![\"11](\"https:\/\/strategicsearch.com\/technical-recruiting-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/1.jpg\")
<\/p>\nHappy 2016! With the new year upon us and many companies hiring again, a prudent job seeker\u2019s New Year\u2019s resolutions should include preparing for a job change. One avenue that can assist you is having a professional, executive recruiter in your corner. Unfortunately, there are a lot of bad recruiters.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Though most of my 30 years staffing experience has focused upon technical recruiting and engineering recruiting, there are 11 universal signs that can help you uncover a bad recruiter. These signals transcend my personal focus on technical recruitment and engineering recruitment and apply to any staffing situation. Especially during your first call with a recruiter, here are eleven red flags to watch for:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n 1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The recruiter calling you about a position that has nothing to do with your career path just because they spotted a few keywords in your resume<\/span><\/strong>. One technology candidate of mine shared, \u201cone engineering recruitment firm repeatedly called and e-mailed me about jobs for different software gigs that have zero connection to my own experience.\u201d<\/p>\n 2.\u00a0\u00a0 The recruiter asking you questions that you clearly and definitively answered in your resume<\/span><\/strong>. For example, your resume clearly stating where you went to school, but the recruiter (not bothering to look) asking what school you attended?<\/p>\n 3.\u00a0\u00a0 The recruiter asking you unrelated questions<\/strong><\/span>. For example, if you are an engineering candidate and the job vacancies are for either automation, design, process, manufacturing, or industrial engineering related, the recruiter asking you about your typing skills. This has nothing to do with the talent requirement and is a sign of a poor recruiter.<\/p>\n 4.\u00a0\u00a0 Being a poor listener<\/span><\/strong>. Unfortunately, many recruiters just like to hear themselves talk. This is a sign of a poor recruiter. Instead, I have instructed all of my engineering recruiters and technical recruiters to listen carefully to a job candidate\u2019s answers. These responses dictate whether this candidate will fit a given job vacancy or not. This skill also better meets your needs.<\/p>\n 5.\u00a0\u00a0 The recruiter talking to you in a very unprofessional way<\/span><\/strong>. This can include poor grammar, a lot of slangs or even profanity. These are all signs of an incompetent recruiter.<\/p>\n 6.\u00a0\u00a0 The recruiter asking for references early in your conversation<\/span><\/strong>. (Caveat: Also, do not put your references on your resume). This faux pas is not only improper, but also, if they check your references without your written approval, can be considered illegal.<\/p>\n 7.\u00a0\u00a0 Lack of earnestness<\/span><\/strong>. The recruiter interviewing you for a position that they have\u00a0already decided not to present you for. This is usually done to fill interview quotas at their staffing agency.<\/p>\n 8.\u00a0\u00a0 Unwillingness to communicate with you<\/span><\/strong>. This can take the form of dismissiveness. For example, you are well qualified for a key technical position, but they simply don’t even bother to try and arrange your interview. Additionally, if you’ve made it past the initial screening phase, but the recruiter is not in regular contact with you. As a rule of thumb, our technical recruiters and engineering recruiters usually contact our candidates at least weekly while they are still under consideration for the hiring process.<\/p>\n 9.\u00a0\u00a0 The recruiter not working in mutual interest<\/span><\/strong>. This one is subtler and a little difficult to pick-up on, but the recruiter should be working to help both you and the company. If they don\u2019t seem like they are, they probably aren’t.<\/p>\n