what questions to ask a recruiter about a job
Past Jeff Gillis
When you lot're looking for a new task, working with a recruiter is an incredibly smart motion. You become a job search marry who tin can assistance you lot observe your perfect match. But, if you want to get the virtually out of the relationship, you need to have excellent questions to ask recruiters at the fix.
Why?
Because you lot can acquire more about the recruiter'due south expertise, the kinds of roles they fill up, and specific opportunities. That'south all ridiculously important.
If you want to make sure yous're prepared for your coming together, here's what you need to know about these pros, along with case questions to enquire a recruiter.
What Is a Recruiter?
Alright, before we get into the questions to ask recruiters, let's take a step back and explore what a recruiter actually is. At the cadre, recruiters are professionals that assistance companies fill vacant positions. They acquire about the job and screen candidates to see if they are a good friction match. They even work with candidates to set them upward for success, helping them tighten their resumes and strop their job interview skills.
But it'due south of import to empathise that not all recruiters are the same. One of the biggest things to call up is that recruiters tin exist internal or external to a company.
In some cases, businesses have recruiters on staff. Why? Because they tin elevate the candidate experience. And, because that 89 percent of task seekers will accept a task faster after contact with a recruiter, information technology speeds up hiring.
Internal recruiters focus on filling jobs at that company specifically. They don't await for candidates for positions outside of that business organisation.
External recruiters operate differently. These candidate-seeking pros work for staffing firms, recruitment agencies, or independently. Companies outsource their recruitment to these professionals, and then those recruiters may fill openings at a whole slew of businesses.
Understanding what kind of recruiter you lot're speaking with is a must. That manner, when y'all're choosing questions to ask a recruiter, y'all focus on the right ones.
Top 20 Questions to Inquire a Recruiter
At present it's fourth dimension to dig into what you lot've been waiting for: the top twenty questions to inquire recruiters. These questions will assist you larn more about a recruiter's services, exciting opportunities, and much, much more.
JEFF'S TIP: When you meet with a recruiter, they may be considering you for a specific opportunity or several. As a result, you may need to option and cull when yous're deciding on questions to ask a recruiter, as they don't all make sense in every scenario. Be selective! It's better to ask a shorter list of intelligent questions than boom the recruiter with every question. You'll make a better impression that way, and that tin can make a world of departure.
1. Do you lot recruit for only one visitor or several?
If you lot don't already know if you're meeting with an internal or external recruiter, this should be the first question yous ask. It allows y'all to decide what jobs they may be trying to fill, as well as how much reach the recruiter may take in the local area.
However, you do demand to sympathise that the recruiter may but give you a general respond and not a list of employers they piece of work with. Why? Because they may be bound past a contract that prevents them from sharing the company names until it looks like a candidate is a potent fit.
ii. Tin can you give me the job description for the role you're considering me for?
This question is all nigh getting an overview of the position. Y'all desire to discover out about any must-take skills or traits and the job'south responsibilities, and this is the way to get that information.
3. Is this position new, or is it a backfill?
Knowing whether someone else previously worked in the position is helpful. While neither reply is inherently "right" or "wrong," what the recruiter shares ever opens up opportunities to learn more than.
For example, if the position is new, you may want to ask why it was created. If it's a backfill, yous might want to find out why the person is no longer in the role. For example, did they leave the visitor? Were they promoted into a college-level job?
iv. How long has the position been vacant?
With this question, you can glean some insights nearly the hiring process or the hiring manager's mindset. If it's been several months, that could indicate that the hiring director is highly selective or that at that place is some kind of challenge that'southward preventing them from choosing a candidate. Information technology could also mean that filling the part isn't a priority or that the process is long.
5. How apace are you trying to fill this position?
This is another question that gives you clues about the timeline and whether there's a sense of urgency. If the company wants a new rent in place as before long as possible, the balance of the hiring process might be incredibly quick. If the hiring manager wants to take their time to observe the correct lucifer, it could be a while before you hear about a decision.
6. Tin can yous describe the position's manager?
When you're coming together with a recruiter about a position, y'all aren't interviewing with the person who supervises the role. While you lot will probable meet the manager before an offering is extended, that doesn't hateful you shouldn't find out what you tin can about them now. That mode, you can get together details near their management fashion or personality earlier you movement forward.
7. Have other candidates been passed over? If so, why?
If you can get any information near why a candidate wasn't chosen already, seize that opportunity. While this may non be relevant for positions that accept merely been listed, if the spot has been vacant for months, it is.
Getting a run a risk to find out why other candidates aren't moving forward serves two functions. Start, you can discover why they were rejected, giving yous an opportunity to make up one's mind if your skills or experience are enough. Second, information technology gives you clues most how choosy the hiring director is being.
8. What are the tiptop three necessary skills for this job?
Here, you find out whether what you bring to the tabular array might be a match. Additionally, information technology tin can give you lot information that may assistance you lot revamp your resume in a way that appeals to the hiring director or come with answers to job interview questions that best demonstrate those abilities.
9. Can y'all depict the visitor's civilisation?
Culture fit is disquisitional for long-term success. Even if the position itself sounds amazing, if you don't mesh with the workplace, believe in the company's mission, or share similar values, you may not enjoy the job.
10. How long have you lot worked for/with the company? What well-nigh this specific hiring managing director?
Gauging the human relationship between the recruiter, the visitor, and the hiring manager is a wise move.
If the recruiter is new to the company or hasn't worked with the hiring manager previously, they may just accept a surface-level understanding of the position. But, if they take a long relationship with the employer and hiring managing director, they probably have detailed knowledge.
Now, this doesn't mean that a shorter relationship is a trouble. Information technology just lets y'all know that the recruiter might not have all of the answers.
11. Has the hiring manager e'er passed on meeting a candidate you lot recommended?
This question is a flake blunt, simply it lets you know how seriously the hiring manager takes recommendations from the recruiter. Additionally, it could requite clues about the recruiter's ability to find strong matches for the position.
12. Tin can yous tell me well-nigh turnover at this company?
Finding out about turnover is a smart motion. High turnover can be a sign that working for the visitor comes with some challenges. Low turnover indicates that people, generally, enjoy being in that location, every bit they aren't leaving for jobs with competitors.
13. What's the bounty package for this position like?
While asking a hiring manager about pay during an initial meeting is ordinarily a no-become, information technology's fair game when you're dealing with a recruiter, especially an external ane. Ideally, they'll be able to give you an overview of the salary range and bachelor benefits, allowing you to decide if the task meets your needs earlier in the procedure.
14. What's the candidate pick process like?
Information technology's always smart to find out what'south on the horizon. The recruiter should exist able to tell y'all virtually the main stages, including whether there are multiple interviews, skills tests, screenings, or other steps involved. In some cases, they'll also have a articulate timeline, though that isn't always the case.
15. Where is the workplace located?
This question might non be necessary if you're interviewing with an internal recruiter. You'll know what company they're recruiting for, then you may already know where the role is.
But, if yous're working for an external recruiter, you need to ask this question. That way, you can decide if the physical location works for yous.
16. Is working remotely an option? If so, is it a long-term choice, or will that modify?
For many professionals, the power to work-from-home is a coveted benefit. It gives you a level of flexibility, making work-life remainder easier to manage.
However, during COVID-19, a ton of jobs went remote that usually aren't. In fact, an estimated 31 percentage of professionals who were working in March were working from home by the first week in April.
Just, even if a position involves working-from-home today, that doesn't mean it volition tomorrow. You need to detect out if that situation is likely to change, ensuring you're prepared for the switch when information technology happens.
17. What kind of interview questions will I be asked?
This is one of the questions to ask recruiters if y'all want to go a leg up on the interview process. That manner, you tin craft answers for questions y'all're nearly guaranteed to exist asked in advance.
eighteen. Do you remember I'thousand a expert candidate for the position?
Getting the recruiter'due south stance never hurts. It lets y'all know what nearly you stands out, as well equally if they have any reservations nigh you as a candidate. If they practice have doubts, you tin address them directly.
xix. How did you find out about me?
If you were approached by a recruiter, it's wise to ask where they found out virtually you. Did a member of your network drib your name? Did your LinkedIn profile catch their eye? That data tin help you refine your job search going forwards, and that's powerful.
20. Is there anything else I should know?
This catch-all question allows the recruiter to give details that haven't already been covered. It's an opportunity for them to share, so brand sure to ask it.
5 Questions to Avoid Asking Recruiters
In that location are questions you lot shouldn't ask recruiters. Some are a bit rude or inappropriate. Others may brand you seem entitled or picky. A few may make the recruiter question whether they should move frontwards with you.
If y'all want to make sure you don't make a misstep, hither are five to avoid.
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- Do you have anything better than [task Ten] available?
- If I take this job, how soon until you lot can find me something different?
- Practice I take to pass a drug test? If so, will they keep drug testing me later on I'thou hired? Will I become whatsoever alarm about an upcoming test?
- Does the visitor apply tracking software to watch me while I work?
- How rapidly will I exist able to take a vacation?
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Putting It All Together
All of the questions to ask a recruiter above tin can help you notice out what yous need to know. By skipping the ones that are all-time avoided, you can increase your odds of making an outstanding impression and, ultimately, getting a hazard to interview with the hiring manager.
Thanks for reading!
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Co-founder and CTO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Jeff is a featured correspondent delivering advice on job search, task interviews and career advocacy, having published more 50 pieces of unique content on the site, with his work being featured in top publications such equally INC, ZDnet, MSN and more.
Learn more almost The Interview Guys on our Most The states page.
Source: https://theinterviewguys.com/questions-to-ask-recruiters/
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