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Technical recruiters spend a majority of their day on the phone or meeting with potential candidates.  They are around people constantly and typically spend more hours in the office than they do at home.  When you work side by side with peers for at least forty hours a week your personal life is bound to come up, but what is too personal and how much should you share?

Burden with Information

Potential candidates may have a life story of why they are not working or wish to change IT jobs.  As a technical recruiter, lend an ear to their needs, but do not get caught up in their personal lives.  The same goes for an IT headhunter working with a client.  The relationship should remain objective and professional with a degree of comfort.

Talking too Much

IT recruiting companies are always buzzing with chatter, but when an IT recruiter is focusing more on their social life than work load it may affect others.  People who talk too much or too loud about irrelevant matters are an office distraction.  Rather than providing the constant attention and approval they seek, focus on your role and goals.  If the incessant gossip and talk begins to affect your performance, speak up before it becomes an issue.

Prying for Privacy

Technical recruiting agencies need basic information when working with clients such as their expectations, experiences, and desired roles.  If a recruiter begins to cross a comfort zone and push for more information than a client is willing to provide, it is best for the recruiter to explain why they need it.  If the client is still hesitant, the recruiter should abide by his wishes.  Privacy and trust are what makes for successful IT staffing firms and by respecting limits, you may win over more candidates.

Bad Impression

Prying for too much detail or divulging in details of your personal life puts a recruiter on a pedestal for judgment.  Technical recruiting companies want to come across as personal, but they should be weary of crossing the line from personal to unprofessional.  Rather than adding a candidate on Facebook, search their credentials on LinkedIn.  No matter how comfortable a recruiter feels with his candidates, he should respect privacy in order to maintain a good impression.