If I can't introduce myself to the guy, how am I ever meant to prove I'm not one of the many useless bottom-feeders he deals with on a daily basis?
If you're not going to show me qualified applicants without me signing a contract then you can't. Thats the point. There's no way for you to distinguish yourself within the current system of cold calls. I hate these calls, I get a few a week and in the 20-30 I've gotten in the last few months not one has convinced me they're worth putting paper in place with.
If you're not going to show me qualified applicants without me signing a contract then you can't. Thats the point.
A perfectly valid point. If it helps (it probably doesn't) the reasoning for this is generally straightforward:
1. Every rec COMPANY I've seen has a blanket ban on revealing candidate details prior to a signed contract.
2. If I send you someone amazing prior to getting a signed contract and someone else comes along a few days later and sends the same guy, you get the problem of agencies fighting over legal ownership. Happens all the time and I know quite a few companies that have a regular income from claiming ownership of other agencies candidates.
3. Recruiters are perpetually afraid of you cutting us out of the loop. They are absolutely aware of the fact that they are purely an introduction service. If they provide the introduction without having any guarantee of payment for that service they assume you'll go to the candidate directly and a lot of companies go out of their way to cut the recruiter out of the equation.
And this response, for me at least, captures the problem perfectly.
#1 - that ban won't exist on the disruptive company. The point is that if you are willing to trust the hiring company that will partner with you, then you don't need that ban.
#2 - "claiming ownership" is really sad, it shows the mindset of "owning" the candidate like the slave trade not introductions. If you can let go of the notion of "owning" you can say "Oh, did xyy bring them to your attention first, ok thanks." and move on.
#3 - Crappy recruiters should be afraid, a good recruiter should not. Yes there are companies that go out of their way to screw recruiters, choose not to work with them. You know if the second or third candidate they hire that you introduce them to was mysteriously introduced by someone else, just stop talking to them. There are other fish.
You're living the prisoner's dilemma in real time and it sucks, been there done that. Have a frank conversation with the company, make a relationship (you can start that with #1 and disclosing details early rather than later) and trust.
May be that it is completely naive to think one could partner with a recruiter, I hope not.
If you're not going to show me qualified applicants without me signing a contract then you can't. Thats the point. There's no way for you to distinguish yourself within the current system of cold calls. I hate these calls, I get a few a week and in the 20-30 I've gotten in the last few months not one has convinced me they're worth putting paper in place with.