How to talk to an executive recruiter (as a job-seeker)
There are a lot of different variables that will contribute to your success in working with an executive recruiter. For example, the level and depth of industry and domain experience the recruiter has within the industry you’re exploring.
That being said, you can have the rockstar executive recruiter in your corner with years of experience networking and operating within your specific domain and still have it fail if one specific part of your relationship is dysfunctional – your communication.
As someone who has spent decades building teams and placing executives around the world, I’ve seen first-hand how great communication between a candidate and their executive recruiter can catapult them to new heights in their career. But I’ve also seen the opposite happen – when broken down communication can lead to not-so-great outcomes and missed opportunities.
That’s why I wanted to take a moment to give you all a primer on how you should talk to an executive recruiter if you’re a job-seeker on the lookout for your next leadership position. Because, even if you don’t work with us, we still want to see you be as successful as you can be in your search.
Be talkative and open from the beginning
From the very start of your conversations with an executive recruiter – even before you agree to work together – you need to remember that your viability as a candidate is always being assessed. And a few of the most important questions an executive recruiter will be asking themselves in those initial touchpoints are:
“Does this person have a story that makes it easy to market or position them?”
“Do they have a clear understanding of their goals, strengths, and weaknesses?”
“Will they be an active participant in their own success?”
You want the answer to each of those questions to be a full-bodied “YES!” Which means you need to show up to those conversations in a way that communicates you see yourself as active in the process, you know what you’re looking for, and you’re not going to “play hard to get” with your recruiter about your story.
🔎 RELATED ARTICLE: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR JOB SEEKERS WORKING WITH RECRUITERS
Why active vs. passive matters to your executive recruiter
Using myself as an example, it’s clear when my executive candidates want a job that I’ve put in front of them. On the other hand, if you’re one of my candidates and you’re passive about an opportunity, I can see that, too. When that happens, that can make me less confident about fighting for you and working for you.
To be clear, when I say “passive,” I don’t mean you’re not interested in an opportunity and you are actively communicating with me about that. Quite the contrary – honesty is essential when working with an executive recruiter, so faking enthusiasm for a role you wouldn’t take in a million years is also a huge don’t. When I say “passive,” I’m talking about those instances with candidates whose words say “excited” and “interested,” but their actions and demeanor are clearly the opposite.
So, when you think about what it means to be an active participant in the process with your executive recruiter, it’s much more about how involved and engaged you are. When you’re excited about an opportunity, show it. When you’re not excited about an opportunity, still show up with an active posture and engage in a proactive dialogue about what you don’t like about it and why.
You’re not under scrutiny with an executive recruiter in every conversation, but they do need you to “show up” in the process, in every sense – and they’ll notice if you don’t.
Don’t make your executive recruiter chase you down
This holds true if you’re working with a recruiter of any kind – no matter what type of role you’re seeking – but it is especially true in the world of executive recruiting. You need to have a proactive approach to your communication with your recruiters, and that includes proactively talking to them about your availability.
Often, executive opportunities will pop up on a recruiter’s radar with little-to-no notice, and they will require an almost immediate response. So, if you see a text message pop up from your executive recruiter that requires an ASAP response, respond as soon as humanly possible. “ASAP” does not mean EOB or the next business day in the executive recruiting world; it often means within the next 30 minutes, if not sooner.
Of course, you may not always be available for that level of communication, particularly if you’re in a leadership role currently where your company is not aware you’re looking – and you’d like to keep it that way. Executive recruiters get that, but you still need to talk to them.
Talk to them about when you’ll be unavailable. Talk to them about ways they can reach you during those “unavailable” moments, if possible, if something critically important and time-sensitive comes up. If you have an interview, talk to your executive recruiter proactively about how it went.
No matter what the context is, when in doubt, proactively talk to your executive recruiter. This isn’t dating. The last thing your executive recruiter wants to deal with is the “thrill of the chase.” Don’t play hard to get. The best strategy to get what you want is communication.
Finally, don’t forget to listen
Yes, being an open, active, proactive talker is what your executive recruiter most wants in this world. But great communication in an executive recruiting relationship is not one-sided. That means there will be moments when the most important thing you can do is listen.
The right executive recruiter will be working for you day and night, advocating for your needs. They will also be an invaluable coach, who will dispense advice and offer constructive feedback that facilitates the achievement of your career goals.
Don’t rush to judgment or become defensive. Your executive recruiter is in your corner and is an expert in what it will take for you to land the executive position you’ve been searching for. So, in those moments, don’t talk. First, listen and be open to learning.
