Recent unemployment figures have revealed that the recession is continuing to drag on despite some modest gains over the past few months.  But there is a silver lining in the unemployment clouds hanging over the nation, savvy recruiters stand to benefit from the recession if they play their cards right.  Here’s why:

1.     There are a large number of highly qualified job candidates in the job market.  During the boom, it was a candidate’s market, which meant that it was much more difficult to garner the attention to quality and in-demand candidates.  But now, high quality candidates are easier to find because there are more available due to layoffs and longer periods of unemployment.  Recruiters who can begin building relationships with these high quality job candidates will be better positioned to satisfy the needs of top employers when they are ready to hire.

2.     Job candidates are more flexible.  Because of the difficulty of snagging a job quickly, many candidates are more amenable and willing to compromise on salary, benefits and even the type of job they are willing to take.  This can give smaller, independent recruiters the opportunity to tap into a once hard to crack talent pool.

3.     Many companies are downsizing their in-house recruiting staff and looking to independent recruiters to fulfill their sourcing needs.  This can offer recruiters an opportunity to build relationships with the type of clients which can help them take their business to an entirely new level.