by Paul Drury

When a downturn hits, professionals around the world wonder where the recruiters have got to.

Prospective candidates were bombarded by messages in the good times – some creative, some slightly less so, trying to tempt them into exploring opportunities. Networking events would be packed with recruiters talking about their latest clients, and the validation of being singled out was undeniably flattering, if sometimes a little annoying. When times are good, recruiters need candidates, but when times are hard, candidates need recruiters.

Sadly, in the tough times, too many recruiters are nowhere to be seen. We’re not quite there yet, but the cracks are appearing.

I’m not sure why communication tends to dry up when recruitment backs are against the wall. Maybe they think that they shouldn’t bother candidates if they have nothing for them. Maybe they don’t want to have an image of being happy to have a chat with anyone who needs it, because it isn’t productive. Maybe they are simply fighting for their lives trying to earn the meager commissions that are on offer. Recruitment doesn’t stop in a downturn, but it does get a lot more competitive. Amongst the stresses, it is ordinary candidates that tend to get forgotten.

I would like to suggest that this is a bad idea.

Most industries are cyclical, but few industries are more cyclical than recruitment. How you do business with your client in the upturn will dictate how you survive the downturn, but how you deal with your candidates in the downturn will equally affect who returns your calls in the upturn. Candidates are not stupid, they know that there aren’t many roles out there. They don’t expect recruiters to be magicians, they just hope for a little respect and a few kind words of encouragement.

Marketing takes on an extra importance in any downturn – recruiters are investing in their future and being visible will set them apart from their competitors.

There is nothing like the prospect of a recession to focus the mind on their brand. As a Recruitment Blog Ghostwriter, I have had a recent upsurge in interest. Recruitment is becoming more social, and maybe this coming downturn will be the one when recruiters are finally there for their candidates.

“We don’t have any roles for you” may still unfortunately be the stock response, but this might be followed by asking how else the recruiter can help. They might point the candidate to their careers blog or suggest a series of TED talks that could be useful, maybe even a word or two of advice on their CV? This is a two-minute conversation, but for some candidates it could make all the difference. While recruitment competitors are hanging up the phone, the extra mile will be remembered by candidates who are not expecting anything else.

These people need jobs to pay the mortgage and put food on the table. If you do everything that you can for them, they will become your ambassadors for all time. Can recruiters really afford to ignore them or brush them off with blunt and uncaring messages?

Recruiters might not earn a fee from them today, but there is a bigger picture.

Please don’t disappear when times get tough.