How Using Recruiters Kills Your Chances Of Finding The Right Shopify Optimization Expert

I hung up. The confusion was setting in. I’ve just had gotten off a call. The fastest call in my consulting career—just 7 minutes. Usually, calls with clients exceed the blocked off time. What went wrong?

Let’s rewind to last Thursday.

I wasn’t looking for a job. Yet, I accepted that recruiter’s invite on LinkedIn. Curiosity never killed the dog, just the cat. (And I’m not a cat person) So when he pasted the “I’m searching for a developer for a client. Here is more about the position…” I was certain this wasn’t a conversation I wanted to participate in.

“I’m not looking for a job, I don’t do CVs, I work on projects with defined start and end. Thanks!”—I tried to end it the chat. “Oh, but this isn’t a job, it is a week-long project.” the recruiter replied. Hm, this got me interested. And besides, I’ve never talked to recruiters before… how bad could it get?

Why did the call end so quickly? For starters, we just couldn’t get a normal conversation going.

So, after his spiel about the company and what it was doing (which gave me no usable details regarding the project whatsoever) he started asking general broad interview questions like “What is your experience?” “How many years of experience do you have?” “What is your rate?” “How fast do you think you can do this?” “When can you start?” Nothing about the project at all. Questions which have no relation to actually figuring out what the problem is in the first place.

I don’t do job interviews. As a consultant, I interview, so that I can diagnose and then prescribe a solution. The other participant in the call is there because they have a problem and are looking for a solution.

I refuse to waste time going into general discussion knowing this is not going to make any difference. I’m not talking to a person who has any stakes or knowledge of the project. I need specific information so I can diagnose, but he is unable to provide it. Waste of time, both for me and the recruiter.

What Is The Problem With Having Recruiters Approach Shopify Experts For You?

Recruiters are better suited for getting a general overview of a person, not in any way able to measure any level of expertise or predict how that person would improve the client’s situation.

When we talk we can’t talk about the impact of the problem on the business as it just makes no sense to them. Which means I can’t propose a solution that would provide an improvement, as they just couldn’t value it the way the store owner/project owner does.

How Is This Hurting The Business That Needs Shopify Optimization Services?

Let’s assume for a minute that this kind of “hiring” process is just fine for finding expert consultants to work on your Shopify store.

First, agreeing to all the terms, conditions and deadlines without initial evaluation will just lead to broken expectations and disappointments for both sides.

Second, jumping into this project, without diagnosing first and then prescribing a solution would be malpractice. You wouldn’t let your doctor prescribe antibiotics to you just because you called in and said “I’m sick” with no additional info. Their “solution” is going to hurt you.

Same here—I don’t want to hurt the conversion rate. Working on and rolling out changes with no proven positive impact on the bottom line is a waste of time and money.

Third, a person with no relevant qualifications to make a judgment and no stakes into the final result, won’t be able to give the right answer to the “who to hire for this project” question. Yes, they’ll have an answer, but would this answer help you make or waste more money?

And last, but not least, letting a recruiter talk instead of you with a consultant is depriving you of access to that expert’s opinions and expertise. Let’s be clear here—I have seen many stores like yours. There is always something you aren’t doing (but you should) and vice-versa.

Consultants always have some applicable advice to give. It is just in our nature. And this always shines through in every conversation. Just having an initial consultation call with me has proved of high value to all of my clients. At the end of such a call, they are happier and more certain what needs to be done than before.

How do you value certainty? Do you think a recruiter could be a proxy for that certainty? Well, people seem to hire them for that reason, but based on all my objections above, you can see that they are just a middle man that is limiting the benefits you could get if reached out to a Shopify Optimization Expert yourself.

So next time you want to make more money from your Shopify store, don’t look for a recruiter or some kind of a middle man. Look for a Shopify Optimization expert first.

Where to find them? Just google. A good expert is easily found as they have positioned themselves to be just an arms reach of where you may look for them, be it in the communities you participate in, on LinkedIn or the Shopify podcasts you listen to.

Or you can have a free initial consultation with me, where we’ll discuss the problems you are facing with your store and what the best solutions to them would be.