Recruiter's Knowledge

TruckerRight · Oct 16, 2011

OK, so I am part ***-hole, I know it. Here's the deal, I have a job and I like it, I also make pretty good money at this job. However, I would like a better job and to make more money. So, I call a recruiter now and then (when I see an interesting ad) and ask them "Why should I quit my company and go to work for yours?" I think that is a legitimate question and I feel that a recruiter should be able to answer that question with confidence. The sad thing is that this question STUMPS most recruiters and they don't know what to say next.

It seems to me nowadays that a recruiter is simply there to review applications and buy people bus tickets. A recruiter told me last week that I would have to fill out an online application and see if I was accepted before he could answer my questions. What about if you answer my questions and lets see if I even want to work for your company.

Is it just me or has the world gone mad? The job hunting process is a one-way street now?

Well, thats my little rant, peppered with a few tough questions. If you know some of the answers, I am all ears (or eyes in this case!)

Brisco · Oct 16, 2011

OK, so I am part ***-hole, I know it. Here's the deal, I have a job and I like it, I also make pretty good money at this job. However, I would like a better job and to make more money. So, I call a recruiter now and then (when I see an interesting ad) and ask them "Why should I quit my company and go to work for yours?"

So, how exactly do you want the recruiter to answer???

Let's say recruiter answers your question to the best of his abilities, you quit your $180,000.00 a year job by decision made from recruiters "answer", and it doesn't work out for ya. Are you then going to go back to recruiter for retaliation??

Recruiter is there to fill voids when it comes to drivers needs, not to make your decisions for you. Recruiter could probably care less that you're in a good paying job and really doesn't need to answer why you should quit your "Job" to go work for them. If you don't care to hear what recruiter has to say in general, there are dozens and dozens of others that will listen to recruiters general sales pitch and come up with their own decision as to whether they will work for that carrier or not.

Also, you're not applying for a "Job" when dealing with these recruiters. You are offering your "Services" to these recruiters. If I was a recruiter for a major carrier and was confronted with trivial BS like this, I'd file the application in File 13 the minute it came across my desk. Just telling from the 1st 6 words in your original post, you really wouldn't be worth my time, or the carrier/carriers I am recuiting for time.

TruckerRight · Oct 16, 2011

Brisco said:
So, how exactly do you want the recruiter to answer???

Nuff said . . .

You are qualified to be a recruiter!

Put your helmet on the dresser before you go to bed.

lhannah · Nov 3, 2011

We don't advertise much so our situation is a little different. Most of the people that call into the recruiters here have heard of us through our current drivers. They usually have about half of the information they need to make a decision.

If you were to call me and ask why you should leave your current company I would probably say, "only you know why you should leave them." I don't know your current company inside and out like you do. In fact, I think it would be an insult to pretend I know what you are looking for out of a company.

I present the information on our company in a matter of fact way and make sure to answer your questions as thoroughly as possible. I am not trying to sell you on anything. If you think what we have to offer would help better your situation then we can discuss bringing you on. I see no need for an "us vs. them" sales pitch.

TruckerRight · Nov 3, 2011

Wow, I guess the world has changed and the days of being proud of what we do are gone for good, only to be replaced with the complacent attitudes of getting a check and going home.

AMonger · Nov 3, 2011

TruckerRight said:
It seems to me nowadays that a recruiter is simply there to review applications and buy people bus tickets. A recruiter told me last week that I would have to fill out an online application and see if I was accepted before he could answer my questions. What about if you answer my questions and lets see if I even want to work for your company.

Some of it has to do with which way the pendulum is swinging and how far. Right now, there are lots of people wanting few positions, so the recruiters feel they don't need to do much to full slots. It's kind of like an expediter cherry-picking; when there's another load right coming down the pike in the next hour, it's easy to be picky, but when freight is scarce...

So, things being as they are right now, it's easy for this guy to do very little to keep your attention. Let the pendulum swing back the other way, though, and see how energetic he gets to try to keep you on the hook.

cheri1122 · Nov 5, 2011

TruckerRight said:
Wow, I guess the world has changed

It'd be weird if it didn't...

and the days of being proud of what we do are gone for good,

I'm wondering what caused that conclusion?

only to be replaced with the complacent attitudes of getting a check and going home.

Huh? I thought Levi Hannah's response was very good, myself. If I were a recruiter and you asked me why you should quit your job to work for my carrier, I might not be as diplomatic - I don't know anything about you, or your current job, or whether I'd even want you to work for my carrier, ok? My first impression would be something like "Who does this clown think he is, and why should I care?"
Right from the jump, you're challenging someone to 'prove' something - not an auspicious way to interest them in providing what you want [after all, YOU called THEM, remember?]
Try this: let the part of you that isn't "an a**hole" make the call....

guido4475 · Nov 8, 2011

I was once offered a job as a recruiter not too long ag

ne of the reasons I declined the offer was because I simply did not believe in the company, and it's way of doing business. And if a recruiter doesnt believe in the company, how is he going to be a good recruiter/salesperson to the prospective drivers?

sluggo · Jan 7, 2012

Try this: let the part of you that isn't "an a**hole" make the call....
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Bwahahahaha!

lhannah · Jan 17, 2012

Funny that this thread popped up again. I just had a conversation with the company owner about our best drivers. Every conversation I had with them in the recruiting stage went smoothly and they actually took the lead. They knew what they wanted in a company and called to see if we could meet those needs.

zorry · Jan 17, 2012

I think most are reading too much into the op's question . I think he's just asking What do you have to offer, or tell me what you've got. Funny comment on recruiting. My family had ten trucks in the early 70's. We got a 4 year government contract requiring 10 single axle trucks, numerous 32' trailers and 15-20 drivers. Wr had less than 60 days to put it all together. Just me and Dad. We were frantically busy. We hired a guy that seemed to be drifter. My father's comment as the new-hire left the office, THAT GUY WON'T LAST 30 DAYS. We built the fleet to 34 trucks, probably 70 employees.The previously mentioned new hire probably drove the very last mile for our company many years later. Recruiting is a crapshoot at times.

Rocketman · Jan 17, 2012

zorry said:
I think most are reading too much into the op's question . I think he's just asking What do you have to offer, or tell me what you've got.

Yes....and if he did ask exactly that, he might get the answer he is looking for.

AMonger · Jan 17, 2012

zorry said:
I think most are reading too much into the op's question . I think he's just asking What do you have to offer, or tell me what you've got. Funny comment on recruiting. My family had ten trucks in the early 70's. We got a 4 year government contract requiring 10 single axle trucks, numerous 32' trailers and 15-20 drivers. Wr had less than 60 days to put it all together. Just me and Dad. We were frantically busy. We hired a guy that seemed to be drifter. My father's comment as the new-hire left the office, THAT GUY WON'T LAST 30 DAYS. We built the fleet to 34 trucks, probably 70 employees.The previously mentioned new hire probably drove the very last mile for our company many years later. Recruiting is a crapshoot at times.

When I was driving school, 1 of my fellow students look like a homeless guy. He didn't seem very smart, and I was surprised that he was approved for the loan for the tuition. Our class graduated in october. We were all leery about the approaching winter, of course.

Just before graduation, he announced, "well, I found a job for the winter. going to be laying carpet."

We all looked at him, stunned. This guy just spent about 2000 dollars for driving school tuition, and he was going to walk away from the job? This would trigger the promissory note for his loan. He would have to pay it all out of pocket, even if he came back and drove in the spring. We told him all this, and he changed his mind and went out on the road. Not a guy you would think would be a successful driver.

After his month on the road with the road trainer, he got his own truck and took off. There was 1 mistake he was making on his log books every day, some technical violation. That was the only thing that kept him from being the top driver in the terminal his first months out. He was out-running the veterans. just goes to show, you never can tell.

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