It is good to know, and see, the job market starting to improve.  However, for some very good reasons, most all of the open positions are being handed off to Recruiters or Headhunters to fill.  This is good since this also provides for a lot of jobs…But, here is the problem.  They are all over looking Me!

Most recruiters and headhunters follow an antiquated process to finding the people to fill the positions they are hired to fill.  There is No Thinking Outside of The Box on where to find candidates for the positions.  Job-Finders may say they do, but obviously they are not or they would have contacted me by now.

There are a few recruiters I know who tell me they are only going to look for candidates in ‘client prescribed areas’.   The Headhunters I know will sometimes take a different route than a recruiter but generally stay with searching their fraternity or sorority to find someone with a PHD to wow their client.  

To these two job-finders,  they gotta do what they gotta do.  I don’t blame them.  Plus, they are going to take the easy way out of finding candidates to present to their clients.

The fact is, there are other ways to finding candidates many…if not all..recruiters and headhunters will not use.  As far as I am concerned, these are mistakes they make in fulfilling their client’s request.

Here are the Top Three Mistakes Recruiters and Headhunters Make:

1. Recruiters and Headhunters may say, or promote, they are searched employed executives for their positions, but Recruiters very seldom contact people qualified for the position who are currently employed.   They certainly are not doing it as much as they need to be.   Right now, there are probably millions of people who are holding down jobs who absolutely hate what they are doing or are stuck in a job they like but would be interested in another position if asked.  This is the biggest mistake Recruiters make.  Headhunters do an adequate job of hitting on Top Executives  of companies to win them over for a client, but would never go to a mid-level, or first line, manager to inquire on their availability.  Hopefully this is going to change..or it should change if businesses are interested in finding people who would be perfect for the position.
2. Both Headhunters and Recruiters totally discount the value of the Baby Boomer generation.  Granted, on the top side of the ‘Boomer Gen’ they are getting over the 70 year old age, but there are still millions..if not billions…of the bottom end of the Boomer generation who are in their mid to lower 60’s who still can kick ass and take a lot of names.  A Headhunter might make contact to one or two of these well qualified business leaders, but recruiters will not venture in a large scale to searching the older generation.
3. One of the overwhelming mistakes the job finders will make is staying with the client’s request that all of the candidates they provide be ‘Papered’ (have college degrees, MBA’s or PHD’s).  It has been proven over and over again that the business people who will not considering Experience over Education are missing out on obtaining a person who can jump start their business and more than likely get them further ahead in their mission than the candidates they are provided who have a lot of College Debt.  Several studies in the process are indicating  managers or directors with only experience in a field, and no formal education, will out perform the highly educated individuals.  Plus, the people who have the experience are likely to stay with the company longer than those who have college educations.

These are the three mistakes I see headhunters and recruiters are making in today’s improving economy.  Hopefully, more will not make these mistakes and look for candidates who can do the job instead of candidates who appear to be able to do the job.  

Of course, let me know how I can help.