by Darrell W. Gurney, CPC, JCTC, RScP

The days of managing information on index cards or in manila folders are gone. There is only so much information-capacity/memory that any human can handle. Yet, a recruiter’s ability to quickly retain and locate information is a crucial determinant of success.

Computers and the myriad accessories that accompany them, allow for information management, retention, retrieval, and transfer. Technology enables a headhunter to stay efficient, effective, and sane in this hurly-burly world. Whether it’s a recruiter’s ability to receive your e-mailed resume (which gets your information into “play” faster) or their ability to research company information on the Internet, all things technological create more success in landing a job through that recruiter.

Would you want a headhunter probing his memory or poring through office file cabinets to recall you when your “perfect job” arises, or would you rather he had the ability to access your information systematically and with greater alacrity through a keyword searchable database? Of course, it’s crucial that you set yourself up to be found, or retrieved, from that database by structuring your information in a certain way. However, through the use of technology, your chance of hearing about the ideal position is much higher than if you depend upon human hardware (memory) alone.

Basic “hunting gear” to notice when initiating talks with a headhunter:

  1. Computers! Computers! Computers! Just be sure they aren’t some old dinosaurs with black and green Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) screens. Outdated systems mean outdated technological capabilities
  2. Keyword Searchable Database. There are many different types of information-management software packages available for recruiters. Those requiring “coding” and data-entry of your information are less efficient than systems based on keyword search and result in a lower exposure rate. Contemporary systems can input your entire resume into the database, allowing it to be retrieved anytime a keyword search is done calling for your experience, credentials, or interests.
  3. E-mail/Internet Capability. It’s simply the communication medium for today. A headhunter not utilizing this resource is like a stockbroker using the telegraph instead of the phone—or the phone instead of on-line trading!
  4. Scanners. These flat, small, copier-look-alike devices “scan” your resume into a database. While not the most efficient form of data transfer, it at least attests to a firm’s knowledge and utilization of contemporary technology. Scanners were more critical before e-mailing resumes became popular (an e-mailed resume plops neatly and immediately into a database), so it may not be utilized as regularly now. But whether it’s collecting dust or shoved into a corner, the fact that the firm owns a scanner shows that they have been awake.

You may find some or all of these items in any particular office. Just keep in mind that there are advantages to working with technologically adept search firms. Knowing what tools to look for and ask about can point you in the right direction. Then, trust your gut as to whether or not a recruiter is technologically savvy.