Two Traits of a Good Recruiter

Dealing with recruiters to find jobs has become one of the popular ways to land a job fast. In many ways we depend on recruiters to find the perfect fit. The reality is that all recruiters are not equal when it comes to job placement. Working with the wrong recruiter can be a waste of time and energy.

Great recruiters always have two traits: integrity and working knowledge about their partners and contractors. In the past I worked with a recruiter that paired me with a company that went out of business within a month of my starting date.  The recruiter assured me this was a company that was looking for a long term relationship. Obviously he didn't do a full evaluation of the company’s current position and he probably didn't actually care to find out the company’s background.

In another scenario I worked with a  recruiter that had an extensive knowledge base about the company I was planning to work with, what they were looking for and their current business situation.  We worked together through several companies until we identified a good fit for both sides.

The major difference between the two recruiters was their integrity and relevant knowledge. In the first scenario the recruiter lacked knowledge about the company and he lacked integrity with the contractor. The recruiter wasted my invested time to make quick money.  The second recruiter was honest and proactive on gathering key information to make the best connections.

So the next time you’re planning to partner with a recruiter test his ability to gather knowledge related to your specific needs.