I hear so many people complaining that recruiters don’t understand what they do or what they are looking for and that as an industry we have no technical competence. Yes you are all right.  The majority of recruiters don’t go home and write code or read books about the software development lifecycle or get that deep into the day-to-day of the industry we are recruiting for.  We are out at networking events meeting entrepreneurs and building relationships that will hopefully lead to your next development challenge at that cool new startup you’re hearing so much about. So I ask you this… Who is responsible for recruiters lack of understanding a job or candidate search?  I am not in any way saying that we have no responsibility for this happening but are candidates and clients not also to blame?  I speak to candidates every day about their job search.  My first question is “Tell me about your ideal job.  What are you looking for?”.  The answers I typically receive are so vague and non-specific that it is simply not fair of anyone to expect me to truly be an asset for them in their search.  The same thing happens when I am speaking with hiring managers.  We ask questions so we can get a better understanding of what you as our clients are looking for!  So we can be more to you then just a resume service (at least those of us who do care and want to be good at our jobs).   I truly have to dig into people to get this valuable information.

The stigma that recruiters just don’t care is hard at work here in the back of the minds of most candidates and most hiring managers.  It’s the little devil that read David’s original post and all the other horror stories out there telling you that taking the time to truly make sure we have an understanding of what you are looking for doesn’t even matter.  It is the lack of communication between us that has caused all of this.   So continuing to not communicate is only going to continue to hurt our relationships instead of improve them.  Getting return phone calls or emails rarely happens. This is why you receive “blind emails to hundreds of people” about a potential opportunity.  We are doing everything in our power to reach you.  Trying to hit on keywords and industry buzz to get your attention.  Believe me we understand your value.  So how can we start to change this and really start to mold recruiters that we trust and enjoy working with?  Let’s try something different.  Instead of continuing to do the same thing that has been done for years like complaining amongst our peers and hoping for things to change, further tarnishing the image of an industry that has done so much for technology, how about you get back to the recruiter that took the time to find a way to get your attention and take the time to do a good job explaining what you are looking for.  This way the next time you hear from them you can guage if they are good at what they do by what they tell you about.   If they still call you or email you about garbage – either take the time to build this relationship further helping them understand why that would not be a good fit or move on and find another recruiter.  Finding the right recruiter may be more important to your job search than your resume and needs to be approached this way.  Just as hiring managers speak to multiple candidates before making a hire, job seekers should speak to multiple recruiters before choosing which ones they are going to work with.  This is why the best time to find a recruiter you trust is while you are still employed.  I promise that if you stop working with bad recruiters they won’t be in the industry long enough to make both of our jobs less enjoyable.

In closing I can agree that there are many more BAD recruiters out there then good.  It is no secret that we are a highly competitive breed of salespeople whom get our kicks closing deals.   We are an industry of fast-paced lunatics similar to that which you will find on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, in the Venture Capital firms that fund many of the startups we work for, and in the sales department of your own organization who bring in revenue selling your product or service.   Just like every other type of job out there - some of us do this well and others do not.  The fact that most have pre-conceived prejudices that Recruiters just don’t care is only going to continue to keep you from finding one or two that truly do. 

Now here is the key – when you find good recruiters – SPREAD THE WORD.  Tell your success stories instead of your nightmares.  Help those of us who do care and do get it and together we can keep innovation moving while improving a relationship that was conceived to positively influence both of our careers and lives.

 The first reason to continue making high offers will always be the same - you need to excite your new hires about coming to work for you. They need to feel valued by the organization they will be a part of. These feelings alone will squash any thoughts of accepting a counter offer, as well as reduce the risk of a case of cold feet.

 The fact remains that the large number of lay offs has led to a larger candidate pool, creating more options for companies. Since this is the case it is important that companies look at their new hires as strategically as ever. It is inevitable that the economic marketplace will change yet again, and sooner before later companies will be immersed in a battle for human capital. This is the time your current hires should be preparing you for. If you are in fact hiring based on the idea of better talent for less money now, you are planting seeds that will only grow into more complex business problems down the road.  As an organization you will find the people you are hiring will be back on the market and accepting new positions at a higher pay scale the instant the economic climate turns.  The seeds you planted in this market are then in full bloom and you will find yourself facing a situation where you need to replace these team members, but there are no candidates out there.  There will of course be solutions to pick from, but in the end you will likely be paying agency fees and higher salaries to land the type of talent you simply could have retained if approached correctly in the first place.

We have noticed that certain types of positions however are still very difficult to fill – even in a market with such a high volume of candidates and applicants.  This is evident as corporations are still looking to search firms in an attempt to find the best candidates for these openings.

One of these positions we are being employed to provide searches for is Java developers with e-commerce experience.  Although we seem to see a large number of Java candidates on the market with a Financial background it seems the number of candidates with e-commerce specific experience is limited.

A second type of candidate in high demand will have a solid LAMP development background.  PHP/Python/Perl programmers have become more desirable with corporations making choices to cut cost on development projects by going with open-source solutions.  Companies specializing in advertising and marketing consulting seem to have been less effected by the current job market and many of these types of businesses provide their clients with open-source solutions – leading to an increase in demand as corporations begin to put their advertising budgets back into play.

We have also noticed an increase in the usage of Ruby and Ruby on Rails.  This is a language that is still pretty new to the development community and thus has yet to establish itself  a high number of “specialists”.  It has recently been gaining momentum and we believe will only become more popular as the year goes on.

This influx of open positions is hopefully a sign of the market coming back around.  With the DOW managing to creep back in the right direction it has begun to create a feeling of confidence among Boston businesses which should continue to lead to increased hiring in all areas!

So now more then ever it is important to ask yourself the question – “Am I a good interviewer?”.  Here are a few more specific questions you can ask yourself to come up with your answer.

1. Do I present as a professional me?  By this I simply mean are you comfortable in the clothes you are wearing but still accomplish a professional look?  In my experience, and after many feedback conversations with hiring managers, it is clear when someone is completely uncomfortable in a suit.  Am I saying that you should ditch the suit and head in wearing your Levi 501′s? No.  The key is finding a professional look that you ARE comfortable in.  Maybe try losing the tie, or rolling up the sleeves on your dress shirt – you have to do what works for you. 
2. Am I giving off the correct body language?  Body language says alot about a person.  It is used by potential employers to gauge confidence, professionalism, and a job seekers fit within the workplace.  Things as simple as mimicking the body language of the interviewer, using common language, and most importantly keeping eye contact will help you make a connection with the interviewer.    
3. Am I selling ALL of my strengths?  Employers are looking for an employee with much more to offer then a functional skill-set.  This is especially true in our current job market where employers desire candidates that deal well with an ever-changing environment.  Are you able to adapt to changes in the workplace?  The economic downturn has caused potential employers to re-structure, change technologies, and assign employees new responsibilities.  Before you go into your interview do some research to see if anything like this has happened or is happening at the company - then use that information when discussing what you have to offer.  Potential employers love to hear about how you have adapted to changes like these in the past.

As an individual trying to separate yourself from your competition it is extremely important to take any opportunity to make a connection with the interviewer.  So if you see an opportunity to tell a story about a common interest or a way to share an experience on any aspect of everyday life – TAKE IT!  This will allow you to connect with the interviewer on a much more personal level and set yourself apart!

Happy Hunting!