We are permanent employees of the companies that we work for.  Many of us came out of the third-party recruiting arena where we couldn't survive the last three or four years.  We're more aggressive than H.R. staffing people but aren't quite strong enough to make it in contingency recruiting.

We're dedicated to the organization that we work for and, as aggressively as we can, recruit for them.  You can usually detect us because we come across pretty aggressively.  We're usually salaried employees, with maybe a bonus attached to the numbers of people that we might recruit.

We usually work for organizations that are large enough and do enough hiring to justify employing us.  Part of our job is to help our company find people quickly and avoid paying third-party recruiter fees.

Our advantage to you: I am pretty aggressive and my ego is wrapped up in being successful for my company.  As with a third party, external recruiter, I like " looking good " to the hiring authorities in my company.  I'm usually really good at knowing the kind of person that my company wants to hire and because I am fairly aggressive, I will give a little "push back" to hiring authorities when they may not want to interview you.

I don't mind reminding the managers in the company that I work for that " no candidate is perfect" and that they should interview you on my say so.  I will push you through if I think you are the best candidate.

Our disadvantage you: Since I have a fairly strong personality and feel that the perception of me is dependent upon the candidates that I produce, if I don't think you are a good candidate, I will not promote you at all.  I don't " think outside the box " and see your "potential" as a candidate.  If I think you fit, I will push you really hard through the hiring process.  But if I don't, I won't push you very hard.

How to deal with me: Start by asking about my role and my responsibilities to my employers and hiring authorities.  If you sense that I am really aggressive, get me to like you a lot and see you as a real viable candidate.  Sell yourself to me very hard so that I might overlook your weaknesses and sell your strengths.  Since I am the "conduit" to you getting an interview, you need to impress me with your abilities to do the job as well as your ability to get the job.  If I believe in you, I will push you through the process, so get me to believe in you.  I have a pretty strong ego, so if you help me " look good," I will help you through the interviewing process.   What can I do to get you to promote me in the interviewing process?" is a good question to ask me.