Sometimes the qualities recruiters need to succeed are taken for granted by those of us in the field while not well known to clients and candidates. During recent client meetings this point was made clear to me, for very good reasons. Clients want you to fill the position and candidates want good jobs; how we get there is not important. While this may be true, you need to know how to spot good recruiters to manage your own career. Today I want to highlight self-discipline.
Definition: This is easy, as we are talking about the ability to work productively without someones hands on your throat. This is very important to recruiters as we all work alone to varying degrees. A recruiter will not succeed over the long-haul without this key quality, but through chance and other factors may be lucky enough to hang around the business. You may therefore spot them from time to time. What should you look for as a potential candidate?
Signs: A good recruiter will get back to you on or around the date he says. If he says he will check in with you every few months he will do so--software programs like ACT! make this simple. When he suggests times for a telephone call they will usually be precise because he is fitting you in to the rest of his busy schedule. Most importantly, a good recruiter knows that filling postions for clients is a detailed and methodical process. You should pick this up during your conversations with him.
