Dr John Sullivan Talent Management Thought Leadership
Few things are as impactful as landing a good job, so why not thank your recruiter for their help?
If you’ve started a new job this year, you should thank those that helped you. First, of course, thank your family, friends, and colleagues who provided you with support throughout the grueling process. In my view, you should also thank the recruiter who continuously served as “your champion.” Because they “saw something in you” that others may not have fully appreciated. As a result of their dogged support, you beat the odds and landed this great job.
Reasons Why You Should Thank Your Recruiter
Even though it’s not standard practice to thank your recruiter, it should be. Despite the fact that your recruiter gets paid for hiring the very best available candidate, that doesn’t mean that you should take your recruiter for granted. Because even in the case where you were actually the most qualified candidate. Given the confusion and the politics of the hiring process, there is no guarantee that you would have landed the job if it weren’t for the recruiter’s efforts. Who proactively took numerous actions, each improving your chances for success.
So, take it from someone who has helped train thousands of recruiters: you owe a debt thanks to the recruiter who made it possible for you to stand out and shine as a candidate throughout the hiring process. If you don’t fully understand why, you should be grateful to your recruiter. Below, you will find the top recruiter actions. Even though they occurred mostly behind the scenes, they still improved your chances of first landing and then succeeding in your new job.
Despite a tough year for recruiters, yours came through for you – most candidates don’t realize it. However, your recruiter came through for you despite a tough year for all recruiters. Because their role was made much more difficult as a result of severe budget cuts and significant recruiting team layoffs, despite all the hardships they faced, they found the time to coach you and convince others to choose you as the top finalist.
This recruiter found you among the masses – despite a crowded job market that included literally hundreds of qualified candidates. This recruiter uses their sourcing skills to find you (even though your resume may have flaws).
Your recruiter made a convincing internal argument that you should get an interview – not only did your recruiter find you. But they also saw enough positive qualities in you to recommend that you be placed on the interview slate. They also effectively defended your addition to the slate despite the fact that some candidate assessors preferred others.
They coached you throughout the hiring process – it’s likely that the recruiter did more than simply get your name placed on the interview slate. They fully explained the hiring process, and then they continually supported and coached you the whole way. And, of course, their support helped to build your confidence. So, you performed better throughout the interview process.
The recruiter proactively influenced your internal skeptics – even though some internal skeptics remained after you finished your first and second interviews. Your recruiter acted proactively to highlight your strong points. And convince the remaining skeptics that you should be the top finalist.
As the face of the company, this recruiter encouraged me when I was frustrated – applying for a job is a lonely and uncertain task. However, you were my first and primary contact. And you performed exceptionally well “as the face” of the company.” You made me feel welcomed, built up my trust and skillfully calmed me down whenever I became frustrated with the hiring process.
They fought to get you an offer you could accept – after being selected as the finalist. This recruiter worked closely with you to identify what you would require in an offer you could accept. And then they worked behind the scenes to get you most of what you needed.
After you are hired, your recruiter contributed to getting you up to speed quickly – after you accepted the job offer. Your recruiter continued to work with the hiring manager and your teammates to ensure that you were provided with the resources you would need to succeed on the job. As a result, you became an effective team member, and everyone quickly recognized you as a good hire.
Even if your recruiter didn’t fully earn all of your gratitude, thanking them will still benefit you – it’s important for all new hires to realize that even in the cases where their recruiter wasn’t fully as supportive and responsive as they should have been. Thanking them will still help you gain both their support and coaching during your first months on the job. And thanking them will also pay off later when you begin considering a new job.
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Thank Your Recruiter Using One Of These Approaches
There are multiple ways that you can effectively thank your recruiter. Some of the best options include:
- An in-person thank you meeting – if your recruiter is physically located close to you. Show them that you care by setting aside some time in your busy schedule when you can thank them in person over coffee or lunch.
- Send them a thank you note – even if you’ve been in your new job for a while. It is still wise to send the recruiter a personalized thank you note spelling out your appreciation. In many cases, because they are so rare, a handwritten note will have the most impact. Also, place a once-a-year reminder on your electronic calendar. Use it to trigger you, give them a periodic update on your job accomplishments, and reiterate your appreciation.
- Send a note of praise to the recruiter’s boss – you should also go out of your way to let the recruiter’s boss know how professional and effective they were by sending them a simple note highlighting a few of the ways your recruiter acted professionally.
- Become a talent scout for them – literally, the best way to say thank you to a recruiter is to become a continuous talent scout for them. You can do that by periodically feeding them the names of top talent you come across. And when appropriate, convert your talent discoveries into formal employee referrals for them.
- If you only became a finalist, thank your recruiter anyway – even if you didn’t get the job. It’s still a good idea to thank your recruiter for all that they did for you. And that thank you will likely push that recruiter to continue to look for other job opportunities for you (both inside the same company or at another company).
- Build a career-long relationship with them – you never know when you need or want a new job. It makes sense to build a career-long relationship with a few well-connected recruiters who work in your field. These recruiters can provide career tips and let you know when they see a perfect opportunity for you.
Final Thoughts
If you haven’t done it already, the end of the year is an opportune time to thank those who helped you, especially if you have landed a new job with another company. You should use this slack time to thank your recruiter explicitly using one of the approaches that I outlined above.
However, also realize that there is another way to ensure that your recruiter continues to receive praise and thanks. That is for you, as a new hire, to become a highly productive team player starting on your very first day. Improving team productivity is the ultimate thank you that a new hire can provide to their recruiter, manager, team, and customers!
Note for the reader
This is the latest post from Dr. John Sullivan, who was labeled “the Michael Jordan of Hiring” by Fast Company Magazine.
Please help to spread his ideas by sharing this with your team/network and by posting it on your favorite social media.
