Do you ever get calls from a Recruiter or Headhunter?
Most of these come out of the blue. You need to be prepared when it happens.
Not only should you know the top things to expect when a Recruiter calls (see this article) but you also need to be prepared with questions of your own for a Recruiter.
Even if you are not in the middle of looking for a job right now, be ready with the answers to these questions. Your questions could be the key to the next step in the process with the Recruiter. Not everyone will be ready, put yourself a step forward of anyone else who gets the call, by being prepared.
Top 7 Questions to ask when a Recruiter calls about a Job.
- What are the job requirements? Ask for a job description, or a copy of the job posting.
- What company? They may or may not be willing to tell you at first (‘confidential search’); however, if you have already applied to the company, or another recruiter has presented you there, you want to know, so you can control the situation. Candidates submitted by multiple sources often get eliminated (refereeing turf wars does not appeal to employers.)
- What is the salary range? If the recruiter asks first, be honest and up front about your own current salary, and what you would be willing to consider. If the job’s defined range and your salary requirements are too far apart, you’d be wasting your time and that of the recruiter. (If you are currently unemployed or underemployed, it’s an altogether different strategy. However much information you choose to share, always be honest.)
- What is the history of this position? If a replacement, what happened to the person who left? How long has is it been open? If it is a new position, how and why was it created?
- What is the timetable? What steps are involved in the hiring process? How soon will I hear back? When would they like someone to start?
- How many other candidates are you representing to this client? And, are there other agencies involved in the search?
- And, the qualifier question: Is there anything I said that would keep you from recommending me?