For most people, 2020 was a year unlike any other, but in 2021 many are ready to get back to work or make a change. Individuals who worked from home or were unemployed had plenty of time to decide where they wanted to take their careers next. But as more people get back to work, the job market gets more competitive. If you’re looking for general labour, automotive assembly, production, machine operation, forklift, or other manufacturing jobs, a recruiter can be your secret weapon. Here are five reasons you should work with a recruiter to find a job in 2021. 

What is a Recruiter? 

If you haven’t worked with a recruiter before, you might not know the advantages or what to expect from your partnership. There are many reasons for a job seeker to work with a recruiter. The employer is responsible for compensating the recruiter, but that doesn’t mean they don’t also work in your best interests. Their success depends on making an accurate match between employers and candidates, so they will go out of their way to examine your skills and experience and connect you with the right jobs. They will examine your qualifications and interests and seek the ideal fit based on the job requirements, culture, and management style of the company. It increases the chances that you and the employer will be happy and that you will stay for the long haul. Hiring is expensive, so retention is always a top priority for hiring managers. 

Recruiters will do their best to smooth the way for candidates to get them off on the right foot when they start their new job. Some professionals will work with the same recruiter for the entire duration of their careers, reaching out to them whenever they are ready for a new opportunity and even when they need to hire themselves. A good recruiter will get to know you and help you make smart career moves with your professional goals in mind.  

1. Expanded Networking Abilities 

You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone with a broader and more varied network than a professional recruiter. In order to succeed professionally, they must build strong relationships with many employers in their specialty or region. It often takes years to build these relationships. Their network also includes the professionals they have successfully placed as well as individuals they are working with who are currently in the market for work. It also extends throughout the communities where they serve. 

When you work with a recruiter, their network becomes yours. Your advantage is that they know employers on more than a superficial level. Recruiters understand the challenges of the companies they work with and understand what will make a candidate a successful employee. When you work with a recruiter, you’ll never have to guess what it’s like to work with a company or a specific manager. Because they have in-depth conversations with hiring managers, they know which qualifications on the list of requirements are must-have and which are less critical. You may even have qualities the hiring manager didn’t know were essential to the job until the recruiter explains them. 

2. Increased Job Opportunities

As a job seeker, you will find more opportunities by working with the recruiter than you ever could on your own. They know about jobs even before they are publicized. They will also work with a broader range of employers than you typically would in your job search. Depending on your background, there could be opportunities to use your skills in employment types you may not have considered before. Job seekers can submit resumes or apply to dozens if not hundreds of places before finding a suitable job. That can take a lot of time and energy and can be frustrating. When you work with a recruiter, you apply once and have access to many jobs at once. Best of all, you won’t waste your time pursuing jobs that are not suitable for you. Because recruiters know their employer partners so well, they can read between the lines of a job post and connect you only with opportunities worth investing your time in. 

Applying, communicating with employers, and interviewing all take time – time that’s probably at a premium if you are currently employed. Recruiters know everything from company culture to the history of turnover – which can often be essential to making the right fit. For example, the recruiter might know that previous employees left the position because it’s in a fast-paced and high-pressure environment. If you thrive when you’re busy and challenged, the recruiter can share this with the employer and encourage you to highlight that quality in the interview. If you’re more laid back and not interested in the grind, going through the whole interview process will be a waste of everyone’s time. An insightful recruiter will notice this and steer you to a different position.  

3. Free Resource!

Recruiters can be a great resource to a job seeker in 2021. They are experts at putting people to work in available jobs and will help facilitate the process for you. If you are currently working, they can arrange interviews at times convenient for you, so you’re not trying to field calls from multiple employers while you are at work. They can examine your resume and advise you regarding how to improve it and what employers are looking for in a resume. They can explain the preferred resume format and how you can optimize your resume to get through the ATS system and onto the next level. Your recruiter can help you practice your interview skills.  

If it’s been a while since you have been in the market for a job, they can give you honest feedback. Too often, employers who don’t make an offer don’t give you any feedback as to why you didn’t get it – if they bother to contact you to let you know you didn’t get the job at all. You’re left with no idea why you didn’t get the job, or you may think you’re still in the running for the job. A recruiter can typically give you a better idea of why you didn’t land the job and what you can do to improve your prospects for future opportunities. 

4. Efficiency

Recruiters can speed your job search and ensure that you don’t waste your time on jobs that are not appropriate for you. They will review your application, and if you don’t meet the qualifications, they will let you know so you don’t continue pursuing the opportunity. If they have a more suitable one in mind, they can steer you in that direction. Employers count on them to do all the leg work so that they only meet with the top prospects. You’ll know where you stand, and you can apply once and be considered for several different jobs. 

5. Greater Market Intel 

One of the strongest reasons for choosing to work with a recruiter in your job search is because of their experience and market intelligence. They can tell you what a reasonable compensation expectation for your target job is — whether that means you should ask for a little more money than you thought because the market justifies it or that your expectations are unrealistic. They can advise you if it might be worth taking a job even if the salary is lower than your expectation or if there is room for negotiations in the form of a bonus or additional vacation time. They will know what companies are growing and what companies might be slowing down so that you don’t waste your time with a company that might be laying off soon. Instead, they can steer you to a company with a lot of long-term potential and help you get your foot in the door.  

Using Multiple Resources Provides a Comprehensive Search

 To conduct an effective job search, you should have many different weapons in your arsenal. A recruiter is one of them. A recruiter is especially helpful if you have specialized skills such as in-demand technical skills or specific requirements such as preferring to work fully remote. Recruiters can help narrow the field for you if there are many options or perhaps follow up with employers to see if a job that seems otherwise a perfect fit can be converted to a work from home position.  

Contact HCR to Learn More! 

Recruiters know their clients, which means they can be sure if you are the right candidate for their needs. If you’re interested in a position in general labour, automotive assembly, production, machine operation, forklift, or any other manufacturing jobs the recruiters at HCR Personnel can give you details you may not find in the job description. HCR recruiters are your secret weapon in your efforts to find a job. 

Need Help Finding a New Job? Partner with HCR Personnel Solutions 

Our industrial staffing and automotive recruitment specialists work with job seekers and employers in Toronto, Brampton, Vaughan, Newmarket, London, St. Thomas, ON and beyond. If you need help pursuing your career goals, we are happy to assist you. For more information, please contact us today.