With 10 million job openings in the U.S., recruiters have an important role to play. Unfortunately, the stigma of the salesy recruiter—the type that cares more about filling the role and less about making sure the candidate is right for the role, makes a lot of candidates hesitant to work with recruiters. 

At Curate Partners, we break the sales mold. Instead of acting like salespeople, our recruiters act like matchmakers. They operate as the liaison between the job-seeker and the company, ensuring all parties are aligned and fully vetted before making introductions. 

We are committed to fostering a positive job-seeking experience for all candidates. This means building strong relationships, actively listening to candidates’ needs, and putting ourselves in their shoes. Our candidate-first perspective helps us identify and deliver Purple Squirrels for our internal teams and clients. 

If you’re seeking new employment opportunities, here are four traits you should look for in a recruiter.  

Recruiters need to be empathetic towards their candidates. This means putting themselves in your shoes to understand what you’re looking for in your next position. Preferred salary ranges, work-life balance, and career goals should all be prioritized. Think of your recruiter as a friend leading you through the next phase of your career. 

We care deeply about our candidates both before and after they are placed with companies as consultants. Here’s what one of our reviews on Glassdoor says about our process:

“Curate has an incredibly supportive, collaborative, and progressive team…Their positivity, awareness, and care for each team member is something so rare to experience in the workplace.”

Creating a healthy work culture starts in the hiring phase—empathetic recruiters set the tone for the companies they place candidates with.

Open-minded recruiters look beyond the resume to find their Purple Squirrels. Yes, recruiters must acknowledge a candidate’s career experience and educational background, but they should also consider candidates whose backgrounds are unique and multi-faceted. Whether you took a traditional path—high school, college, entry-level roles in your field, and so on—or a more eccentric path—your recruiter should see you as an individual and try to understand your skillset beyond just skimming your degree and previous position. 

Recruiters must remain open-minded and recognize the value of hiring diverse candidates. This means reaching out to individuals of all gender identities, races, and cultural backgrounds and not letting any biases—even the unconscious ones—get in the way of selecting the candidate who is the best fit.

Transparency and integrity are crucial for building trust. At Curate Partners, our recruiters are honest about open positions and transparent about what our company stands for. This integrity helps us build candidates’ trust and find the right individuals for each role. 

Another Glassdoor review mentions our team’s transparency:

“[Curate Partners] treat both their internal employees and full-time/contracted hires with the utmost respect and professionalism. They are a company of real people you can trust to stay transparent and honest throughout the entire hiring process. Once you are a Purple Squirrel, that professionalism, respect, and transparency do not dissipate.”

Last but certainly not least, recruiters must display strong communication skills. This is the name of the game. Recruiters must converse with their candidates clearly about a position’s requirements and company expectations. They must answer questions, provide insights and advice, and provide honest feedback in a timely manner. As a candidate, you must feel comfortable communicating with your recruiter and, by extension, the company you are applying to work with. 

We are proud to say that our recruiters exhibit all 4 of these traits. We remain hyper-focused on making our candidates feel seen, heard, and appreciated while also finding the best fit for the companies we serve. With our people-centric model, our recruiters aren’t just finding bodies to fill gaps; they’re finding great opportunities for skilled individuals—a win-win for the client and the candidate.

If you’re looking for a people-first approach to recruiting, contact us. We’re here to help!