Correct career networks: How do I react to recruiting inquiries?

Anyone who is registered with job networks such as Linkedin or Xing may be familiar with them: recruiting inquiries. But what is the right way to react when someone wants to recruit you for a new position?

It doesn’t matter whether you’ve just graduated, are happy with your job or want to change jobs: If you maintain a profile in an online job network, you may receive inquiries from recruiting specialists or headhunters there. It is not always immediately clear who is behind the request and what is being advertised. What’s the right way to deal with messages like this?

“My recommendation is to always look at and respond to inquiries from HR consultants and potential employers, even if you’re not currently looking,” says Berlin-based HR consultant Kerstin Sarah von Appen. Because even if contact is inconvenient at the time of the inquiry or the job offered is uninteresting, networking can be helpful later.

However, Julia Held from the consulting firm Kienbaum recommends checking the sender before answering the request. However, the longer you wait to reply, the lower your chances of getting the job offered. Because especially in the lower hierarchical levels, the positions are urgently to be filled. On the other hand, a good member of the supervisory board looks for a position as managing director two years in advance.

If the job is uninteresting or the consultant seems dubious, Held advises at least briefly and politely to decline. According to Appen, anyone who is interested in changing jobs or finds a position exciting can signal when they have time to make personal contact via video call or phone call. This makes it easier to exchange details about the vacancy.

In any case, from a technical point of view, it is advisable to reply. Held says that the LinkedIn job network, for example, recognizes whether users are responding to the inquiries. Those who want to get in touch then receive indications as to whether a person is likely to respond or not.

“If you are repeatedly asked about positions that really don’t fit at all, it can be helpful to point out your own orientation and possible interesting development steps,” says von Appen. This is not the only reason why it makes sense to keep your own profile in career networks up to date and to check back regularly.

Kienbaum headhunter Held says that HR consultant contacts can be valuable for years to come. For example, if professionals should be looking for a new challenge.

But how do you know if a request is serious or not? “I would question general inquiries without a salutation, without reference to the professional focus and without specific information about a new position,” says Olga Schwalbe from the Federal Employment Agency.

It can then be, for example, inquiries from HR consultants who just want to fill their database with contacts – without specific mandates, says Jörg Albold, who also works as a consultant at Kienbaum. “Candidates should be vigilant here and ask who the client is and whether the mandate is exclusively filled.”

Also, it’s not forbidden to ask a recruiter questions, says von Appen. For example, based on experience in the industry. Or why the position is a suitable development step from the point of view of the consultant. A reputable personnel consultant appreciates this exchange and is happy to provide information.

In general, a look at the website of the consulting company from which the request comes can provide information as to whether the request is serious. If the site makes a good impression and references are mentioned, Held recommends questioning these and the headhunter’s goal during the first telephone call. And only when everything fits and a data protection declaration has been signed should a CV be handed over to the personnel consultant, says Held.

If it works out in the end and the candidate ends up in a new job with the help of the headhunter, according to Kienbaum consultant Albold, a salary increase can often be expected.

As a rule, the service provided by the personnel consultant is free of charge for the candidate. The headhunter’s fee is usually paid by the hiring company and is based on the candidate’s agreed target annual salary.