Recruiter Management and Follow-up

Relationship with the recruiter

It is critical to understand the role of the recruiter: they work for the company, not the candidate. Their goal is to fill a vacancy, not to find a job for a specific person.

However, if a professional, collaborative relationship is established, they can become powerful allies.

Often, an external recruiter has an interest in your candidates being selected, as their commission depends on it.

Maintaining a respectful and professional attitude, even when the news is not good, is vital.

If a candidate is rejected for a position but left a good impression and treated the recruiter well, he or she will most likely be called for future opportunities before they are posted.

In addition, constructive feedback can be solicited after a failed interview; although they may not always give it due to company policy, when they do, that information is pure gold to correct mistakes for the next process.

Timing of follow-up

The art of follow-up lies in the balance between showing interest and not appearing desperate or annoyed.

Immediately after an interview (the same day or the next day), it is mandatory to send a personalized thank you note, mentioning a specific point made in the meeting to reinforce the interviewer's memory.

If you do not hear back within the agreed time frame, it is acceptable to contact after about 5 working days or a week.

A brief, polite message asking if there are any new developments in the process or if additional information is needed demonstrates professionalism and keeps the application in the recruiter's mind.

However, bombarding with daily emails or constant calls is counterproductive and can lead to disqualification due to lack of emotional intelligence.

Reacting to silence

Ghosting or administrative silence is a frustrating reality in selection processes.

If after the first follow-up there is no response, a final contact can be attempted a week later, reaffirming interest and providing value, perhaps by sharing a relevant news item about the sector or a recent achievement.

If after these attempts the silence persists, the healthiest thing to do is to assume that the process has not moved forward and focus energy on new opportunities.

Sometimes companies freeze hiring or have internal problems that they do not communicate.

Keeping your composure and not sending reproachful message