As a recruiter, I've learned there's no "right" or "wrong" way to do things, only ways that will or won't work.

For example, I strongly believe in building solid relationships with candidates. My experience has shown that the deeper your insight into your candidates' skills, motivations and career interests, the more effectively you'll be able to match them with compatible jobs -- and as a result, make more placements.

But does this strategy apply to all recruiters? Apparently not. According to some recruiters I know, candidates are merely commodities waiting to be gathered up and distributed as quickly as possible, and that any attempt to understand them as people is a complete waste of time.

While I may not agree with the recruiters' viewpoint professionally (or philosophically), how can I argue with their version of reality?

The Value of Literacy
The more I look at other recruiters' business models, the more I begin to see many different sides of the same coin.

Unfortunately, there's no wide-ranging curriculum that covers every possible approach to the business of recruiting; or for that matter, a standardized test that measures our recruiting literacy. That means if we ever get stuck in a rut -- or our business model begins to fail -- we stand the risk of falling behind.

To catch up, we either work more fervently (while hoping for a different result); or we try to invent a new approach, entirely from scratch.

A Matter of Context
Take a look at your current business model. If all your methods work, great. If not, consider alternative strategies as a means to improve your performance. But bear in mind that change never comes easily, especially when challenging long-held beliefs.

Here are a few examples of radically opposing perspectives, all of which are valid, depending on your context.