Recruiters At The Reins?

When Do You Take the Reins?

One of the biggest ethical concerns a recruiter faces is when to make decisions for the client and the candidate.  Steven Kempton wrote on this issue back in June, when he discussed the relationship-building skills of recruiting.  In that post, Steven wrote:

As Danny Cahill says. "The biggest compliment a recruiter can get is when a candidate, knowing you get paid a fee if he/she takes your offer, still says to you, "What do you think I should do?".

Candidates, and hiring managers, often turn to their recruiters to ask for assistance because they are looking for reassurance that the choices they want to make are the right ones.  This is not uncommon in any sales situation, as many buyers fear making a mistake in their purchase.  The dilemma for the recruiter is the same as that for the salesman of appliances, cars, or large software products.  When one of your clients asks your opinion, where is the line between "selling" and "advising?"  Is it possible to remain objective when you benefit from a transaction?

Some recruiters recoil from the suggestion, refusing to nudge the candidate or hiring manager in one direction or the other.  After all, offering advice puts you in a position to accept part of the responsibility if the hire goes wrong.  If it doesn't work out, are you going to refund the fee or work for free?  Some recruiters always say "move forward," and then fall back to a position of "it's not my fault" when the hire does go sour.

The problem with both of those methods is they are recruiter-centric instead of client-centric.  The other problem is both work, sometimes far better than getting involved in the decision-making process of who and how to hire.

As I said, it's an ethical dilemma, and it invariably comes down to the type of salesperson (and all recruiters are salespeople) you want to be.  Are you willing to invest some of yourself in a transaction? Are you willing to put your word, if not your money on the line?  Or do you see your role as that of a seller of goods, responsible only for the transaction.  What makes recruiting such a complex business is there is no clear answer.