The benefits of building relationships with recruiters.

Perhaps I’m dating myself by writing this post. I’ve worked in recruiting for more than 20 years and at the outset of my career I took it for granted that people in my chosen industry would be interested in developing long term relationships with recruiters.  In fact,  this was the reason why I founded my company, Prime Team Partners, in 2005. My previous employer had high turnover of recruiting staff and this harmed my employer’s ability to develop long term relationships with candidates and clients. My goal when founding Prime Team was to retain employees over the long term so they could in turn build long term relationships.  I see this as the key to being a successful recruiter, but not everyone shares my view about the value of building networks and relationships with recruiters. 

Why are some people reluctant to work with recruiters? 

Some people don’t trust or have confidence in recruiters to represent them. Others have had bad experiences with recruiters or in general have a negative perception. One CEO once expressed his concerns to me about “unleashing salesy recruiter bros” on behalf of his company. Some recruiters do work in high pressure sales environment and can be pushy, rude, and generally untrustworthy. Other recruiters may be very transactional and not interested in building relationships. My team, however, as well as many of my competitor’s, consists of career recruiters who pride themselves on exceeding the expectations of all they work with.  

The value of candidate networks for clients: 

When I meet with a client I explain that working with Prime Team provides access to the collective network of candidates developed by our recruiters and tracked in our database over the course of many years. Prime Team provides a complete recruiting service, including marketing, creating and posting job ads, and direct messaging candidates.  What truly differentiates us is not only our ability to understand clients and their job; it is the access to and relationships with candidates in our carefully cultivated network. 

The value of candidate networks for candidates:

Upon receiving a new position, our recruiters promptly tap into their network to source potential candidates before venturing into the broader market for recruitment purposes. As a candidate you will benefit from this initial network sourcing and gain access to our collective client network. As a staffing company we never know what jobs we will receive so even if we don’t have the perfect fit for you at this moment,  it is likely we will soon have interesting career options for you.

We are ideal partners if you are passively considering new employment. We can reach out to you when we receive new suitable roles that align with your career goals. You may already have a great network of professional contacts in place,  but you multiply that network effect by connecting with a good recruiter and an established recruiting firm.         

How do I connect with recruiters?: 

At Prime Team you can connect with our recruiters via our website or connect with us on LinkedIn. To kick things off we like to learn about your current situation,  whether you are actively or passively looking for work, and what type of opportunities you are interested in.

Summary 

Building a relationship with a recruiter can be a valuable investment in your future. By developing trust over time, you gain access to job opportunities and career advice that may not be available through other channels. In addition, working with a recruiter can give you access to their network of clients, multiplying your professional contacts and potentially leading to life-changing opportunities. To get started, connect with recruiters through our website or LinkedIn and share your goals and interests with them. Building a strong relationship with a recruiter could be the key to unlocking your dream job.