Four Simple Steps to Improve Your Relationships with Recruiters

1) Only Deal with Experts

You must limit the number of recruiters you work with and make sure the ones you choose are specialists in your field, says Scott Stacey, MD Australia, Marks Sattin. "Replace them if you're not getting the advice or honesty that you need. Good recruiters focus on managing your expectations, which can lead to initial disappointment: you think you're ready for that CEO role, but the recruiter reminds you that you're still several steps away."

2) Agree to Regularity of Contact in Advance and Stick to Your Plans

"Often candidates can be unsure how often they should contact their recruitment consultant, which is why in all our face-to-face interviews we discuss and agree with them how often we will talk. In this way, expectations are set and met throughout the process," says Jane McNeill, senior regional director, Hays Banking.

But recruitment is a two-way street, she adds. "You should keep in contact too, at a minimum as you agreed in the initial interview, as well as any time you see a job that is of interest."

3) Tell Rour Recruiter Where You Stand with Other Vacancies

Be open about where you are at with other applications and interviews, recommends Warwick Peel, director, pb Human Capital. If you're not comfortable communicating the actual financial institution and the role, then simply state (for example): "I have a second interview for an investment analyst with a fund manager." This will assist the recruiter in creating a sense of urgency with the employer they are dealing with, says Peel.

4) Don't Ever, Ever Apply for the Same Job Twice

"The best way for candidates to interact with their recruitment consultant is for them to be honest and upfront. In a number of cases, we will forward a candidate's details to a hiring manager only to be told that he or she has applied already through another agency or come directly through the firm's careers site," says Jeremy Paterson, general manager Queensland, Alliance Recruitment. Don't do it.