The Brocruiter: A New Generation of Recruiting
Bro·cruiter noun \bro·cru·ter/ : a bro who is a recruiter.
The start of a new ski season means constant interaction with bros and brahs. It also means that my vocabulary increases to terms like gnar, pow pow, blue bird, and shred. The brocruiter has been around for roughly five years now and speaks to an entirely new generation of candidates in the recruiting space. Candidates are seeking out new ways to be recruited and woo’ed into their next position. The brocruiter gets a bad rap for being over zealous and excited about the position they’re marketing and are sometimes discredited instantly. Granted, the brocruiter should know their audience a little better and understand how much they can bro’ out to each individual candidate.
The brocruiter represents a new generation of recruiting where candidates no longer want to be cold called or blind emailed on LinkedIn. They want recruiters who are just excited about the position and company for who they are working for. This shows that the company has a strong culture and employees who actually enjoy their job. This is why review sites like Glassdoor are so important because it gives candidates a chance to understand the culture and company from an employee’s point of view without having to know someone at the company. The brocruiter brings three things to the table when it comes to a more enhanced recruitment experience for candidates.
The Brocruiter and a New generation of recruiting
The “Buddy” Recruiter
“Bro, let’s go grab a drink and talk about this really awesome job opening I have.”
Brocruiters want to be your friend, your buddy. The idea of the unreachable recruiter will no longer work in your workplace. We talk about a terrible candidate experience and how companies are vying over strong talent and in some cases even the strongest and largest tech companies are committing illegal anti-poaching practices. The brocruiter wants to be your buddy and friend. They’re not there to sell you on a fake culture that they don’t believe in — they want to find candidates who are just as zealous and excited about their employer as they are.
The brocruiter exemplifies the candidate experience
“Brah, brah, I love working for this company and here’s why you will too!”
Have you ever wanted to hang out with the cool kid? The brocruiter is the cool kid. The brocruiter also exemplifies the culture at your workplace. This special breed of recruiters is going to work for companies in which they really believe in their product or service. For instance, how many brocruiters do you think work for Vail Resorts? I would have to say a large number of them. I say this because every time I get on the lift, 95% of those that work on the mountain are total bros. The candidate experience suffers when recruiters aren’t tuned into their job and don’t believe in the vision of the company they work for.
The brocruiter enhances your company’s culture
“Bro, you should come to our office Christmas party, it’ll be fun! We’ll hang out.”
Companies need help in this area. Culture is one of the main reasons why people stay at a company for so long. As I said in the previous section, brocruiters are the cool kids and we all need cool kids to help bring some entertainment and inclusiveness into the workplace. The bros that i’ve met are very carefree and get along with everyone they come across. A brocruiter will do the same. They’ll be able to promote inclusivity in the workplace and help facilitate building stronger relationships between co-workers.
Don’t get me wrong there are several types of brocruiters out there and some are lazy and like to slack off who make terrible recruiters, but the brocruiters that I have met all show these characteristics. Should you go out and target brocruiters for your next position? Probably not. They are a very special kind of recruiter and work for very niche companies in which they’re given the flexibility and freedom to go board, surf, and whatever else they need to do to earn their bro stripes.
Do you work with any brocruiters? Tell us your story!
