This may not be a comfortable read.

Almost all recruiters tell themselves huge lies.

I did it when I was a recruiter, and I did it when I was manager too. I do it now when things go off track. But I stop myself fast.

It’s a human trait on a broader level for sure, as well.

We finesse reality to make ourselves feel better.

We tweak the truth to make our failures less painful.

And we exaggerate our contribution to meet our own egotistical self–construct.

And it’s dangerous for your career health!

Especially now, because Covid and lockdowns have given us many real reasons to feel sorry for ourselves. There has been real suffering, and the hurdles have been huge and most definitely not imaginary.

But now is it possible that we are making excuses for some of our failings? Wrapping them up in neat packages of self-pity and self-delusion?

Is everything that goes badly, really ‘because of Covid?’.

I don’t want to go all psychobabble on you, but I see it every day. I am guilty of it! We like to feel good about ourselves. Even if we have to distort reality to make it all ‘fit’.

And it matters because it stunts growth and learning. It closes doors that otherwise could be pried open, and it reduces our credibility in the eyes of others who can often see through the lies we tell ourselves, and sometimes, them too.

Told yourself these lies lately?

It’s the market!

It’s not my fault I can’t generate any fees!  There are no available candidates in my sector! No one is moving. Candidates are ghosting me and accepting counter-offers! No one is hiring.  The clients won’t see recruiters. There are no jobs.  It’s not me. It’s ‘the market’. (Never mind that I live in a city of 5 million people, and thousands of people are accepting jobs every day. And there are 500 competing recruiting companies, all of whom seem to be doing fine, thanks for asking.)

That is MY client.

That client only works with me. I have every job exclusively. In fact, she loves me. She would never go elsewhere. What is more, the only reason she uses my recruitment company is because of.. me. (Love, love that one. So common.)

The client put the job on hold.

Yeah right! No way on Gods’ green earth that it could have been filled by another agency.. right? It is on hold, and on hold, and on hold… (Until…..Oh sorry, says the client, we filled it ‘elsewhere’)

My company has never done anything for me.

Totally! Never trained you. Never paid you. Never generated marketing. Never gave you leads. Never provided you with an ATS. Never fed you a client. Never ran ads on your behalf. Never supported you through that lean patch. Never looked after you during Covid, when the owner was scared about losing her company.. and her house. Never, ever, ever! You did it all yourself.

I don’t need to attend training sessions. I know about all that stuff.

Of course not! You are fine. You have three years experience after all! What can you possibly learn from training? What is there for you to learn? It’s all good. “Recruitment isn’t rocket science after all” (Stupidest comment ever uttered by a recruiter. We are not building fucking rockets are we? It is an incredibly nuanced difficult job to do well, nonetheless, and you must keep learning every day)

Technology change won’t affect me.

Sure! You have your database in your head. Your memory is infallible, you mention that quite often. You have been a big-biller for years. You talk about that a lot too. You survived every other technology change. Just keep doing it your way. What could go wrong? No risk there at all!

It’s not me, it’s them.

I always pass on leads. I always pick up the phone if the receptionist is away. I always do my admin perfectly. I always wash my lunch plates. I never snap at the admin staff. I am always passing on candidates for other consultants’ jobs. It’s not me! It’s them!

She is not that good a recruiter. Just lucky.

Nothing to do with the fact she works harder. Does more BD. Does more activity than you. Sources better candidates than you. Delivers better quality than you. Provides better candidate service. No, she is just plain lucky.

Of course, I look after my candidates!

All of them. Especially ones I can’t help. And the ones who miss out on the offer, or the shortlist. Keep them informed. Return their calls. Treat with respect. Always.

Of course, I hit all my KPI’s!

And all the stats I provided are 100% accurate…promise….

Of course, I have called every candidate on the database

Searched every conceivable way.  There is nothing there. Guess I better run an Ad…

That’s not the full list, is it? What other lies or half-truths do we tell ourselves? Look forward to your comments.

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