Has the Internet made us stop valuing real people and their specific skills?

I am a recruiter. Let me underscore that; I am a professional recruiter and strange as that may sound what I do actually does have a significant impact.

I do make an impact on people’s lives and careers.

Yes, I have filled many positions that require individuals to relocate across the country and indeed internationally. Of course this has a massive impact on people’s lives, and also the lives of their families and especially their children. It’s not anything that anyone should undertake lightly. Therefore I take pride in offering a thoughtful, thorough and highly professional service because it matters. It matters to candidates, it matters to businesses and it matters to me very much.

A lack of understanding about experience and professionalism can be frustrating

So it almost goes without saying that I take what I do very seriously, of course I do. Strange as this may sound to some people my role is not just about sending a CV to a company and hoping there is a match. The whole recruitment process is complex and time consuming. Sometimes my frustration boils over when people don’t think about what we do and today happens to be one of those days.

Does business etiquette still have a place?

Behind every email, text and quick communication is a person.

Last week I produced a podcast with my colleague Vivienne Neale. We talked about business etiquette. I think we must have touched on a nerve as there have been 2128 views so far. In the podcast we discussed how, because people initially appear as if they are just avatars and C.V.s, people are often not treated with respect. We discussed ghosting and how people make contact then simply disappear without trace. More importantly they make appointments then don’t show up or call back.

It appears these behaviours are just the tip of the iceberg.

Just recently I came across a link where professional recruiters were talking about the work that goes into finding positions for candidates when they have simply gone through the job search process to get a rise. Yes, that might well end up as a positive for individuals but all the effort, skill and experience, time and phone calls etc. goes unpaid. When you put potential clients forward it does nothing for a recruiters’ professional reputation when people pull out without a valid reasons. This is where a reminder that people do work on behalf of others is probably appropriate.

Is it time we started to remember that people are behind every post, comment, CV etc.?

Lack of business etiquette is just the tip of the iceberg

It strikes me that because the Internet has given so many opportunities to everyone they are beginning not to be valued. Contingency recruiters do send cv’s and get paid for the number they manage to send. But we are professional recruiters and our modus operandi is very different. We do have an impact on people’s lives, businesses and careers and everything we do really matters. We have a significant impact on the clients with whom we work. Yes, and in some cases impact on sales, profitability, improved morale and reduced costs. So therefore it would be appropriate to be on the receiving end of business etiquette once in a while.

How do professional recruiters add value?

In essence I feel that professional recruiters add value to both candidates and clients that we work with. How do we do this? Well, I thought a list would briefly outline our skills. After all we are

• Professional

• Ethical

• On time

• Good listeners

• Confident

• Skilled communicators

• Driven

• Diligent

• Persistent

• Dependable

So it can be very upsetting when these skills are simply devalued. One recruiter responded to an article about another professional recruiter actually demanding 7k from a candidate who declined a job offer. He said:

‘I actually think the company has a point. The problem with contingency recruitment is that you are entirely at the whim of both the candidate and the client. Neither party values the process and I think that charging candidates who just use you to get a pay rise, in some cases from their existing employer, should incur a charge perhaps a percentage of the pay rise they achieve.’

Yes, contingency recruiters have had an impact.

I actually think the company has a valid point. Perhaps the problem with contingency recruitment is that you are entirely at the whim of both candidate and client. Consequently neither party values the process. Therefore on a bad day I think that charging candidates who just use you to get a pay rise should incur that charge Is that too radical? Maybe, but wouldn’t it make people think about the work other people go to in these instances. It doesn’t happen by magic. What do you think?

Tell us what you think in the comments?

We will be dealing with this in more detail in pour next podcast. Meanwhile you can listen to the last one that kicked off all the discussion right here. Go on let's discuss this and see what people really think Last we