I’m a recruiter in Toronto and work with high-caliber candidates for some of the top companies in the GTA. My focus is executive and technical search and 95% of the time I’m headhunting. Yes, 95% of my time is spent calling random people and asking them if they are open to hearing about better offers. If you ask one of these potential candidates if they’re looking for a job, the answer will always be no. NO! Not one of these people are “looking” for a job. These are successful, senior level engineering and professionals working for some of the biggest brands in the world! Of course they’re not LOOKING for a job!!!

So if nobody is “looking” for a job, why am I here?

Well, a lack of active candidates on the market IS reason why I’m here. Talent is becoming more and more passive; recruiters not only fill jobs, they also create opportunity. We create opportunity for companies to flourish and grow faster than they could without us, but importantly, we create opportunity for employees by way of creating the need for retention strategies. If candidates are being called by umpteen recruiters on a daily basis, employers will do more to ensure they are happy (catered lunches, anyone?). So, to anyone out there that says they don’t like recruiters, think again. What you don’t like is where the industry has headed, the mass approach lead by an army of junior recruiters that won’t last 6 months and don’t have a clue. The profession itself (and the good ones in it) is another story; thanks to the mass increase in recruitment, companies are competing against each other to attract AND retain talent, continuing to add perks and benefits like never seen before. The trick is to find yourself someone that’s actually good at their job and stick with them as long as you can. That’s not always easy to find, but then again, you can always call me 😉

One other thing I just had to say to the candidates out there interviewing. It’s okay to talk to a recruiter if you’re not serious, as long as you communicate that to them. I am always open to talking to anyone proactively! That said, if you go to an interview, you’re looking for a job. The single act of interviewing with a company means that you are now “looking” for a job. An interview is not a coffee at a coffee shop with a hiring manager, I get that there are proactive meetings, but if you’re going in and writing code on a whiteboard with half the team, you’re looking for a job. Just had to get that out.