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Industry Tips
There are a variety of types of firms and labels used in the
recruiting business: executive search firm, employment agency,
etc., which we describe below. Whatever the label, the firms
we are discussing here have one key thing in common: their
fees are always paid by employers. (Although a few applicant-fee-paid
firms still exist, they usually cater to low-skilled applicants;
nannies are a common applicant-fee-paid category.)
Here's how we categorize the recruiting industry:
"Employment Agency" / "Temporary Agency" / "Personnel
Agency". Handle office support/administrative, and
low to mid-level professionals on a temporary or permanent
(i.e.-staff) basis. Business is characterized by multiple
placements of similar positions from a pool of applicants
having interchangeable skill sets. These characteristics make
it possible for the job "counselor" (as they are often called
at these firms) to work on the candidate's behalf to match
the job seeker with a client that hires this type of person
on a periodic basis. The fees charged to the employer are
contingent upon placement.
"Recruitment" / "Executive Search Firm". These
terms usually refer to the placement of mid to senior level
professional and management positions where the candidate
requirements are more specific. For high-demand job categories,
the recruiter may actively "market" a candidate to prospective
clients, however the majority of their business is driven
by client assignments which require the recruiter to seek
out candidates who meet specific criteria. The fees charged
to the employer are contingent upon placement; some firms
require a down payment to initiate an assignment, particularly
at higher salary ranges.
"Executive Search" / "Retainer Search". Here
we see the confusion: "executive search" is used to refer
to both contingency and retainer firms. In this category we
are describing firms that work on a full retainer basis, often
placing CEO's at million dollar salary packages. Their fees
are due whether or not a placement is made and are typically
one-third of the anticipated candidate's annual salary. Korn
/Ferry International, Russell Reynolds and Heidrick &
Struggles are the largest retainer firms with offices around
the world. (Heidrick & Struggles is the firm tasked with
the task to find a new CEO for Apple to replace "interim CEO"
Steve Jobs). These firms never market a candidate--they are
strictly driven by client assignments. On a typical assignment
they will conduct original research to uncover the entire
universe of candidates, approach dozens (if not hundreds)
of potential candidates, conduct in-depth interviews, prepare
comprehensive information about the candidates for the client
and negotiate complex compensation packages.
"Headhunter". Means whatever you want it to mean.
Is used by different people to describe one or more of the
above categories.
Okay, now here are the tips:
1. Do research to identify appropriate recruiters to contact.
Before sending a resume to a recruiting firm, find out if
they work in your industry or function. Most recruitment firms
specialize or have staff members who are industry or job category
specialists. It's better to send your resume to three recruiters
in your field than three dozen at random. In addition to your
online research, you may want to check the yellow pages or
your local library.
2. Make it easy for the recruiter to get your resume. Don't
make the recruiter work to get your resume (i.e. - send an
e-mail suggesting the recruiter download your resume from
your website). Call to find out how they prefer to receive
your resume (fax, e-mail, snail-mail) and whether to send
it to someone's attention. Don't assume that the recruiter
has compatible software for e-mailing. If you are faxing,
keep in mind that whatever you send may be sent again (probably
by fax) to a potential employer, and thus will lose another
iteration in its appearance. (See Resume Do's and Don'ts for
more tips).
3. Spare the recruiter a lengthy cover letter and small type
that is very hard to read(particularly on your resume) . Many
cover letters aren't read--we look for the beef on the resume,
if we like what we see then we look at the cover letter; (message:
you should always put important data on your resume and not
rely on the cover letter to sell yourself). You have a greater
chance of your cover letter being read if it is 1/3 to 1/2
page maximum. No need re-hash what's on your resume and please--we
don't have time for your life story.
4. Provide salary information. For some reason, people think
it is to their advantage to not provide salary information--not
true. If you don't tell us, we have to make some assumptions
about what jobs to contact you for--if we guess wrong we might
not call you for something you would want to consider. You
can provide current salary/bonus, desired salary range, or
both.
5. Don't assume that you should follow-up on a regular basis.
Find out if the recruiter wants you to call them periodically
to "stay in touch". Some do, some don't. (We don't; we'd rather
spend our time working with clients and uncovering great jobs
to place you in).
6. Don't expect a recruiter to be available for career counseling.
Recognize that recruiters get a huge number of requests for
free resume advice, courtesy interviews, career counseling,
etc. Even if you have just a question or two, the time adds
up and detracts from the recruiter's opportunity to find and
fill job opportunities. (Now if you want to pay for a consultation,
that's another thing).
7. Recognize that recruiters generally can't place people
who are changing careers. It's not that we wouldn't like to;
it's because our clients almost always want us to present
people who already have directly relevant experience. When
employers are willing to consider generalists or candidates
from other industries, they are less likely to work with a
recruiter, since qualified applicants may be readily available
to them.
8. Call the recruiter as soon as possible after being sent
on an interview to provide feedback. Be as candid as possible
about your interest level in the position and other opportunities
you may be considering so that he/she can facilitate the interviewing
process.
9. Your goal should be to have a recruiter to keep you in
mind for positions as they arise. Here are a few suggestions
on how you can keep them in your thoughts:
-Savvy people always take or return a recruiter's phone call.
If you are not interested in the position they describe, try
to refer an on-target person or make a helpful suggestion.
This is a good time to say something like: "I'm very happy
here, but if a 'thus-and-such' position becomes available,
please call me".
-Refer job seekers for high-demand jobs. Find out what kind
of candidates a recruiter seeks and try to direct job seeking
acquaintances or friends accordingly (do not refer people
randomly).
-Be available to answer questions and provide information.
From time to time, recruiters need information about companies,
industries, job functions, technology etc. The help is appreciated
and keeps you in their thoughts.
-Pass on a tip about an opening or recommend the recruiter
to an employer who has hiring needs in the area(s) the recruiting
firm handles.
Written by:
Doug Noble,
Co-founder, http://www.mactalent.com
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