Recently, I've been thinking a lot about where agency recruiting sales speak came from. And, I'm pretty sure it came from the 50's and 60's because the language used in the recruiting business is so outdated. The days of cheesy, overused salesman lines are over. Here are 10 sales lines that are still standard in recruiting that have weird, misleading or negative effects. Or they are just flat-out lies.
1) We're the best at what we do.
Maybe you are... But that's setting the bar pretty high. Right from the start as a client my attention is on your results. You might send great people my way but I'll be reviewing resumes as a skeptic and focused on finding mistakes. You're asking to be called out. It's much better that I hear from someone else that you and your firm are "the best."
2) We're the experts
Oh really. Everyone in your company from entry level to senior level are experts? In all the roles you work on? That is actually impossible. What you mean to say is "We're going to do our best to make sure you get proper service and the expected results."
3) We know your company culture
This is my favorite one. I love how recruiters just throw this around like it's nothing. It can take 6 months to a year, fully employed with a company, to have a good grasp on company culture. I don't think a coffee meeting and a week of chatter with a hiring manager quite covers it.
Side note: Here is a link to an article I wrote about being prepared and asking good questions.
4) We've been doing this for 20 years
Oh great! Congratulations, you have been in business for 20 years but has anything changed? Sounds like another laborious partnership with a 20 year old firm to me. I would be more curious about words like "we're doing something new" "we've created a better system" "we can save you money and make hiring easier"
5) We meet all of our candidates in person
If you have ever worked in a recruiting agency, you know that this is a lie. Let's be real, to make money as a recruiter it's all about speed. Sometimes recruiters takes the risks and send people they haven't met. Even if they say they have.
6) We have a tough interview process
That could be true. Unless the candidate is so outstanding and "perfect for the role" that they don't require the same interview process as others. As a recruiter it's easy to get excited by people who you can make money off of. Sometimes, the whole office gets excited by an "awesome" candidate. There goes your tough interview process. SEND SEND SEND!
7) We test our candidates
Testing? I have seen test results fudged or made up completely. It all depends on the integrity of the firm, the client and how scared the recruiter is to mess up. Give a recruiter and inch, they'll take a mile.
8) We only represent the best people
This is classic old school sales speak. Most recruiting agencies hold one interview with a candidate before representing them. I'm still learning things about my friends I've have for 20 years. You're telling me you know with 100% confidence that someone is the "best" after a 20 minute interview?
9) We don't post jobs - we work off recommendations.
Ha! Ok I get it. There is such a thing as great recommendations. But...To claim your business is run off of recommendations is ridiculous. How do you find the people to recommend other people in the first place? How do you find fresh talent? In order to operate a solid firm, you MUST actively look for and attract candidates outside of recommendations.
10) We're different
Saying it is one thing. Being it is another. Hired.com is different, Vettery is different, OCEAN STREET is different. If something is truly different, you'll have lots of questions.
This article was written by Quintin Ford, a recruitment entrepreneur located in Playa Vista, CA. Quintin is the Founder of OCEAN | STREET and avid blogger and social media guru. Learn more about Quintin on LinkedIn.
