Merriam-Webster.com defines a head-hunter as a “a recruiter of personnel especially at the executive level,” or “an athlete who intentionally seeks to harm an opponent.” Strangely, and unfortunately all too often, the term often carries the negative connotation of someone with the desire to harm. This misconception about professional recruiters leads to widespread scepticism of their efficacy. When qualified candidates seek the services of a recruitment agency, the same questions are frequently asked. “What exactly is it that your company does? How does this process work? Do you take a cut of my salary?” Because so many have the same questions in mind, certain improvements to the recruitment process have been put into place.
Recruiters have now learned to treat people like people. All prospective workers deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. The last thing a person seeking to make a living for themselves and/or their families wants is to feel like a toy in a “cat-and-mouse” game. Misleading firms might do this by posting fake jobs online. Many unemployed individuals are professionals seeking a second chance at what they’ve done before, or they’re pursuing a new career path. They turn to recruiters because they trust and depend on recruiters’ expertise. It’s the recruiter’s responsibility to give honest assessments and realistic feedback to both clients and potential candidates.
In a perfect world, qualified candidates would always succeed in nailing down good job opportunities, but we know that’s not always the case in today’s tight job market. Some recruiters hastily “guarantee” positions, when in reality they are unable to fulfill their promise. A reputable recruitment agency will manage the expectations of both the clients and candidates by presenting the facts only. They’ll cover all outcomes of the process, not just the ones most favourable to the client.
A recruiter’s role is to bridge or bring together the appropriate client and candidate to efficiently complete employment tasks. Oftentimes, there is an interchange of selling and sharing in order to merge the two effectively. To build a foundation of trust with clients, good recruiters in Toronto now do less talking (sharing or selling the qualifications) and practice more listening. Instead of layering on mounds of information, a recruiter asks more probing questions and intently listens to the responses. This ensures a more legitimate relationship that could yield more positive results. If you are now looking to find the best Toronto headhunters out there, remember these words of advice during your search and during your interactions with them.
The Toronto employment or recruitment industry, like any industry, consists of many good apples along with a few bad ones. Because all the good and bad apples are stored in the same barrel, it can be difficult to distinguish quality. Since the recruiter or headhunter’s image is already tarnished through misconceptions, regulation in the industry would greatly increase the likelihood of success stories. A recruiter can take more responsibility in improving the reputation of the business by showing more scrutiny in the experience as well as the outcome of a search. Following the “golden rule” also speaks volumes in helping to transform many of those “bad apples” into sweet success stories.
