SG
Banks in Asia are struggling in their efforts to recruit directly as hiring mandates pick up and application levels remain high. Faced with rising workloads, many HR teams are turning back to recruitment agencies to meet their hiring needs.
Establishing a strong rapport with a headhunter is therefore becoming more and more important. But it’s also safe to say that some job seekers remain sceptical about the responsiveness and usefulness of their current consultants.
In part I of a two-part series, we provide a few tips on how to improve your relationship with your recruiter.
Get to the point to rise above the crowd
Recruiters normally receive more than 50 unsolicited calls a day, of which about 75 per cent are from candidates with irrelevant experience, says Carol Cheung, managing consultant, banking & financial services, Hudson.
So how can you distinguish yourself from the mundane masses? “Instead of trying to go through all of your job history and education background, summarise your experience in a few key points – which are the must-have requirements for the position – then the recruiter will be far more interested to have a detailed discussion,” adds Cheung.
Only apply to relevant jobs
Spamming your CV to every banking vacancy just doesn’t work. Recruiters receive many responses for each advertisement, but most are of poor quality, or not suitable to the job, according to Matthew Sidgwick, senior consultant, Reed Banking & Finance.
“Remember to emphasise the skills and knowledge that are relevant to the job in question, and where applicable, outline any achievements or accolades from previous employers,” says Sidgwick.
Don’t spread yourself too thinly
Avoid signing up with multiple agencies. Recruiters prefer working with job seekers who are selective in their choice of representation, says Christina Ng, manager, financial services, Robert Walters Hong Kong.
Establish a strong relationship with one or two consultants who are experts in your particular job function. “Candidate credibility goes out the window when they say they are only working with yourself, and you then find their CV is all over the market,” comments Paul Endacott, director of Ambition in Singapore.
Be truthful about other job opportunities…
Headhunters mistrust secretive or coy candidates. If you are interviewing elsewhere, tell your recruiter in order to avoid any nasty last-minute surprises, says Sidgwick. “Likewise, keep your consultant abreast of any new developments within your career, such as a promotion, salary increment etc. Providing a detailed debrief after every interview is another ‘must do’,” he adds.
…and about money
It’s tempting to inflate your current salary, if you think it will help you secure more money in your next job. Bad idea, says Richie Holliday, managing director of Morgan McKinley Hong Kong.
“At referencing stage, this information is rigorously checked and, if it’s found to be wrong, it can seriously damage your credibility. Using the excuse that you were ‘factoring in’ other parts of your compensation still doesn’t work,” adds Holliday.
Don’t ask the bank for feedback directly…
“After your interview, never go to the firm directly for feedback. Banks pay recruiters to manage this process. If you really need to speak, check with your recruiter first on the procedure,” advises Gary Lai, manager, financial services, Robert Walters Singapore.
…and learn from negative feedback
Consultants hold interviews with three or four people each day, so they can provide excellent insights on how you can improve as a candidate, says Brodie McDougall, manager, Michael Page Finance.
Moreover, you need to develop a relationship with your recruiter in which he/she can openly give you both positive and negative responses, says Endacott. “The worst thing you can do when receiving negative feedback is take it defensively. By acting on the negatives, you’ll improve your chances of securing a role tenfold,” he adds.
More tips will follow next week.
You forgot the most important thing of all.
MAKE THEM BELIEVE THEY HAVE A GOOD CHANCE OF BEING PAID SOON AFTER THEY SUBMIT YOUR CV TO THEIR CLIENT(S).
Like any other person with a job, a recruiter’s number one priority is to make money for themselves, not you. Regardless of whether they like you or if you have met with 59 other recruiters, if they have a job they can place you in you will get a positive response. Otherwise, you won’t, regardless of whether you follow the tips here.
I think factoring other things should work, when it comes to salary. What if you have housing allowance? What if you gave the lump sum already without clarifying? Do you go back to clarify now? Or wait for the reference time?
I couldn’t agree more with job Hunt.
“Avoid signing up with multiple agencies. Recruiters prefer working with job seekers who are selective in their choice of representation”
This is what recruiters would have you believe. Recruiters routinely receive CVs and do NOTHING about it. Are we supposed to wait for a call that’ll never come? And how on earth can ONE recruiter know about ALL the roles that suit a candidate’s profile.
The only person who loses out is the candidate, again.
How to make Candidates like you…..Don’t make empty promises (just say I got nothing for you, you’re not right for the role)……Don’t run stupidly generic ads that do not state level of experience and salary ranges, required qualifications, etc (I’ll apply to anything unless it’s really a stretch, so you make your own bed)…….Do be a professional and actually know something about the industry/roles that you aim to represent
It is my experience as being formerly part of the recruitment industry that “Job Hunt”, “kiwi”and “hunter of the hunted” are all correct unfortunately.
If the recruiter is aware of any job that they think they can sell you (don’t listen to all the sweet talk, you, the candidate are a product, the employer is the customer), it doesn’t matter whether they like you or not. Many recruiters don’t even really understand the industry or the
role they are representing because they themselves don’t have the
requisite career experience. From a employer coverage perspective, you may also want to note that even the larger recruitment agencies do not work with every single employer in the market; i.e. if you stick to one agency, you have no access to quite a few employers.
The recruiter is compensated largely if not totally based on commissions. You will be better off being pro-active in your own job search and managing your own career. Imho, it is best to expand your own career profile and your social network. All things being equal (candidate quality), employers and hiring managers would prefer hiring via an internal referral or via a internal recruiter (company employee).