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You’re The 5th Recruiter But Giving Up Doesn’t Have To Be The First Option.

You just inked a new contract with a promising client.

Things are off to a good start as you quickly found a potential candidate and she also asked for the job description.

You sent it over with confidence because you have doctored the original JD using a combo of ChatGPT and your marketing skills. You have a strong belief that this will attract the candidate to initiate a discussion.

“Yes, let’s have a chat. You can reach me at this number.”

You dialed over and after breaking the ice and giving her the lowdown of the role, she asked “Is this from company X?”

In the next 10 seconds, she revealed you are the 5th recruiter to reach out to her for the same role.

As a recruiter, this is part and parcel and perhaps some will give up immediately.

However, before you do that, there are a couple of things you want to do to turn this into a possible win.

It works and I’m sharing it.

Instead of feeling down that you are the 5th recruiter, ask the candidate what has transpired thus far with the first four recruiters and if there has been any feedback or interviews with company X.

There are often days where there is no interview nor feedback despite the avalanche of recruiters.

Due to that, the candidate doesn’t even know if her application got through.

This is your chance to blaze through and give yourself and her a shot if you are convicted she’s the one after discussing her profile.

Recruiters are humans. Many are busy and it takes a strong level of commitment to interview (an hour) and prepare the profile (another hour) for send over in one setting.

Such “lapses” may allow you to slip through and clinch the trophy end of day.

Bonus tip:

Recruitment is a game of speed (and accuracy). When you are in an unclear situation like this, you want to maximize your effort.

Instead of preparing the profile according to your usual pre-set template, consider to have it sent raw to your client. You can do this once in a while and offer an explanation like “I find her profile very interesting and she is actively looking out. I wouldn’t want to lose her to other companies. Hence, I’m sending her profile raw for your quick review and would follow up with more details”

The HR or HM (hiring manager) might have received that profile before but dismissed it as irrelevant or not the strongest of the crop. They might not even know they have such a profile. What you write can change their mind and make them take note of this profile (second chance) and this is accrued as your work.

In this kind of situation, you can suggest the client to consider you as the recruiter who has provided them with that candidate profile because the first four recruiters failed to uncover the candidate’s fit whereas you did!

It remains a judgement call by the client but you have a quick shot.

The only situation whereby this can’t work is when the client sourced the candidate by themselves. Then of course, every recruiter including you are disqualified from the “rat race” (thankfully?)

Or if company X blindly insists that another recruiter has already sent in the profile to which, you can suggest gently while they sent in, they did not achieve the same level of due diligence to capture the attention of the hiring manager.

Again, this depends on the client but you want to maximize every opportunity and it is also a way to differentiate yourself.

Sometimes, you can get through this. And then there are days where you just have to move on.

If your client is favoring the other recruiter(s) over you, it’s also probably a matter of pricing. Sadly, some companies value pricing over quality of work and have no qualms denouncing your efforts just to save cost. They love to be “spammed” with CV and then regret their hiring decision a few months later. Another recruitment cum life lesson: You either pay now or pay later.

Gradually move away from such clients. You are not wrong to “ditch” them but if you pledge your loyalty sentimentally, you may end up with a lot more fruitless effort.

TL;DR:

• 5th recruiter? Don’t give up too soon. Put up a fight, show your mettle

• Gradually move away from company X (i.e. companies that use a party of recruiters)

p.s. The first recruiter may not always win. Not where you start, but how you finish.

p.p.s. A warm welcome to everyone who subscribed The Solo Recruiter. You are now a part of this Spartan tribe that wants to achieve great results in recruitment business. I call you Spartans because you mean BUSINESS.

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​About this newsletter: You are receiving this email because you subscribed to my weekly TSR (The Solo Recruiter) newsletter. Every other week, you learn the strategies that successful recruiters use to grow their businesses. If you are interested to launch your own agency, drop me a DM.