It's probably not all that far from base to assume Glassdoor hopes no matter how content you are in your current position, you're cruising their website looking for your next big opportunity. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that they suggest you take recruiters' calls even if you are happy at your job:
You may be in your dream job but that doesn’t mean you should blow off the recruiter or executive search consultant if they come calling. Getting inundated with recruiters‘ calls if you have sought-after skills can be annoying, but you never know when the roles will reverse and you will be the one looking for a job.
“It’s very common (for people to blow off recruiters calls) and it always leaves us scratching our heads,” says Kathy Harris, managing director of recruiting firm Harris Allied in New York. “We very often know about positions that no one knows about. At the end of the day you want to be the first person we think of.
This reminds me of the time I bitched on Facebook about PR people who blow up my inbox with pitches that have nothing to do with my job. My cousin works for a PR firm in Los Angeles so I expected to hear from her but what I didn't expect was a friend from Chicago — who is in PR, duh — yelling at me for being so elitist and judgy. Like, how dare I not counsel PR people and tell them what kind of pitches I want to get. I told her that was ridiculous and ain't nobody got time for that.
Recruiters are kind of like PR people. They have their place and every now and then they're good for something but most of the time, they're like a gnat buzzing around your head.
Glassdoor continues:
For the happily employed it doesn’t hurt to take the phone call. After all they may have an amazing job for you. Not to mention you are clearly wanted because they are the ones seeking out you. Even if the job may not be right for you but could be ideal for someone you know which creates a win win situation. You get to refer someone you care about and you create a relationship with the recruiter because you are helping out.
Maybe it doesn't hurt if you take one phone call. But when you're getting blown up by recruiters all day long, that one phone call turns into HOLY BALLS, WHY WON'T YOU LEAVE ME ALONE?!
Here's the funny part:
“Recruiters know which industries are shifting, which companies are growing, who is downsizing, and they are able to share this information in a third-party, non-biased way,” says Tom Gimbel, president and chief executive of LaSalle Network, a Chicago staffing company. “They know which skill sets are in demand, which certifications you need to grow your career and what you need to succeed in a role.” Not to mention recruiters know a lot of people and can connect you with mentors, key players and others who can help you’re career.
Recruiters are non-biased? I guess they're working for free, then? Silly me, I thought they got a cut if you buy in and get hired by their client.
What say ye, GC faithful? Should you spend half the day fielding calls from recruiters on the off chance one might hold the key to that "dream job" you are holding out for?
