We survey our recruiters to see why relationships should be the main thing.

When looking for a new career opportunity, consulting options can be mind-boggling. With so many different recruiters and staffing firms to choose from, it can be hard to determine who has your best interests in mind. Who will best meet your needs. There are certainly pros and cons to working with anyone, but at OpenArc, we strongly believe that relationship-based recruiting provides benefits that will give you a competitive edge – benefits that are simply not available from companies that see people as a commodity. Relationship-based recruiting is exactly what it sounds like: we meet each and every candidate face to face, and we take the time to walk through the interview and hiring processes (and beyond) with those candidates. Our goal is to be a trusted advisor for your entire career – not to simply rack up placements. We talked to a number of our career advisors to get their take on relationship-based recruiting, and how it can help you find a fulfilling career. Here’s what they had to say:

Holly Rosino, Senior Technical Career Advisor

When you put relationships first, you can get a real understanding of everything a candidate is looking for – not just a generic category of job. You learn each person’s definition of work/life balance. When that trust is established, candidates know that we’re representing them accurately. They are not a number. The ability to call or reach out to us at any time is crucial as well. We make ourselves available for questions, interview prep – anything they need, around the clock. Another benefit is our relationships with our client companies. Candidates know that we’re able to properly prepare them, giving important (and accurate) information about the position and the company culture.

Nate Paige, Technical Career Advisor

Building a relationship means that we can be transparent with our candidates, and that sometimes takes the form of tough love. We like to earn the right to be honest. When you know what candidates value, it becomes much easier to find a natural fit for them. We can also be an effective conduit between candidates and companies – a trusted and reliable third party.

Ian Verba, Technical Career Advisor

It’s all about trust. Trust leads to honesty, and when we can be honest with each other, good things happen. Honesty helps candidates feel secure in what can sometimes be a challenging time in their lives.

Jeff Christman, Technical Career Advisor

Having strong relationships with decision makers throughout the region allows us to share timely and relevant industry information with our candidates, which is another step in growing our level of trust and building on our demonstrated track record.

Mike Peditto, Senior Technical Career Advisor

We like to think that candidates value a recruiter that won’t waste their time. When you’re looking for a career, the last thing you want is an advocate that feeds you positions that don’t make sense. We have our candidates’ backs, and getting to know them allows us to look beyond their resumes to understand and communicate why they are the best fit for a particular position. The other critical difference is that at OpenArc, we keep in touch. It seems simple, but it’s so powerful to a candidate to know that we won’t pull up stakes once they are placed. They know that we care about their happiness.

The bottom line? We believe that a career-long resource is simply more valuable than a quick fix for any current situation, and that’s why the OpenArc talent practice operates the way that we do. If you’re looking for a true partner in your search for a fulfilling career, let’s talk!

Scott Moore is OpenArc’s manager of career advisory services.