I am a UK Recruitment Consultant trying to work the US market

I’m a Recruitment Consultant from the UK looking to expand my reach in the US market. Here’s a bit of background: I have six years of recruitment experience, with the first four focusing primarily on business development and account management. During that time, my colleagues were responsible for sourcing candidates. For the past two years, I’ve concentrated exclusively on the US market, moving from a reliance on a separate team to personally finding candidates for my clients.

My specialty lies in recruiting software engineers with expertise in Microsoft .NET. When I entered the US market, I adapted the same strategies I’d used successfully in the UK—such as cold-calling candidates to learn about their interview schedules and scouring job boards for active openings. From there, I reached out to companies with anonymized profiles of potential candidates to pique their interest and establish connections.

Since my initial foray into the US market, I’ve refined my approach. Given the abundance of leads available on job boards, I no longer engage in cold-calling candidates. Now, after identifying a potential hiring manager, I’ll attempt to reach them via phone a couple of times within the first two days. If I don’t have success, I follow up with an email, subsequently reaching out by phone again. This process unfolds over about four weeks, during which they receive a total of seven emails (one initial and six follow-ups).

This strategy is consistently applied across all companies I’m targeting. On average, I pursue about 10-15 new companies daily. When factoring in my ongoing pitches and regular “check-in” emails to current clients, I end up contacting around 80-100 companies each day.

I genuinely love my work and have dedicated significant effort to make this transition successful.

I would greatly appreciate any advice on securing new business or insights from others’ experiences as recruitment consultants in the US. Thank you!

Quality of applicants – USA vs UK

Applicant Quality: USA vs. UK

I’m interested in hearing about others’ experiences regarding this topic.

As a recruiter specializing in niche technical positions in both the UK and the US, I’ve noticed a significant difference in applicant quality.

When I post a job on LinkedIn in the UK, around 1 in every 15 candidates typically meets the minimum qualifications. In contrast, in the US, it’s more like 1 in 50.

This leads me to wonder if the overall quality of applicants in the US is lower than in the UK. Does anyone else find this to be the case? Do US candidates tend to take more chances than their UK counterparts?

For context, I ensure that all my job postings clearly outline the minimum qualifications and include screening questions.

Interestingly, I’ve also observed that my LinkedIn recruiter messages receive a much higher response rate in the US (40%) compared to the UK (25%).

New Google/Yahoo spam filters take effect in Feb.

Important Update: New Google and Yahoo Spam Filters Starting February
Have you or your IT department reviewed your DMARC and DNS settings to ensure your emails align with the upcoming changes to Google and Yahoo’s spam filters? Mark your calendars for February 1st, as that’s when these new spam filtering rules will take effect.

For more details, you can read the article here.

Before the changes roll out, check your domain’s reputation using Mail Tester. This tool will help you determine your current score and identify any missing DMARC, DKIM, or other settings. I recently improved my score from 9/10 to 10/10 with their suggestions!

IT recruitment case!

Seeking Help with IT Recruitment

Hi everyone, I’m in a bit of a tough spot and could really use your assistance. I’m currently applying for junior recruiter positions after struggling to find opportunities in my field of communications. I’ve previously worked with an NGO, but my experience in recruitment is quite limited. The only relevant experience I have is supporting the HR department while I was a receptionist at a large plant just before I graduated.

The challenge I keep facing is that foreign companies often ask for examples of complex recruitment cases I’ve handled, and to be honest, I’m struggling to come up with a solid example. If anyone here has experience in recruitment, particularly in IT, I would greatly appreciate hearing about a real case you worked on and how you approached it.

I’m feeling the pressure as I’ve been job hunting for months, and I’m close to exhausting my savings. I’m also facing the risk of losing my rental home. Thank you so much for any guidance or advice you can provide! It truly means a lot to me.

Seeking Java/Python resumes on ZipRecruiter; cost concerns over viewing contacts. Exploring ways to minimize expenses or access info for free.

I’m searching for resumes on ZipRecruiter for candidates with 0-5 years of experience in Java and Python. However, I’m concerned about the costs associated with accessing contact information—viewing each resume costs $3, which adds up to roughly $3000 if I plan to review 1000 resumes. There is a premium plan available on ZipRecruiter that includes job postings and some free resume views for about $35 per day.

I’m looking for strategies to minimize these expenses. Are there ways to access contact information without incurring costs? I’m also open to learning about tools, Chrome extensions, or other methods that could help reduce these costs. What recommendations do you have?

What do you think?

I would love to hear your thoughts! Here’s a link to my resume: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12YA4fTVGRhxfAapba-WkVW0j9VCNbAO9/view?usp=share_link.

Do you think I’d be someone worth reaching out to? If not, I’d appreciate any feedback on why. Thank you in advance!

Thoughts on a new recruitment SaaS platform

Exploring a New Recruitment SaaS Solution

I’ve noticed that many companies and hiring managers juggle various tools to expedite the hiring process.

While I’m not a professional recruiter or hiring manager, I’ve had my fair share of hiring experiences during my time at various startups. The process can be quite tedious when approached manually, as I typically followed these steps: posting a job on platforms like LinkedIn or Indeed, waiting for applications, sifting through countless resumes, reaching out to candidates for calls, and ultimately shortlisting after initial interviews.

I know that using an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) can streamline candidate engagement, but I believe there’s potential for even greater efficiency.

Here’s my vision for a recruitment platform:

1. Both companies and candidates register on the platform.
2. When a company is searching for a candidate, they post a job detailing the description, salary range, work model (remote/hybrid/in-office), PTO flexibility, and more.
3. The platform then scans for candidates who meet the specified criteria and align with the job description.
4. Once suitable matches are identified, the platform automatically notifies these candidates and provides them with a calendar to schedule a direct conversation with the interviewer—similar to how Calendly functions.

Benefits of this system compared to traditional methods:

1. Eliminate the hassle of sorting through thousands of resumes to find the right candidate, substantially reducing human error in the selection process.
2. The platform goes beyond simple matching; it ensures candidates meet essential qualifications (for instance, filtering out candidates with only 2 years of experience when the job requires 10 years).
3. No need for multiple calls to gauge candidate expectations. The platform will only present candidates who align with the role’s requirements, thus saving valuable time.
4. This could significantly reduce hiring costs for businesses, allowing them to avoid expenses associated with recruitment agencies. Instead, the platform could operate on a flat monthly subscription model for candidates matched.

What I envision is a foundational filtration and matchmaking system benefiting both companies and candidates globally. What do you think about such a platform? Are there similar tools currently available?

Setting up solo, before leaving 9-5

Starting My Own Recruitment Venture While Still in My 9-5

Hi everyone,

I’m excited to share my goal of launching my own recruitment business. I’ll keep this brief: I have a solid background in recruitment, having worked at an agency where I managed my own desk like it was my own business.

However, I’m not in a position to leave my day job just yet, as I prefer to avoid financial risk and living off savings.

Has anyone here successfully started their own venture on the side while still working full-time?

I’d love to hear your advice and experiences on how to balance both until my business takes off.

Thank you!

When to quit your job?

When Should You Consider Leaving Your Job?
What factors do you evaluate before making the decision to resign? Here’s my personal checklist:

1. You’re not being fairly compensated for your work.
2. The demands of the job interfere with your ability to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
3. Past experiences at the company have hindered your ability to start fresh and be productive.

AI Tools

AI Tools for Recruitment

Hello, fellow recruiters! I’m reaching out for your insights as we navigate the AI era, which is rapidly transforming our field. It’s crucial that we embrace these advancements to streamline our processes.

If anyone has recommendations for automation tools that can help send InMails from LinkedIn Corporate—preferably with data insights—I’d greatly appreciate it.

Additionally, if you have any other recruitment tools you’d like to share, please drop them in the comments. Let’s create a valuable thread filled with fresh ideas and resources! Thank you!