GHDC: Internal Recruiters Don’t Know Who They’re Looking For

Get Hired Misconception #6: Internal Recruiters Know Who They’re Looking For

Internal recruiters are wonderful. They save hiring managers so much time. Instead of having to look through every resume and spend hours every day looking for that perfect candidate, a hiring manager can ask an internal recruiter, “Can you send me resumes that meet these qualifications?”

I’ve worked with several internal recruiters and they’ve been lifesavers. They ask me questions like, “Tell me about the kinds of people you’re looking to hire.” Or, “How can I tell a good candidate from a lesser one?” Or, “What are some of the keywords you expect to come up in conversation with a good candidate?” Or, “What are some questions you’d like me to ask the candidate and what are answers you would expect to hear from a good candidate?”

Internal recruiters have saved me countless hours, especially after my employer was acquired for half a billion dollars and I had to help my department scale from 15 people to 90 in just a few months while also working my regular full-time gig. The internal recruiters made sure I only spoke to qualified candidates who met the specific criteria I requested, and I met weekly with them to get updated on the kinds of people who were applying. Even better, the recruiters would send me a few LinkedIn profiles and say, “Does this person represent a good candidate for the role?

Unfortunately for you, internal recruiters are rarely experts for the positions being hired. They generally have a Human Resources background and rarely have expertise outside of their domain (HR is complicated and a universe unto itself!), so if you’re a technology person, the recruiter is probably flying blind trying to figure out how to be helpful. They don’t necessarily have an eye for the perfect candidate and need a lot of help. They’re lifesavers for hiring managers, but probably a little difficult for the candidates due to their lack of expertise.

How do you deal with internal recruiters without boring them to death or making them think you’re “mansplaining”? Learn how in our “Get Hired During COVID” course.