Sure, we’re a networking group, and so we have a certain bias towards people doing things in person. But this one we think everyone needs to listen up on.
Sure, most of the recruiters we know don’t do this. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t more and more out there doing it who need a reality check.
Because listen up, you “zippers” out there – what you’re really doing is alienating people…with the added bonus of clicking your way right out of a job…
See, there’s a reason why we have a certain bias towards networking. It’s because it builds something that can’t be replaced. Your personal connections, your network…that’s something that makes you unique.
Honestly, you can teach anyone how to run a Vendor Management System. You can train someone in your particular application that holds resumes. You can have a green newbie comb through submissions and keyword match.
But you….the recruiter…you’re more than that.
You’re the gateway.
You’re the one who knows people. You’re out there building relationships with the account managers and the people looking to hire. You’ve got a network of people who might or might not even be looking for a job right now…but you’ve built a relationship with them, and so when you call, they’ll at least listen to what the gig is and who knows, you might get them to move. If nothing else, you know that they can connect you with people who are looking, and you’re off to the races.
At least that’s who you’re supposed to be. And using ZipRecruiter not only shows that you’re the exact opposite of that, it also shows that you’re not very capable of looking down the road, either.
Because sure, it lets you post that job into all those job boards, and multiple groups on LinkedIn at the same time. There’s another word for that – spamming. Especially if you’re using LinkedIn as a professional tool, you should very much be aware of how easy it is to get flagged as inappropriate posting or spamming in any one group…which then puts you on lockdown and requiring moderation in every group that you’re in. It only takes one cranky group admin or one of your competitors to start flagging your posts in a group and you’re going to wind up without a voice across the entire world of LinkedIn for a few weeks.
But wait, there’s more!
You’re also proving to your boss that you don’t have a network, that you don’t have any valuable connections, and that all your boss needs is someone who can click “next” on ZipRecruiter. And so as the company sits down and looks at where the money is going, don’t be shocked when the line item that represents your salary and benefits starts looking a lot more able to be deleted…or at least reduced by bringing in someone who will take less money to click “next” on those ZipRecruiter postings.
That’s all for this time, folks. Go read something else…