As we all know, the Recruitment industry is all about building those all important relationships with clients and candidates alike. It’s true that we can become so invested in our careers that our Recruitment problems can be just as painful as our romantic ones! In light of Valentine’s weekend – let’s take a look at some of the things that can break a Recruiter’s heart and how they can easily be avoided.

When candidates play hard to get

9 times out of 10 when you know a candidate has great potential – they know it too! There is nothing more heartbreaking than when a promising candidate shoots themselves in the foot by being too cocky, making no real effort with their CV, ghosting you for days with no real explanation – the list really does go on!

How to avoid this:

Trying to build relationships with candidates like this can always be a struggle – but no matter how difficult it can be, someone is going to get the billing so it may as well be you! So, take a deep breath and explain to them that whilst they’re a good candidate, you need more effort and communication from them.

When your client cheats on you

Usually, you will not be the only Recruiter than your client is speaking with. It’s heartbreaking when you put a candidate forward with a specific client and they turn around and say they’ve had another agency contact them about the same role!

How can this be prevented?

Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent this from happening. However, you can speak directly with the client and don’t be afraid to be upfront about it!

When a candidate uses you

This is commonly seen when a candidate applies for a job with absolutely no intention of taking it! This can be because they’re using this role to get on your radar for another role or even worse – they’re fishing for an offer to push a pay rise at their current job!

How can this be avoided?

Typically, as Recruiters we can take the view that everyone is a potential candidate or client, which in a majority of cases can be true but we need to tighten our processes and not allow space for time wasters!