Recruiters are viewed as “arm twisters” and for that reason many people have a highly negative connotation of what we do. However, the recruiting process shouldn’t work that way at all. While it’s true that we are salespeople and that we have a vested interest in moving the process forward and doing so quickly, good recruiters view the steps in the process (recruiting, qualification, interviewing, offer & acceptance) as a path that will only get traveled if moving forward is the next logical step (for both the company and candidate).

Obviously I don’t live in Utopia so I know that not all parties in the process put all of their cards on the table up front, but a talented recruiter asking the right questions of both sides and with a mindset focused on not wasting anyone’s time should be able to determine the viability of the process as the candidate and company move through the steps.

The problem most recruiters have though is when the eventual bump in the road occurs and they aren’t sure if it’s “real” problem or just a scared/emotional candidate that needs some support/understanding to help them feel more at ease with the process. The good news is that this is a learned skill and the better a recruiter can become at knowing which is which the less headaches they (their clients and their candidates) will have and they’ll spend more time making placements instead of chasing placements.