Dear Tech Recruiters,
Let me start by saying I’ve got nothing against tech recruiters (e.g. you) personally. I’ve met more than a few of you in my travels and prior job searches, and most of the tech recruiters I’ve interacted with have been nice, pleasant – and I’d even go as far as to say that they’ve been interesting. I can say this about them personally because I’ve sat down with them in person and had real conversations.
But I do have a bone to pick with “tech recruiters” as a whole. I realize the risk I take in lumping everyone together (even the people I like personally), but given the twenty-or-so recruiting messages I get a week I feel it’s clear that most of you fail to realize a few things.
I Don’t Want Impersonal Messages
I’ve seen more than a few blog posts on the subject, but Nicholas Zakas recently wrote an article titled What technical recruiters can learn from online dating. The basic idea is simple: if I did a side-by-side comparison of most messages I get from tech recruiters, they essentially look the same.
He has another good post titled How not to recruit which sums up a few more points on the topic.
In short, I see the same messages every single day. Over and over… and over again. Impersonal messages make me think less of you, the job you’re trying to fill, and the company you represent.
Please stop sending them.
Don’t Lie to Me
I have seen the following in recruiting emails:
I have viewed a project that you created on Github & Stackoverflow and I believe your work is outstanding and would like to speak with you…
I was confidentially referred to you as someone who might be interested in hearing about an opportunity I am currently working on.
Let’s be clear: I’m cynical towards all recruiting messages because (per my first point) they’re usually impersonal. When you try to make these messages personal and include details like the ones I’ve just listed, I’m going to call you out on those details.
Which project (that I magically listed on both GitHub and StackOverflow) caught your eye? What about it was interesting to you?
I sincerely doubt anyone I know would confidentially refer me to a recruiter, but let’s play Devil’s Advocate. What did they specifically say about me that makes them think I would want this job?
I will call bullshit every time.
I Don’t Want the Same Job I Already Have
First and foremost, I absolutely love working at Sencha. I’m not looking for a new job.
Furthermore I am not about to quit my job to have basically the same job I’m already doing at some new company. That’s not the way to get my attention…
If you really want to get my attention, ask me if I’m interested in a job that advances my career.
I might be interested in talking to you if:
That last point is crucial. If you’re a tech recruiter and you don’t know the difference between Java and JavaScript (or more specifically, you don’t know what it is you do recruiting for) then please don’t waste both of our time.
The bottom line is that if you thought about me (and what I might want) this long before sending that impersonal message, I guarantee I’d respond — even if I wasn’t interested in the opportunity. I would also think highly enough of you to send my friends your way.
I Don’t Want to do Your Job
Speaking of… please don’t ask me to ask my friends if they’re looking for a new job. No “bonus” you can offer me is going to entice me to do that.
Think of it this way: if my friends are looking for a new gig, you can be damn sure I want them working at my company.
Please Take a Hint
If you leave me a voicemail and I don’t respond, please don’t call back. If you send me an email and I ignore it, please don’t follow up.
I know you’re just doing your job – but I am simply bombarded with phone calls and emails. It’s literally so bad that I now screen all phone calls from numbers I don’t recognize. If I don’t respond to you, please delete my information.
If you have a physical MSWord document of my resume… dear God, delete my information because I have no idea where you got it.
In Closing
I’m sure that you’re a really nice person – as I said before, I genuinely like most of the tech recruiters I’ve met in person. You may even be exceptionally great at what you do… but thanks to the collective noise I get from everyone else, I feel the need to communicate my frustration. Many of my friends and colleagues feel the same way.
No one is perfect — lord knows I am not — but hopefully this letter can help us all reach a clear understanding of expectations. Once we understand each other, a greater balance of respect can be achieved.
I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback. Thanks for taking the time to listen.
Best Wishes,
Art
