5 Things You Should Know About Recruiters

Recruiters often seem like gatekeepers, standing between you and your dream job. You apply, you wait, and sometimes, you never hear back. It’s frustrating—no doubt about it.

But as a MedTech recruiter at Prospect Health, I wish more candidates understood what happens behind the scenes.

Here are five key things that might change your perspective:

1. Humans Hire Humans

Let’s start with the most important point: real people are making the hiring decisions at Prospect Health. Not AI, not an applicant tracking system (ATS), and certainly not robots. While technology helps streamline the process, a human recruiter is reviewing applications, conducting interviews, and making recommendations. If it were up to the machines, they’d probably just hire other machines!

2. We Don’t Make the Final Hiring Decisions

Recruiters play a crucial role in connecting candidates with hiring managers, but we don’t have the final say. Our job is to champion candidates, guide hiring managers, and advocate for the best talent. At the end of the day, the company’s decision-makers are the ones who ultimately decide who gets the offer.

3. We’re Managing Multiple Roles at Once

Recruiting isn’t just about reading resumes and setting up interviews. We’re juggling multiple job openings, screening candidates, negotiating offers, meeting with stakeholders, and managing projects—all at the same time. If we don’t respond immediately, it’s not because we don’t care. We do, but we’re also balancing a lot of moving parts.

4. We Want You to Succeed

A good recruiter isn’t just filling roles; we’re building careers. Your success is our success. We have key performance indicators (KPIs) to meet, and we genuinely want to find the right fit for both you and the employer. If you don’t get the job, it’s not because we didn’t want you to—we just have to align the right candidate with the right opportunity.

5. Transparency Helps Everyone

The more honest you are about your expectations, availability, and concerns, the better we can advocate for you. Open communication makes the entire process smoother, allowing us to find opportunities that truly match your skills and career goals.

Bonus: A ‘No’ Today Doesn’t Mean a ‘No’ Forever

Some of the best placements happen months or even years after the first conversation. Just because you weren’t the right fit for one role doesn’t mean we won’t reach out in the future with something better suited for you. Staying in touch with your recruiter is always a good idea.

Final Thoughts

Recruitment isn’t perfect, but at its core, it’s about people.

And no matter what, we’re on your side.