I don’t get a lot of recruiter spam – maybe because I don’t just randomly connect with everyone on LinkedIn, maybe because I don’t apply the right tags. Either way, the spam is limited, but when they do reach out, it seldom goes anywhere. Here are some tips and tricks for recruiting me specifically. If you’re a recruiter and you disagree with these steps, you are going to have to argue your case with a lot of skill.
Step 1: Don’t obfuscate
You save time and effort by being upfront with the values page of your client’s website. Telling me who they are and what they want me to do allows me to vet them for certain red flags which might not apply for other candidates. I will not work for a gambling group, and have low interest in FinTech. Sending me the company page lets me make my own decisions about whether I agree enough with their stated vision and mission to engage further with you.
If you’re concerned that I might choose to skip the middle person and apply directly on my own, then tell me so. I will respect you more for asking me to apply through you than I will for the blind mass-messaging which tells me nothing about what you’re doing. I know the value of a good tech recruiter, I have no problem with letting you do your job properly.
Obfuscation doesn’t just happen regarding the client and their values or industry. It happens with salary bands, hybrid vs remote vs in-office, and job level. I am not going to bite on a mid-level developer role. I know my own experience puts me properly into senior or above, and I expect to see that reflect in the opportunities coming my way.
Step 2: Do your research
I know you’re a busy person, reaching out to a lot of candidates, jumping from video call to video call. I also know that there is enough about me on my LinkedIn, and here on my blog, that you can pre-vet the opportunities you’re hiring me for. If they’re just the latest shiny FinTech startup with more money than sense, you can keep going. If they are actually changing the world, then I want to hear about it.
I don’t want a blind message which clearly went to 100 people with a fancy script. I want to know that you have read my page, you know that I have what you’re looking for, and that there is a gap you think I can fill. I am not looking for the next biggest paycheck, I’m looking to make a difference.
Step 3: Be honest
If you’re taking a chance, tell me so. Come in with an “I know its a stretch, but would you consider”. I know this industry. I know the difference between the different types of roles people are looking for. Don’t hedge your bets and tell me they’re looking for full-stack and back-end developers when they are looking for someone to vibe code a NodeJS web-app.
Step 4: Maintain the conversation
You are the one driving this conversation at the beginning. You have ascertained that I have an interest, however small, in the role you are selling me. We have reached the point where I say I am willing to schedule a conversation – and I even give you my private contact details. I am not going to book time in your Calendly. That would be if I was reaching out to you, no, I want to see how you handle the scheduling dance when I tell you I am available on certain afternoons before 3pm, and to please just send the calendar invite.
If I tell you I am willing to speak on the phone, but I need you to schedule the time, that is not me being difficult. That is me accommodating my need for structure in the day. If you’ve followed step 2 you already know I’m not neuro-typical. My brain is probably not wired the same as yours. In a lot of ways that is why I’m a good candidate, but it does make me a bit more work. I need you to put in that effort, as you would with any relationship, because otherwise you will lose out.
In conclusion
These four things feel obvious to me, but given that I have come up with them based on hat recruiters didn’t do and I wish they would, apparently they’re not. This suggests that I am a bit of an oddball in your space, and that maybe you need to treat me a little differently. I have found that I am usually not the only one with this set of requests, so you may want to ask around and see if people agree with me. You may feel you need to complain about me telling you how to do your job; if so, please go recruit someone else.
I’m looking for openness, honesty, and a willingness to try. From the recruiters as well as the people I consider working with and/or for. This doesn’t even go near the odd things I would love to negotiate for if the package isn’t quite the right shape.
Pippa Hillebrand 