Candidates: Don't Forget That You Need Recruiters Just as Much as They Need You
Job candidates — Complaining about getting too many messages from recruiters wanting to hire you just makes you sound spoiled. Instead of being the complainer, be part of the solution. Help the recruiting industry be better. You and your peers will bene
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Yesterday, I posted about how boring the hiring process has become.
Today, let’s talk about the candidates. Specifically, the high-demand one’s who get all the spam.
I know, getting spammed sucks. That said, you (high-demand candidate who’s gainfully employed) tend to sit on the sidelines complaining about recruiters without giving specifics about what it is that you actually want.
Want to be helpful? Then literally tell recruiters what you want to know. Publicly. (BTW, transparent comp isn’t it. That’s table stakes. I mean the stuff that really motivates you and makes you care deeply about the work you do.)
Saying things like “companies need to tell me what value they’ll offer me” is about as vague and unhelpful as the fluffy culture nonsense that these companies are throwing at you. This is a two-way street. And complaining about getting too many messages from recruiters wanting to hire you just makes you sound spoiled.
You work at [insert fancy tech company] and went to [insert fancy school]. It’s part of the gig. And recruiters at your company are doing the same thing to employees at the other companies on their hit lists. Doesn’t matter if you like it; currently, this is how the game of poaching talent works.
Instead of being the complainer, be part of the solution. Help the recruiting industry be better. You and your peers will benefit as a result.
Again, the way to help is pretty simple. Just tell recruiters, publicly, what information you want and the best way to get it to you. (And we know you want this information. You’re always keeping your options open—one foot in, one foot out; the grass is always greener…).
Don’t forget this: You need recruiters just as much as they need you. Your skills are only useful when matched with their model. Respect the fact that those models exist for you.
Now, can we all just calm down? Most of us are building B2B SaaS products, not solving the climate crisis.
P.S. Underneath it all, I think that you (in-demand candidate) kinda enjoy getting all the attention. Because let’s be honest, it feels good to be wanted.