Ask a Recruiter Part 1
Have you ever worked with a recruiter before?
Was it successful?
If your answer to both questions is yes, you can probably skip this article.
But if one of your answers is no, this article will help you with any future interactions you might have with recruiters.
We went to Reddit and Quora and collected all the burning questions people have about how to work with recruiters and what information to share. Then we asked our consultants to answer to them.
Here are the first 6 questions.
I
Should you tell your recruiter your current salary?
Yes, you should always share your current salary with your recruiter. Almost every company we work with asks about the salaries of candidates we introduce. They want this information because they will base your offer on your current salary. So if you choose to withhold this information in the beginning, chances are high they won’t even look at your profile or assume you have a negative reason to hide your current salary.
There is information online that recommends people to withhold that information, but in Japan that usually is bad advice because when it comes to the offer stage the hiring company will ask you for your pay slip (源泉徴収票 gensen choshuhyo). So the company will find out your current salary. That’s why we always recommend to share your salary upfront (and be honest about it) to keep everything transparent and build better trust with your recruiter as well as the client.
Knowing your salary will also help us to check if your salary is fair or not. Since we work with many companies we have deep knowledge of the Japanese tech market and can easily see if your salary matches your skills and experience. We have helped many people who were underpaid and didn’t know so prior to talking to us.
II
Should you tell your recruiter about other offers?
Telling us about other offers is very beneficial for a few reasons.
First it will speed up hiring processes with our clients because they don’t want to miss out on great people and having another offer demonstrates that your skill set is in high demand. They will feel pressure to schedule interviews with a higher sense of urgency.
Second, it will help to get you a better package. Having another offer puts us in a better position to negotiate a higher offer for you. In many cases our clients increase their offered salaries and incentives to match or out-compete other companies.
On the other hand, if you don’t share existing offers with our clients and they find out in the end, it could have negative effects on trust and the future relationship you will have with the hiring company. Keep in mind that your goal is to work with that company so you don’t want to get off on the wrong foot.
III
Why should you tell your recruiter your salary expectations?
It’s crucial to share your salary expectations upfront and truthfully with us, so we don’t waste your or our clients’ time by introducing you to positions that are either too high or too low. Our clients also need that information to evaluate if you are within their budget. In many cases a salary is an indicator for the seniority of the role.
It’s also completely OK if those expectations change throughout the process once you learn more about the company and position you are applying for. If you feel like the job requirements are higher than what you initially thought, you can always correct your expectations with a higher number. As long as you can rationally explain why you think that way, clients are very understanding and oftentimes will adjust potential offers.
IV
Should you tell a recruiter about other interviews?
This one is similar to question 2 and the main reason is to expedite the processes with our clients. If you are already interviewing at other companies, especially if you are in later stages, we can use that information to speed up the process as much as possible for you.
For example, if you are just starting a process with a company we introduced and at the same time are at the final stage with another company, our client will do whatever they can to schedule their interviews and move you through their hiring stages quickly.
Another reason is that we may be working with the same client and we don’t want to introduce you to the same position again.
V
Should you tell your recruiter you were laid off?
Yes, you should always tell us if you’re laid off.
First of all, there is no shame in being laid off. We are in a tech recession right now and we’ve seen many companies restructuring or completely leaving the Japanese market. So if you fell victim to those circumstances, remember it’s not your fault and potential future employers won’t see it as your fault either.
And even if you were laid off for other reasons, please let us know and explain the why. Sometimes it’s just not supposed to be. Maybe your skill set wasn’t the right fit for that company in its life cycle. That doesn’t mean you can’t add value to another company. We always focus our efforts on presenting how your skill set can add value to our clients.
Furthermore, knowing that you are currently without a job adds another layer of importance in you and urgency in the process. We will work with you more closely and quickly.
VI
Should you tell a recruiter you are unhappy with an offer?
If you receive an offer you are unhappy with, don’t just reject it but tell us why you are unhappy with it.
Is it the amount? Is it the structure? Are there any other incentives you want included?
There is always a way we can try to improve that offer for you. Clients often change offers or add more benefits if we push back. Not always, but if you don’t tell us, we will never find out. Even if they won’t make any changes, by pushing back we will receive more detailed feedback from the client about why the offer is what it is. This will be valuable information for you for your other processes.
Last but not least, sometimes it’s just not the right time to change jobs and staying at your current job for another year or two might be the better option for your career.
