An Honest Letter to IT Recruiters
From a not-so-qualified “qualified” candidate.
I got into work this morning and was informed that there was an individual looking to speak with me from an ominous sounding organization, and that the manner was ‘urgent’ and ‘confidential’. I put down my things and got on the phone immediately. Urgent means now!
The individual who picked up my call cheerfully informed that he was from an IT talent agency and he was very confident that I would be a great match for a position he had in mind. He then requested my cell number in return. After asserting that while he knew he was a complete stranger to me, he was confident I’d be a great full-stack developer. I’m about as qualified to be a full-stack developer as a 3-year-old is to be a parent — undoubtedly messy and definitely ending in certain doom for all involved.
So I responded the same way that I do when people I don’t know ask me for my cell number (from cab drivers to Bay St. bros in bars): profoundly unimpressed.
The recruiter also didn’t seem to know too much about the technical aspects of the position as he cheerfully listed off a long list of things I don’t/can’t do. Particularly insulting given that I take the time to make sure my LinkedIn is up to date. Not to mention I work in a busy agency (we’re always happy to talk to awesome folks), and taking up my time first thing in the morning with an ominous urgency isn’t something I’m too fond of.
Did I mention that this was the FIFTH call from a recruiter I don’t know in 2 weeks.
I don’t like it. I mean, thank you for thinking of me, and I’m sure you’re a nice person, but we don’t know each other so this is awkward.
Let me give you a little background: in my early 20s, I co-founded a startup job board specializing in nurses. When we started to share our wondrous new product, we found out that hospitals were looking to outsource their hiring only because their own resources were too tied up in finding qualified and trustworthy candidates.
It turns out that the hospitals didn’t need another job board; they had plenty of their own. When people talked about better recruitment options, they really meant that they needed a way to outsource their hiring and auxiliary bits of business, like background checks and certification verification. It was a niche I just wasn’t interested in fulfilling because I didn’t know the first thing about it. Startup scrapped, lessons learned. I don’t regret that decision one bit.
So that brings me to authenticity.
Tech companies pay you, the recruiter to find great talent because the market is saturated with a lot of candidates and not a lot of time or resources to determine if they’re the best fit. It’s up to you to be ethical, and ensure that they’ve made the right choice by trusting you.
There are recruiters I’m connected with on LinkedIn who have sent over opportunities to me with a genuine knowledge of what the position entails, and sufficient knowledge about my skills to know that we’d be a potential good match. These are the people I feel comfortable talking to when I’m looking for opportunities because I know they’ll match me up with gigs I love. Be those people, not icky sharks.
The best candidates value authenticity above all else. If you want to connect those people to work for your clients, do some research and actively ensure that you know what would make us a great match. In the IT world, stick to making connections on LinkedIn or Twitter if we don’t know each other in real life. Especially don’t call my work line to poach me from my company because I will probably respond in a way only a pre-caffeinated person can, and you won’t like it.
Don’t call me. I’ll call you. And if you do reach out, do so within acceptable, non-invasive boundaries.
