They always want to meet, don't they.

[choppedwood]

Anyone have any good answers for recruiters and meeting them?  I just spoke with a guy, and I give him credit for being entertaining, but there's still nothing in play at the moment and it's a half day round trip, no way about it.  I get the why of it, make sure we're serious, don't wear our underwear on the outside of our pants, etc, but I also know that when someone is really serious it happens just fine without meeting the recruiter.

[Origisaurus]

In addition to checking for purple hair and other "presentability" no-nos, sometimes they just want an excuse to get out of the office and have a nice lunch.  One solo borque I had several gigs with just wanted to have the company, and he always asked me at the start of each gig to scout lunch spots.  Took me to lunch at least once in two weeks or even more often. 

It could even be company policy - one borquette was told to take every one of her "consultants" to lunch at least once a month - the wait staff thought we were an item!

[David Randolph]

It also has to do with their mentality. Many sales people start out in social activities in jr. high & high school. Thus, they are more comfortable with selling someone they have met instead of someone they just have the phone conversations with.

Don't forget: people do business with people they have met far more than those they have just talked to over the phone. You are far more likely to get business when you go out and meet with people than if you just stay in your office writing a blog.

[ilconsiglliere]

Other comments about the meet and greet are true to a degree. Sure people like to see people, like people that are like them, blah, blah.

BUT in my experience if the recruiter is not really pals with the hiring manager there is no point going to see them. And this I can say for a fact, in NJ 99% of them are not pals with ANYONE. Many of them will lead you to believe that they are wired in to the job via the manager while the reality is that the only special access they have is in their imagination. The Indians in general say oh yeah - they are only ones with the req, blah, blah... yeah sure you are.

I used to do the proverbial meet and greet all the time. Its a waste of time and energy. You got to put on a suit, drive to where they are - talk with them for 15 minutes and than drive back. Sometimes I drove 50 miles for 15 minutes.

Here is the reality as much as the IT people have been commoditized the borks/brokers/recruiters have been just as commoditized. Some companies have preferred vendor lists of like 30 vendors. NONE are given special treatment, they release the job req to ALL of them at once. Than you get to watch 30 vendors fight over the req like junkyard dogs over a scrap of meat.

I know because of Ma B*ll. They release req and I will get like 40 emails from separate companies wanting to place me on the job. Ma B*ll goes through elaborate lengths now so even the agencies dont know who the hiring manager is. This of course gets circumvented via the backroom PRIOR to a req being released because the agency will know about the job BEFORE its released.

I say unless you feel like doing the drive dont bother with it.

[Origisaurus]

It's almost always OK to do the m&g, as long as you don't have to lose billlable time to do it.  The tradeoff is your gas money for a free meal.  If you don't want to take billable time, you can suggest cocktals at a suitable locale - hotel lounge or the like.  Ex: the Snake & Tail* on Northwestern Highway, the Alibi Lounge on Dequindre, or the lounge in the St. Regis Hotel on Grand Boulevard.  Except for the S&T, all neutral and upscale.

Thing is that most folks don't want to stop for a few tipples, but want to be at home with SO and maybe kids.  So they just may forego the m&g.

* S&T - aka the Steak and Ale restaurant.

[TRexx]

It's almost always OK to do the m&g, as long as you don't have to lose billlable time to do it.  The tradeoff is your gas money for a free meal. 

Free meal?  I can't remember the last time a broker, even one for whom I was generating revenue, bought me a meal or a drink.

No wait, I do. Christmas 2009. My broker, who had about 50 bodies on my account, dropped off a large plate of cookies in the break room.  The FTEs descended on them like a swarm of locusts.

[choppedwood]

I wish this was a meet and great.  It was the usual come to our office, sign some forms, while taking a "half" day to get here and back, and then we'll see if we have something for about "half" the rate you'd get some where else.  Hope that didn't violate any guidelines.

Anyways, I told him I'd visit if he had something concrete.

[The Gorn]

...and then we'll see if we have something for about "half" the rate you'd get some where else.  Hope that didn't violate any guidelines.

I have "Half" a mind to not say anything. So I won't. Carry on. 

[ilconsiglliere]

There is no cocktailing nor eating here in NJ. Its just and office visit and you will be lucky if they offer a glass of water.

Like I said, its a waste of time.

[Slinky]

So far the worst offender in my parts of the woods is the company with "half" in their name. I have sworn them off completely. Emails from them automatically go into the "Bin of Flaming Death." 

[Origisaurus]

So far the worst offender in my parts of the woods is the company with "half" in their name. I have sworn them off completely. Emails from them automatically go into the "Bin of Flaming Death." 

Thing is, Bob.5 is a far-flung franchise operation, working under the "rules" set down from on high.  And mostly, like the Golden Arches franchise, the snot-nosed kid has no understanding, much less leeway, to exercise judgment with different "customers".  And please remember, you aren't a customer, you're just meat (83% lean before cooking) to sell.

And you learn a lot, just by reading their boilerplate.  One clause regarding IP had me agreeing to show up any where, any time, to sign paperwork, at my own expense.  Sure, I'm going to drop everything, fly from one coast to the other just to sign your paperwork!  Yeah, riiight.