Employer discrimination can be compounded by their use of Agencies.
So how can the over 50s get value from the Agents who are mostly Millennials?
Agents could give you value beyond delivering a job – here’s how to extract it…
1.The No1 rule when dealing with recruiters – expect nothing. Then sometimes you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
2.If recruiters can sell you a job then they ‘care’, if not, expect nothing.
3.The recruitment industry is set up to fail you – there’s no malice, but they make you feel less than nothing. Don’t blame yourself if they ignore or diss you.
4.Recruiters don’t have much to offer you – each recruiter has less than 2% of your market though many claim they control it.
5.Use recruiters for information, not just to find you a job.
6.When dealing with a recruiter remember…
- When they are gatekeepers to jobs – help them to help you
- Remind them each time who you are – many have poor databases
- Seek feedback from both the employer and the recruiting agent
- If all else fails and you’ve been interviewed for a job and now been ignored for weeks, send the ‘Unhappy Applicant Email’ and watch the proverbial hit the fan!
7. How to respond when a recruiter calls you out of the blue (a Search call)…
- Say: “I’m happy where I am, but I’m always prepared to listen”. This raises your perceived value even if it’s only partly true
- Fish for information from them
- Answer questions only with information that’s available online – be discreet
Tell them what might appeal if you were interested…
Live in Australia and over 45?