Executive Recruiters

Recruiting firms fall into two categories, retained and contingency. Before trying to work with a recruiter it’s helpful to have an understanding of what distinguishes a retained search from a contingency search.

Retained Firms:

• Primarily deal with senior level jobs with salary levels over $100K.

• Recruiters with these firms often specialize in specific industries.

• Retained firms have an exclusive relationship with the employer when they get hired to conduct a search. In other words, they are the only firm working on the search, and consequently, do not need to worry about another recruiting firm “stealing” their assignment.

• Retained recruiters will generally not want to speak with you unless your skills, experience, and education level are extremely well aligned with the specifications of the job order.

Contingency Firms:

• Contingency firms typically handle more entry level and mid level jobs.

• Recruiters at contingency firms only get paid by client companies if they fill a job order. As a result, these recruiters have a reputation for sometimes being overly aggressive, knowing that they are competing with other firms “against the clock” to fill an order.

• If a contingency recruiter works for an employment agency, as opposed to a recruiting firm, you can simply call them for an appointment (look in the Yellow Pages for listings). Most employment agencies will meet with you regardless of whether they have an immediate opening that matches your needs.

TIP: Insist that contingency recruiters notify you before they send your resume to a potential employer. You don’t want to find yourself in a situation where your resume is sent to an employer by several firms, which can result in a dispute over which firm is due a fee for the referral (which could effectively eliminate you for consideration for the job).

Regardless of whether you work with a retained or contingency firm, here are three very important points to bear in mind when dealing with recruiters:

You are not the client – the employer is: The recruiter is paid by the employer, not you, so try not to take it personally if you are treated like a second class citizen and your phone calls go unanswered, your wonderful resume is never acknowledged, or the receptionist does not give you the time of day. The reality is that recruiters are besieged by hundreds of requests each week, and unless you fill an immediate need, they simply may not have the time to get back to you. Likewise, you should keep this pecking order in mind when evaluating presented opportunities and offers. In the vast majority of cases, recruiters will try to present the jobs in an honest and balanced way, but it’s naïve to think that there won’t be times when the facts may be blurred in favor of the employer

Recruiters are not in the business of finding you a job, they are in the business of filling specific job openings: As a result, recruiters are most eager to work with people whose job experience is a “clean fit” for their openings. They are generally not interested in career changers or people who have potential but lack experience directly related to the job opening.

When you find a good recruiter, nurture the relationship: A recruiter’s livelihood depends on both who and what they know. If you’re not interested or appropriate for a position they present, give them some leads to suitable candidates. Hopefully, they’ll return the favor in kind at a future date.

Want to get in touch with Executive Recruiters?

Enjoy this article? You can gain access to more detailed information and resources about this topic, by clicking the logo below: