Why bother?!
I read a blog by Jerry Albright that inspired me to have my own rant. You can read what Jerry said here. His point was this (if you don’t want to navigate away right now) why do recruiters on Twitter ask for referrals on jobs knowing that their own followers are not right and are unlikely (in Jerry’s opinion) to know anyone else who is. Twitter is a mutual appreciation society not a recruiters’ referral ground.
I know there are some people who fill jobs (and sometimes lots) using Twitter. In the mix Twitter has a place. I love Twitter. I win business through Twitter. I make good business connections through it too. If I were a recruiter I would use it every day though I would not send a Tweet and think “job filled” and sit back and relax.
I get where Jerry is coming from. He is right, for the majority of recruiters on Twitter the majority of whose followers are reciprocal follow hunters who are transiently following people using Tweepi or Tweetadder or similar. Not really going to provide may referrals are they?? They just hope you will follow their regular tweets about low fat mayo or weight loss pills that have only ever been tested on dogs (I made that up – don’t get all animal welfare on me).
What has been eating me lately has been the number of recruiters who spam Linkedin with jobs (I have yet to see an opportunity proffered). Why bother? The majority of these “jobs” have as much sizzle as a December BBQ in Carlisle. Who is really going to get excited about that? Anyone who does has probably already applied to your job advert on Monster.
What stops you phoning them?
No time to call people about jobs because you’re too busy? Busy doing what?
Not sure how to get hold of them? You are a recruiter, right?
Feel intrusive? How good is this job then?
I have received 3 job things (I’m not sure what to call them. Descriptions suggests that there was content) in the past month. All about recruitment training jobs. This is to my personal LI profile rather than RD’s by the way so they do have my full career info. It clearly shows I own my own business. It also has my mobile number on it. One asked me for referrals – for a “job” with no content. Let me think, how may people would I want to put in touch with a crap recruiter? None.
Want a referral? Phone me. Engage with me. Tell me something that would make me feel my network would be interested. Call me and I will talk. I know lots of people who are good trainers who may also be open to talking about opportunities. You fail to be a messenger of opportunity the moment you send me an email with nothing but a title and location. You might find you get some advice in your approach, though that may not be well received as you are obviously awesome at what you do!
Keep on spamming me and I will keep on deleting it. Before you tell me “you get a good response” that’s a comparative statement. Anyone who bites on some of the emails I have seen recently is probably already in your inbox from you job board advert.
Listen, got to go now as I have to sell my car, what do you think of the advert:
For sale: Car
Description: Has wheels, red.
Price: Very attractive for the right buyer
If you are not interested please refer me serious buyers who would be interested in this specification of vehicle. I might give you £250 for the referral if you track the recommendation you make and chase me hard enough to prove you were the introducer.
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Love it!
Good read, and I agree as a recruitment director I think engagement is one of the essential skills
Brilliant read, Thank you.
I agree with you and Jerry, Twitter has a bit of a spam problem. Most of your followers are just there to be followed back. Though I hear using their new ad platforms are helping recruitment firms sort through the trash and streamline their lists. Direct contact however, is still the most effective way to get referrals! – Charles