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Job Seekers and Recruiters Miracle on 34th Street

The classic message of “Miracle on 34th Street” still resonates more than 50 years after the holiday classic aired. No matter the version you prefer you can still hear the central message: Help your customer even if it means sending them to your competition. By helping them you will build goodwill that will pay off in the future.

Competition for the best job or top talent has been fierce over the last three years. As we go through the holidays it is hard to think of anything or anyone else beyond our primary mission: Find that next job or fill that top requirement before the New Year starts. Yet, as Kris Kringle was able to show the fierce retail competitors Macy’s and Gimbel’s; when the customer comes first, we all benefit.

We have seen this many times with our Best Recruiters. They will take the time at a Cleared Job Fair to talk with a job seeker and find out the job seeker’s key strengths and talents. If the recruiter doesn’t have an opportunity for a job seeker at that time, Best Recruiters will:

1) Provide the job seeker with feedback on their resume,

2) Share with the job seeker other opportunities the recruiter knows of within their own company or with other companies,

3) Share with the job seeker the hiring process in their company.

Not only is this supporting their company’s brand. The recruiter is remembered as a source for information and connection within the community. Best Recruiters have shared that talented job seekers come back to them frequently when the job seeker is available again, thus making their talent pipeline evergreen.

Job seekers also have a strong, shared community connection. Networking with other job seekers they may find colleagues with similar talents, but perhaps different geographic requirements. Or that colleague may have one additional certification — hint, add new certifications.

If in a conversation with a recruiter a job seeker realizes that their colleague would be a better candidate, they should refer their colleague. The recruiter and the colleague will thank the referring job seeker. And they’ll be viewed as a networker, which is a very valuable title in the community. Expanding networking, but more importantly engagement, improves a job seekers ability to land the position they seek. 

As we look to the New Year, look to the best interests of your customers – job seekers or recruiters – to open up your network and support your community. In the end we will all benefit. Happy New Year!