Working with recruiters (part 3)

Much of the advice about dealing with recruiters is written by recruiters themselves. Unsurprisingly, it is geared toward getting you to behave in a manner best suited to their needs. So how do you find accurate information about recruiters?

If you're looking for a job in the United States or Canada that will require you to work through a search firm, you can search the Better Business Bureau database for a reliability report on that firm. Many search firms can be found in their database, and you can learn which of them are BBB accredited, have a satisfactory rating, have had any complaints, etc. If a particular search firm cannot be found in the database, the fact that the firm didn't bother to subscribe to BBB practices is revealing in itself. I view BBB accreditation as a critical differentiator between search firms.

Another source of information about recruiters is your own network. Whether it's people you know personally, or through a social networking site like LinkedIn or Facebook, you should ask them to privately share their experiences with that search firm with you.

Finally, some employees placed by the search firm itself should be willing to share their experiences with you. Ask the search firm for the names of some people they've placed that would be willing to speak with you. If they do a good job, there should be no shortage of people they've placed who have had positive experiences.

If you decide to work with a particular search firm, ask yourself how attentive they are to your concerns. Do they send you to the kinds of employers you want? Do you feel pressured to act against your best interests? Remember that recruiters do not work for you. They are not at your beck and call, and they don't have time to return all the calls and/or emails they receive. If you fit a job they are recruiting for, you can be confident they'll contact you.

To be continued….