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Why should you use a recruiter?
Because the best people aren't looking for a job; they
are already working. they are the proven performers, the
top five or ten percent of their profession. They don't
read "help wanted" ads, they don't keep their
resumes circulating, and they don't haunt the employment
agencies.
If you want the best people, you have to find them, because
they aren't looking for you. Identifying and approaching
these hidden prospects is not easy, even for the most
astute personnel manager, but that's what trained, experienced
recruiters do every day.
What
does a recruiter do?
A good recruiting firm helps you define your needs, gives
you advice on manpower matters, and represents your company
to the best available candidates. This requires developing
an accurate, detailed job description and compensation package
that will attract the sort of employees you need. Recruiters
then search for and identify those candidates with the skills,
experience, personality, and character that are best suited
to your organization. After careful screening and verification
of the candidates' credentials, recruiters will recommend
a candidate to you. Recruiters arrange the interviews, present
your offer and, if you wish, serve as third-party negotiators
for the specific terms and conditions of employment.
When does it make sense to use a recruiter?
When the position you want to fill is important to your
company, recruiters can help you hire people you probably
can't find on your own. They can maintain your anonymity
when it is important to do so. They can help you avoid mistakes
in the hiring process by providing objective analysis of
a candidate or by following up on references, and they can
save you time by screening candidates against your agreed-upon
requirements.
If the position is limited, short-term, or relatively unimportant
to your company's future, consider placing your own help-wanted
ads. But for mid- to top-level positions that make an impact,
use a recruiting specialist.
How are recruiters different from employment
agencies and retained search firms?
Recruiters work for you and employment agencies work for
job hunters. Retained search firms are similar to recruiters,
but generally accept only top-level assignments (chief executive
officers or other corporate-level management, for example).
Retained search firms might specialize in a particular industry,
but usually they are generalists. Most search firms require
a non-refundable retainer, plus the placement fee if you
hire one of their candidates.
How much does it cost to use a recruiter?
Nearly all recruiting is done on a contingency basis; if
the recruiter doesn't complete the assignment to your satisfaction,
you don't pay. If you hire one of the recruiter's candidates,
the usual fee is equal to 25 percent of the new employee's
first-year salary. Extraordinary expenses can be extra.
How Should you choose a recruiter?
Carefully, because the recruiter will be representing your
company and because a poor recruiter can waste a lot of
your time. Ask questions. Ask about their methods. Some
recruiting firms routinely assign a team of recruiters to
an assignment to make sure someone is always available to
answer your questions and to ensure that progress continues
if, for example, one recruiter becomes ill. Find out who
will handle your assignment. Ask about their experience
in recruiting the position you are trying to fill.
Why is it important for your recruiter
to have direct experience in recruiting for your field of
expertise?
Because it improves your chances of getting good people
with the specific experience you need. If your recruiter
can speak the candidate language, he or she can understand
their accomplishments, see through their exaggerations,
and make a better impression, all on your behalf. Specific,
direct experience saves time. An experienced recruiter more
readily understands your job description and what is important
to your situation, and has a better knowledge of where to
start looking, or, better yet, of where not to look.
How can you judge a recruiter's performance?
The best standard is the result. Did the recruiter find
a good employee for you? Of course, you don't know that
until the assignment is completed, but the fact remains
that results are what count. Now, if you're working with
a recruiter and you're unsure about how well the assignment
is developing, certain factors can give you an early indication.
First, look at who's working on the assignment. Are they
professional in their presentation, in their day-to-day
contact with you? You should get timely, professional service
and, within a reasonable amount of time, you should be seeing
good candidates.
The candidates also help you judge the recruiter. Are they
well-prepared for the interview? Do they meet your specifications
for experience and skills? What did the recruiter tell them
about the job? About your company? If there are discrepancies
between what you've discussed with the recruiter and what
he's/she's telling the candidates, call him and find out
why. If after 30 to 40 days you haven't seen any promising
resumes or candidates, you should consider using another
recruiter assignment.
Should you use more than one recruiting
firm on an assignment?
Not if you have a good relationship with a good recruiting
firm. Here's what can happen when several recruiters are
working to fill the same position: Before too long, two
or more of the recruiters will cross paths. Consider what
this can do to your company. The prospects, the good employees
that you find, will hear about the same job from various
sources, and while the good recruiters may impress them,
the not-so-good recruiters may turn them off. Your company
may develop a reputation as a "revolving door,"
a place where turnover is a problem, because it will appear
that you are always looking for people. Or your company
may become known as one that raids others for all its personnel.
You also run the risk of scaring away the best prospects.
Remember, the best people aren't looking for work. They're
conscientious. They don't want to take time off to interview
for jobs that are being offered (it seems) to all their
peers. There are true stories of telephones ringing one
after another in a given department, with each person being
solicited for the same job by different recruiters. While
it's true that no single recruiter knows how to find every
available prospect, it's equally true that recruiting is
like a small town: Everyone talks about everyone else.
Of course, if you want to evaluate a recruiting firm you've
never used, you may want to put them on the same assignment
as another recruiter with whom you're more familiar. But,
in general, it's almost always best to establish a good
relationship with your recruiting firm and use them exclusively
unless they develop a poor performance record.
How important is an ongoing relationship
with a recruiter?
As important as a good relationship with your banker, attorney
or insurance agent. A good recruiter is particularly valuable
if you have fairly frequent hiring needs. They will give
you faster response because they're already familiar with
your company, its philosophies, and its personalities. They
help you keep up with industry trends in compensation, in
employee benefits, and in manpower planning. And, like any
good business people, they're more likely to give their
best clients the best possible service, even on the smaller
assignments.
Are there any hidden risks to using a recruiter?
Not if your dealing with reputable firms. There are no direct
financial risks, since you're paying on a contingency basis.
The only real risks are that your company will be misrepresented,
thereby offending good, potential employees (and their employers),
or that poor recruiter will waste your time or be careless
with confidential information.
Why should you consider using selected affiliates of Career
Management Associates?
Our recruiters are specialists in recruiting, so they're
able to understand your needs and satisfy them quickly and
reliably. They have experience in locating and recruiting
top-level personnel in all key functions for your company.
Each is an established recruiting firm with an knowledgeable
recruiters familiar with the local hiring scene and has
access to an extensive network of independent recruiters
nationwide. |
