Don’t Be Surprised: Have An Established Relationship With A Recruiter

When you have an established relationship with a recruiter you trust, you have less to worry about in the future since they are in your corner and have your back.

Imagine my surprise when I checked my email and received the following message, “We are deeply sorry, but after 10 years of operation we have to shut down our fitness center.” At first this may not seem important or life changing; however, it’s difficult when you have developed a habit over a couple of years and now suddenly what you always expected to be present will not be there at the end of the year. What was I to do? I knew I would have to find a new gym to workout at, but that was not an easy task. I remember how long it took me to find this gym, and I did not want to go through that process again. Oh, how I wish I had someone who I could trust to help me in this new quest!  That is when I realized that there was no such thing as a recruiter that helps people find new gyms. If there was such a thing, I would have searched to create an established relationship with a recruiter ASAP. 

The Value Of Trusted Help: Find & Create An Established Relationship With A Recruiter

This made me start to think about how much our candidates must trust us. They share their intimate business thoughts with us. Sometimes we are complete strangers, but you trust us. It is because you know in your heart that we are truly looking out for your best interest – at least the good recruiters are. That trust you place in us is so important to a successful resolution of your hiring needs.  Without that trust we cannot represent you to the best of our abilities.  That trust is what will make an exceptional placement versus a good one. By sharing what is important to you about your next move (I am talking about what is deep down in your psyche, not the surface knee jerk-response), we can better find you that perfect match. It is helpful to have a trusted and established relationship with a recruiter, even if you are not currently looking to make a move. Recently I have been working with a bond counsel and have been collaborating with this person on and off for a good couple of years. We never have seemed to have found the right opportunity until now. But what I am sharing with you is that this candidate completely trusts us to help them make all the decisions. Not just the important ones.  They are using us as their trusted advisor and as such we have been able to look at all aspects of this new position, those apparent and those not so apparent. The not so apparent ones that we are working on together will really make this position a great move for this candidate.

The Trusted Relationship You Need, 

Even If You Aren’t Planning On Making A Move Now

Back to the gym. As I mentioned above, I felt at a complete loss with them closing their doors. Where was I to go? Again, I thought about the candidates that I have worked with where, for one reason or another, their firms closed their doors.  Where were they to go?  As a recruiter you run into these circumstances more than you want.  No one ever wants to be let go for a RIF or a conflict when a merger occurs.  Like the gym, the problem is that you do not have any advanced notice of the pending situation.  For if you did you would already be looking for a new position as you would have an inkling that something is not right.  Again, having an established relationship with a recruiter and working with them over the years, they can immediately step up their game to help you. If you have an established relationship with a recruiter, even though you have not made a move, you are better off.  Why? Because you have built that trusted relationship, and you can start immediately to rectify your current situations.  For this reason, I always recommend that if a recruiter who is an expert in your field reaches out to you, take that call. Do not be concerned that since you are not ready to make a move that you and the recruiter are wasting time. That could not be further from the truth.  A good recruiter will always want to get to know you and your particular situation. If they are an opportunistic recruiter, they can always create new opportunities for candidates on a regular basis.

Opportunities That Arise When You Have An Established Relationship With A Recruiter

Just this week I must have had two or three calls with candidates that I know are not ready to make a move in 2021. However, they asked me to have the call with them, and I certainly obliged because any time I can talk to professionals within my field I want to. You never know where they will lead.  One of the calls I had no opportunities available for him when he reached out for that preliminary call; yet 24 hours later, one of my clients mentioned that they are expanding into a new locale, which just happens to be where this individual is from. Since he trusted me, he opened up to me and may be looking at a new opportunity in 2022. You never know what the future may hold, but it is a wise choice to have an established relationship with a recruiter you can trust to be in your corner along the way. Let us start the conversation now before you have to due to a pending closure like my gym scenario.

Conclusion

If you would like to discuss your options, please reach out for a confidential conversation at 760-477-1284 or email at [email protected]. He can also be reached on LinkedIn. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter here, which is a compilation of our weekly blogs, so you never miss one. You can find our listing in the “supplier and services” section of the Red Book under the title of “executive recruiting”.

About Harlan Friedman, JD & Founding Member, H. Friedman Search LLC. Harlan is a thirty-year veteran Public Finance Banker turned recruiter who specializes in the placement of all levels Public Finance Bankers, Healthcare Bankers, Municipal Advisors, Compliance Officers, Issuers, and Bond Counsels.