When the job market gets tight, many people start operating under some false and counterproductive assumptions. Let's make one thing clear right now: Executive search firms, recruiters, and employment agencies are not in business to help you land a job. They are not your advocates, they are not your friends, and they are not your agents.
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Executive search firms, recruiters, and employment agencies are not in business to help you land a job. They are not your advocates, they are not your friends, and they are not your agents.
Think about it: Your local newspaper is not your advocate or friend, either. And just like a newspaper, recruiters, employment agencies, and executive search firms are merely channels through which you may (or may not) secure an opportunity for an interview. Recruiters and search firms can be quite helpful in your job search, as long as you know how to manage the process. But never forget that they work not for you, but for the organizations that pay them to find qualified candidates.
When you're looking for work in a period of increasing unemployment numbers and decreasing job opportunities, you certainly can't afford to waste any time or money playing games with recruiters and search firms. So, let me offer you a clear picture of how these services operate.
Agencies that charge you a fee should be avoided at all costs. These organizations, which generally handle lower-level jobs, collect a fee from you, the job seeker, presumably in exchange for arranging interviews with potential employers. They often employ bait-and-switch tactics, in which they post job openings that don't exist, lure you into their office, and then send you on interviews for positions that are not appropriate for you. Worst of all, these agencies may ask you to sign a contract stipulating that if you leave a position they placed you in within a year or less, you will be responsible for paying them the placement fee they lost (which could be tens of thousands of dollars).
When the employment landscape is bleak, many people get burned by these types of agencies that charge job seekers hundreds or even thousands of dollars in bogus fees. These companies prey on desperate job seekers who are scared by bad economic or employment news, yet they provide almost no real value, services, leads, or resources.
Contingency-fee recruiters are paid a fee (a percentage of the salary) only if their client company actually hires a candidate identified by the recruiter. They are generally not paid anything unless a position is filled, and thus their primary business strategy is volume — to handle many assignments, refer as many candidates as possible to potential employers, and place as many people as they can in jobs. They will not typically work closely with you to ensure that a job is the best possible fit for you.
Think of contingency recruiters as working strictly on commission and competing directly with other contingency recruiters who are trying to fill the same spots. You must take full responsibility for judging, filtering, and sorting the opportunities suggested by contingency-fee recruiters.
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You must take full responsibility for judging, filtering, and sorting the opportunities suggested by recruiters.
These are the classic headhunters, who are given an exclusive right to conduct a search on behalf of their client company. They are usually paid their consulting fee (or at least a portion of it), even if the search is unsuccessful. Executive search consultants usually receive between 25 and33percentofthe candidate's first year's salary. These types of search consultants generally play a more active and selective rolein helping to frame job requirements, prescreening candidates, conducting background and reference checks, and facilitating negotiations.
Even executive search firms are focused on helping their client company; they are not working for you. It is in the retained search firm's best interest to make sure a candidate is an excellent fit for the position, the industry, the company, and the culture, because this ensures that they'll get additional search contracts from that employer.
Besides being an important source of jobs for more senior candidates, executive search consultants can also be important as networking contacts. They can provide you with information about industry conditions and possible targets, as well as insightful feedback about your campaign strategy. However, never confuse executive search consultants with career coaches; they play very different roles.
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When working with any type of recruiter or executive search firm, maintain control of them and their activities.
As with all facets of the job search process, it is up to you to take full responsibility and direct the search. No one will be as invested as you are in conducting a successful search and getting a great job offer. When working with any type of recruiter or executive search firm, maintain control of them and their activities. I tell my clients to supervise the work of recruiters as though they were managing a group of employees. This means following some important guidelines:
Be careful and selective in choosing which recruiters you want to work with. Politely decline to work with those who don't appeal to you or who are inappropriate for your situation. Note: the best resource for finding and selecting search firms is the Directory of Executive & Professional Recruiters, published by Kennedy Information (
www.kennedyinfo.com).When dealing with search firms and recruiters, be open and direct about your job objectives, past compensation, desired salary, geographic preferences, and other details. Give them what they need to know to ensure a good fit for you — and a successful assignment for them.
The first question to ask when you are contacted by a recruiter is, "For whom do you work?" You want to determine immediately if the caller is an external recruiter (working for a bona fide search firm) or an internal recruiter (such as a human resources specialist). If you learn that the caller works directly for the employer, you must treat them as such, which means not providing any information about your current or desired compensation. We'll talk about this more in the section on salary negotiation.
Never pay any sort of registration fee, representation fee, or other money — for anything. All of the recruiter's fees should be paid by the employer.
When interviewing, make sure that the job is exactly what the recruiter described. Confirm (and reconfirm, if necessary) the important job details, responsibilities, and expectations. Don't take the recruiter's word for it; ask your own questions about the job, and use your own judgment.
Remember that you are the source of the recruiter's income (indirectly). This gives you leverage. You are entitled to courtesy and respect, as well as honest and prompt answers to your questions.
Do not sign any contracts or make any agreements that obligate you to work exclusively with one search firm. This arrangement only benefits the agency and limits your exposure in the marketplace. If you need to review or accept agreements of any kind, be sure to read them carefully and have them reviewed by an employment attorney.
Ask that your resume and other information not be forwarded to any prospective employer without your prior approval. This is because there may be some companies that you don't want to receive your resume.
Be sure that the recruiter does not edit or alter your resume in any way without your prior permission.
Work closely only with a handful of carefully selected search firms.
At the point of negotiating your compensation for a new position, do not rely on the recruiter to handle this for you. You must either conduct the negotiations yourself or at least be actively involved in thenegotiation process.
Focus only 5 to 10 percent of your job search energies on recruiters. Most of your time should be spent on more productive activities that give you more control (such as professional networking).
Large, national search firms may have offices in many cities, and these offices are generally online with each other and share resources. If you get into their database in one office, your profile will come up in another city if an appropriate opportunity arises that matches your credentials. This may be helpful if you are willing to relocate. Smaller search firms that are locally based may also have excellent reputations in their own geographic areas and certainly should not be overlooked.
You make contact with external search firms and recruiters by sending them your resume with a cover letter. This letter should be very similar to the cold cover letter you would send to a prospective employer. It could be very helpful to introduce yourself to a search firm through a personal referral. Or, better still, offer them a quid pro quo by including phrases in your cover letter along the lines of: "During my years in this industry, I have met many highly qualified professionals. If I can be of any help to you in one of your searches, please don't hesitate to contact me."