Here's the standard pitch that I hear from recruiters who are 'phoning it in to work'
"Hey, I have this exciting opportunity and I really want to talk to you about it, please give me a call and I'll go over it."
Translation.
"Hey, I stumbled across you while googling and I have no idea if you'll fit anything I have but I want you to call me because that shows you are looking."
Failure. You're only going to get lame candidates who are seeking for a way out of their current job.
Here's another one that i get since i have "agile coach" on my resume.
"This company is looking for someone to do agile software development."
Translation.
"This company doesn't do agile, but they want to be buzzword compliant so if they hire you they can say they're agile."
Failure. Agile software is a team thing and must be supported by the business units who want the software.
This one is the absolute worst.
"Looking for project manager for 6 month project."
Translation
"Looking for a scape goat to blame this failing project on because we're 9 months behind and over budget but it just won't die."
Failure. Don't let the client fool you on this. You want to bring good candidates to good companies, not ruin your reputation.
So here's what I suggest for technical recruiters.
- Showing that you're not trying to find the right candidate for the right job by spamming out randomly at people who fit the general buzzwordiness of the job description only makes it readily apparent that you care nothing about the candidate but only the placement.
- Learn the lingo beyond just the buzzword. Understand the buzzwords and why people are spouting them off.
- Understand your client and why they're hiring the position because good candidates are going to ask and you don't want to look like a moron saying "Huh? Well I don't know why they have this open position. I guess I am wasting your time."
Bottom line, if you care about your candidates more than you care about your clients then you will build lasting networks that you can re-use. Good candidates placed into good career opportunities become great clients eventually.