To get a feel for how the general population feels about Recruiters, type “Recruiters are” into Google and see what comes up… it’s not flattering. Unfortunately, some of the unsavory adjectives that auto-populate have been earned.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs in IT have grown at a 5x pace over every other job combined since around 2006. And with under a 2% unemployment rate, it is no wonder that IT pro’s emails and voicemails are blasted by various talent acquisition people weekly.
So, how does one evaluate which Technical Recruiter to work with when a work transition may be on the horizon? Most times, these interactions happen by pure chance. When I was in the Twin Cities for the Minnesota CIO Orbie Awards this fall, Mike McNamara told a story about how he became the CIO of Target in 2015. A recruiter with his same last name called and Mike thought it could potentially be a long-lost relative, so he answered – mistakenly. A professional relationship hatched between the Recruiter on the other end and Mike, and lo and behold, Mike became CIO of one of the world’s largest retailers, Target.
I believe the relationship should emulate that of professional sports. Sports figures hire agents, who then advocate for their athletes’ best interests. The difference is that Recruiters do not have inroads to every job opportunity as agents do for team franchises. Therefore, technology workers will sometimes work with a host of recruiters. It can be mind-numbing to keep track, and then, how can one be sure of ethics? What if an agency recruiter sends the IT professional’s resume out to a variety of clients and even non-clients without checking to see if that is okay first? Blasting out a resume for a highly sought-after skilled technical professional might allow the unscrupulous recruiter to then, lay claim to a potential commission even without the prior knowledge or okay.
At TriCom, we believe value starts first, by being an advocate like an agent to an athlete. Having signed multiple Master Services Agreements with over 50 active client companies, we are not beholden to only a handful of organizations. The roles we recruit for change drastically from month to month and that allows us to focus on career conversations. What makes the most sense long-term versus trying to fit someone into what could be no better than a lateral transfer?
We also believe in 3rd party testing to validate technical skills as well as making sure we have a signed “right to represent” before we send a candidate’s resume to a client partner of ours. And while this all sounds good on paper, how does the average person truly validate a recruiter’s and the staffing firm’s credentials?
A while back, TriCom began a partnership with Great Recruiters. Great Recruiters, founded and owned by Adam Conrad, is an experience management platform for Recruiters to receive “real-time, actionable insights”. A Glassdoor, if you will, for candidates to review their experiences with recruiters at the desk level. It also helps to confirm to our team that it’s not just the TriCom brand at stake, it’s their brand too.
In October, Great Recruiters named 49 national “Top Recruiters” in Q3. These are Recruiters who had received a minimum of 26 reviews for the quarter receiving a 4.65 rating or higher. With every industry vertical represented (not just IT), and with a national scope, TriCom landed 6 professionals on the list – Jim Erhard, Marissa Vore, Brenda Geisler, Hayley Clark, Sabrina Hanly, and Sarah DeVore.
I’m proud to say that is half our team, making up 12% of Great Recruiter’s list. It’s one thing to say what you do, it’s quite another when there is proof. I’m proud of these individuals and all our Recruiters who live by our values and do things the right way. It’s just one way we show our work. Having trust starts with transparency, advocacy, and performance. Congrats Jim, Marissa, Brenda, Hayley, Sabrina, and Sarah – you all earn it, each day, at desk level.
“Becoming a top-rated recruiter is a huge accomplishment for those individuals. It shows they are committed to providing exceptional service and are open to receiving feedback on the quality of service they provide. Being top-rated means that they consistently receive feedback and high-rated reviews. For an organization to have six recruiters receive this distinction is a testament to the quality of that organization and their focus on employing only the greatest recruiters the industry has to offer”
– Adam Conrad, Founder/CXO of Great Recruiters
