Ask a Recruiter: Why Won't You Share the Name of the Company?

You show me yours and I'll show you mine...

Identifying clients to potential candidates is a delicate process in the world of recruiting.  When you ask "who's the company" at the top of the call and we inform you that the company is 'confidential', we have our reasons. 

And we happen to think they're pretty good ones:

• Often a search really is confidential.  If a client wants to source candidates for a position that is currently filled (perhaps by an under-performer or an executive); the folks in HR are not going to post that information all over the internet; they are going to call a recruiter.
• If you're not a fit, you're not a fit.  Telling you that my client is the company you have always wanted to work for isn't going to make things easier for either one of us.  And for that matter, neither is begging me for an introduction.  If in the course of our chat you do not convince me that you are a fit, you won't convince my client. 
• Some people don't know how to take no for an answer.  My clients only want to see candidates who meet certain criteria and they have asked me to find those people precisely because they don't want or have time to do it themselves.  So, if you're not a match, I will tell you that and I will tell you why.  I will keep you in mind for future opportunities.  I will not submit you anyway.
• Not all candidates are as honest as you are.  Positions with some companies are so highly sought after--and in this economic recovery period, in some cases it's any position with any company--that candidates will (and have) told me whatever they think I want to hear just for the chance to get in front of my client. 
• Every recruiter who has ever made the rookie mistake of sharing the company data too early has a story about a candidate (qualified or not) who went ahead and applied directly to the company anyway.

Remember, I have a financial stake in finding the right person--I have no reason not to move forward with a good candidate.  If you're a match, I'll tell you who the client is, I'll be your advocate throughout the process and I'll be overjoyed when you get the job.  If you're not a match, trust that I know my client better than you do and keep in touch, so you'll be at the top of my list when the right job for you comes along.