Industry
I recommend talking to your friends and connections. Make sure to scale down by industry, and location as many independent recruiters are specialized. You can also perform a LinkedIn search for recruiters in your area, and reach out to them directly.
Deborah Bubis, Recruiter and Sourcer
Search “We Are Hiring” on LinkedIn
Go to the search feature on LinkedIn, type in “We are Hiring” and you’ll see search results of recruiters who make this claim in their profile. This simple search is a great way to connect with independent recruiters and hiring managers who are actively looking for candidates. If they’re not hiring, at least connecting with these people may prompt them for a profile update.
