What comes to your mind when you hear the word recruiter? Seriously, think about it. Write a few words down and hold onto that piece of paper. What words or phrases did you jot down? Supportive. Helpful. Kind. Empathetic. Someone who called you at the perfect moment, or respected your schedule and asked for a better time to talk with you? There may also be some negative connotations that come to mind when the word recruiter is brought up. Intense. Competitive. Eager. Unappreciative. Unapologetic. Someone who you haven’t heard from in a month. Someone who called you at work and your boss or coworkers overheard the entire conversation.

I know and understand both sides of this conversation. I myself searched through job opportunities with the help of recruiters. Some recruiters handled the experience better than others. There were some who kept me up-to-date throughout the entire process and there were some who wanted to see my resume and I never heard from them again. Sure, one can argue that it comes from years of working in the recruitment field, but it also comes from an understanding of treating the people you work with, the same way that you want to be treated. It’s one of the Golden Rules that you learn in elementary school. As a candidate, the most important thing for me was communication. I wanted to hear news about my consideration, even if it was negative. Now as a recruiter, I make sure to reach back out to my candidates whenever I can and whenever I receive feedback from our clients. Recruitment is about reciprocity. Provato translates to reliable, and we mean it.

One reason why I wanted to enter the recruitment field was to right the wrongs that had been done to me. I had great conversations with recruiters who genuinely wanted to help me find my next job and I had conversations with recruiters who expressed their intent but didn’t follow through. Positive candidate experience is something that is very important to me and something that I want to ensure happens to every single candidate. I chose Provato because they share my goal.

When we call candidates, we don’t automatically recite a script that is tailored to a specific job that might not even fit the requirements and background of the candidate on the phone with us. Some resumes that we have access to were posted on a job board back in 2013, so why am I going to call someone who might not even be interested in it now? We call because we realize that things change. We want to hear what you’re currently doing and we want to hear what you want to do in your next position. We want to know what’s important to you. Everyone has a story and we are here to listen and understand that story. Technology is full of automation which makes things easier and more convenient, but nothing beats a conversation. People are more than a piece of paper.

At Provato, we share updates as we get them and are transparent with feedback. We understand that if we were in your shoes, we would want to hear what’s going on. If the feedback is positive, fantastic, we will arrange a phone or in-person interview between you and our client. If negative, no worries, we will update you and see if there are other positions that meet your requirements. It’s a partnership that we nurture. We want to work with you to help you find the right connections, the right fit, and the right company.

Take a look at the piece of paper that you scribbled on earlier. Are there any words that you want to emphasize? Any words that you’re considering crossing off?