Monthly Archives: December 2011

Common Email Blunders at IT Recruiting Companies

Gone are the days technical recruiters only needed to worry about spell check as they fired off rounds of messages to IT job seekers.  Now, IT headhunters are concerned about attachments, tone, and character with the IT staffing industry relying heavily on information technology for communication.  Before you send off that final email, here are some tips to not trip up on the every day message.

Not Personalizing

When you send out an email, try to make it as personable as possible.  The downside of emailing is the lack of tone and physical communication.  Let candidates and hiring managers know they are not sending their messages to a technical recruiting robot by adding personal touch with each response.  When mass mailing, be sure to keep email addresses private and the content relevant to the recipient’s interests.

Pressing Send too Fast

It is safe to say most IT recruiters have sent an email mid-message or forgot to include an attachment.  To catch this glitch, wait until right before you send the email to add all recipients’ contact information.  Check that your attachment is included and that it is the appropriate document.  Also, give the content a quick read through because spell check will not pick up typos that are spelled correctly.  When you are ready to go, hit send!

Relying too Much on Email

Sometimes it is easier to pick up the phone and get a response than send out multiple emails.  Emailing too often can cause confusion and more work.  Also, relying too much on email dulls communication.  Next time you have a quick request, instead of sending off an email, approach the person and ask them about their weekend, then ask for the request.

Email is one of the quickest and most convenient forms of communications at IT staffing agencies, but do not fall victim to these common mistakes!

 

IT Recruiters Ask You Cut Back on that Cologne…

At small IT recruiting companies, there is a common culprit who seems to have taken a dip in the perfume or cologne bottle prior to work.  Initially, people do not seem to mind or may enjoy the scent.  By the third hour, the lingering aroma irritates noses and technical recruiters are complaining of headaches and nausea.  How do IT headhunters handle a scent problem without offending the perpetrator?

Brief and Honest

At IT staffing firms, recruiters work in close proximity of one another, around hiring managers, and candidates throughout the day.  When a technical recruiter is wearing an overpowering scent, ask them about it privately.  Point out it is a strong scent and, next time, suggest using a little less.  If the scent is making you sick, ask the IT recruiter to not wear it in the IT staffing office and explain you are sensitive to scents.  The recruiter may be offended at first, but will most likely appreciate hearing it from one of his peers than a supervisor.

Discrete

If you find you do not have the will or way to tactfully approach the smelly IT headhunter, notify your supervisor of the issue.  By having human resources address the problem, management will be less apt to embarrass and pinpoint the recruiter.  Also, by addressing entire technical recruiting companies, other recruiters will be mindful of what they choose to wear and prevent potential scent issues.

You are the Offender

You may be the offender and not realize it because you do not smell it yourself.  Offices have less ventilation than the outdoors and public areas, so try to use less or none at all.  If you choose to use scented products, candles, or lotions, ask others in the office if they mind.

Remember, you are working in small corridors for extended hours.  You and your co-workers have a right to breathe!

Office Gossip in the IT Staffing Industry

To say you have never been the victim of gossip or rumors is a proud feeling.  To say you have never participated in gossiping and spreading rumors is even better.  Unfortunately, most IT headhunters are not perfect and have helped in some way spread non-truths about a fellow  acquaintance.  As rumors begin to circulate about an IT recruiter or yourself, how do you handle the situation?

Address It

When word gets out there will be internal changes in IT recruiting companies or personal matters regarding a technical recruiter, you might seem excited you have been chosen to share the news.  Before you further spread the information, follow up with the facts.  For changes within the IT staffing companies, confirm the changes with hiring managers or the corporate executives. If you are close enough to the victim of the personal rumors, take them aside and tell them what has been said.  The point is not to hurt the victim further or pry for details, but to let him be aware of what is being circulated and allow him to address the problem before it escalates.

Do Not Participate

You can always choose to ignore the rumors or tell other technical recruiters that you are not interested in hearing peers’ business.  If the messenger takes defense, ask why they are telling you this information.  Typically people who participate in gossip do so to feel better about themselves while hurting others.  When they realize they are doing this, they may back down from future IT recruiting office bullying.

Be Positive

As the saying goes if you do not have anything nice to say do not saying anything at all.  When someone has nothing pleasant to say at technical recruiting firms about someone take the initiative and follow up with a positive comment.  The office gossiper will realize you support the victim and will not come to you in the future to get his rumor fix.  Also, it may make the rumor supplier feel guilty about his actions and see the victim from a different perspective.

Office rumors and gossip are more common than one would think, especially with sites such as Facebook and Twitter.  With the support of anti-bullying movement, hopefully the hurtful slander will eventually be put to an end.