Why don’t recruiters call me?
I used to get calls from executive recruiters all the time but haven’t heard from one in quite some time. Why is this?
I’m not sure of the nature of your discussions with recruiters but following are some of the reasons why I may not reach out to someone with whom I’ve previously connected.
Searches I am working on are not a fit. This seems fairly obvious but I am not going to reach out to someone if I don’t think the individual has high potential of winning the job (e.g. fits requirements and aligns with culture). If I’m working on a CMO search, I’m not going to contact a Director of Marketing, even though the individual would love to be considered.
I have a dated view of your skill set and interests. I sometimes lose track of someone and may not know if the person has been promoted, changed jobs or gained new skills. Make sure Linkedin is updated with current skill information. I would also suggest sending an update resume to your search contacts as well as some bullets on your interests and timing in making a move. Don’t be shy in managing the relationship with your executive search professionals.
You’ve made questionable career moves. Some career changes are easily explained, even if they don’t pan out. But if your decisions don’t make sense or if you are falling into the category of “job-hopper”, my client won’t be interested in assuming that risk.
You are too narrow in opportunities that you will consider. I prefer working with individuals who have clear career objectives in making a move. But sometimes individuals can get very narrow in what they will consider. If you have a set of 10 requirements and I can only meet 8 with my client’s profile, I won’t call you. Make sure you are clear on requirements vs. preferences.
You like to “window shop” and are not serious about making a career move. I want to be clear that I am fine working with individuals who are exploring the market and who are attempting to identify if there are opportunities that will be a significant upgrade to their current role. That is different from the individual who likes the attention of interviewing but really has no interest in making a move.
As a prior candidate, you blew it. I don’t have many of these but there are a few individuals who made some huge errors in the recruitment process. Some of the reasons: you didn’t prepare for the interviews, you demonstrated a lack of integrity or maturity with me or the client, your references were negative, etc.
My clients expect the top-talent from Olympia and I need to be careful about protecting my brand.
A suggestion is to send a note to your search contacts every 4-6 months simply to stay top of mind with them. In your notes, you can explain some of your recent activity or share some personal or professional accomplishments.
