Typical day, typical message from a recruiter:
Dear X,
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.
I am currently working on several roles.
[or]
Let me know if you would be interested in having an introductory conversation.
[or]
I am working with a very successful and growing company.
[and finally]
Let me know when you are available to speak!
[or]
Are you available to speak tomorrow?
[or]
Could be worth a quick call.
Yeah… no.
I spent the first 15 seconds trying to figure out if they’re trying to hire me or sell me a candidate for one of the positions I’m hiring. Or both – these are the most confusing.
Next comes the company name. The good recruiters, sadly in minority, would include their client’s name at this point and provide a job description, which makes for a quick and easy assessment if it’s a good fit. No one wastes time, it’s either a yes or a no.
The mediocre ones will provide some basic info once I fire back asking for more detail. I understand that they worry I go and apply directly, and I had in the past when they pissed me off at this stage, but at the same time, this is a major red flag, as it means they scared of my direct application and they don’t really have any preferential treatment with the employer. If I work with them it will be just as good as applying directly if not worse as the employer would have to pay a premium to the recruiter and may consequently want a cheaper candidate.
The really bad recruiters, when asked outright for their client name, will start spinning a yarn how the search is confidential, they need to get me on the phone, or better yet have my resume blindly, or some other bullshit. This is where I stop responding.
Time and time again I found that getting on a phone with a recruiter at this early stage is a waste of time. I almost never get a follow-up interview. My theory is that it’s a sign of incompetence, they can’t assess my profile without speaking with me, and that translates to an inability to sell me as a candidate.
The problem with a quick chat is that it all adds up. If I agreed to every single chat request I would be spending a significant amount of a day just explaining my career path, confirming my employment authorisation or avoiding the salary question over and over again.