What Candidates in Hong Kong Get Wrong About Recruiters

I've been a recruiter for four years. Started at a big agency in Central, now at a boutique firm doing mid-senior finance roles. I see the same mistakes from candidates constantly and honestly some of them are easy fixes.

You think we work for you

I don't mean this in a harsh way. But candidates often treat recruiters like their personal career coach. We're not. We work for the client — the hiring company. They pay us. Our incentive is to fill their role, not to find you a job. That doesn't mean I don't care about candidates. I do. A good match helps everyone. But if you're not right for the role I'm filling, I'm not going to spend hours helping you find something else. I've got KPIs to hit.

You ghost us

This drives me absolutely mental. I spend time prepping you for an interview, the client gives feedback, I pass it on, and then you just... disappear. No reply. Nothing. If you've taken another offer, just tell me. If you've changed your mind, tell me. I'd rather hear bad news than hear nothing.

You negotiate weirdly

Don't tell me your expected salary is HKD 45,000 and then when the offer comes at 45,000 ask for 55,000. That makes me look bad. It makes you look unreliable. And the client questions whether they want to hire someone who plays games. Be honest about your expectations from the start. If you don't know what you're worth, just say that. I can help with benchmarking.

The thing that actually impresses me

When a candidate does their research. Not just "I looked at the company website" but actually understanding the role, the team structure, the business challenges. When someone asks me intelligent questions about why the role is open or what the team dynamics are like, I remember them. Also — and this sounds basic — just being pleasant and responsive. You'd be surprised how rare that is. Replying within a day, saying thank you after an interview, giving me honest feedback on the process. It makes a massive difference in how much effort I put in for you.

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