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ADVICE ON SUCCEEDING WITH RECRUITING FIRMS
Part Two: Games Recruiters Play: And How To Win Them!
Columns which ran in the
Part One: What You Need To Know About Recruiters
There Are Different Strokes For Different Folks
Pop quiz: what’s the
difference between recruiting, placement and executive search? If you’re like
most folks, you might think these terms are interchangeable. But when you’re
hooking up with a headhunter, it pays to know exactly what type to seek out.
Search firms are an important
piece of a wide-ranging job hunt. All told, they give you access to maybe 10 –
15% of all available positions. That figure varies based on your industry or
profession. For instance, there are very few recruiters for people in the arts.
Marketing specialists and senior executives, on the other hand, rely heavily on
headhunters for leads.
Essentially there are three
types of firms to be aware of. Roughly speaking, they’re split in terms of the
salary levels they deal with.
Employment and Temp
Agencies
This is the lower end of the
spectrum. Names like Kelly Services, Drake, Ajilon Pinstripe (owned by Addeco)
and Randstad come to mind. These companies specialize in filling positions in
the under $50,000 range. Administrative assistants, customer service representatives
and data entry clerks are typical assignments.
Firms like the ones just
mentioned often, though not exclusively, place candidates as “temps.” You’re
sent to an employer for a fixed term, say three months or so. During this time
you get paid an hourly fee by the placement agency, not the employer. The
agency earns its money by charging the employer for your time—up to double what
you end up receiving.
Temp positions can sometimes
turn into longer term or even permanent roles. You should speak to the agency
about its policies, and your goals, before accepting an assignment. This way
there’ll be no confusion about how to manage the arrangement.
Recruiting Firms
Moving up a notch on the
ladder brings us to recruiters, also known as placement consultants and search
groups. If you’re pulling down from the mid 50 thousand range up to $100,000,
this is who you should approach. There are hundreds of search companies in the
GTA. Some are specialists, such as Anne Whitten Bilingual Human Resources or Legal
Personnel Consultants. Others are generalists.
The best way to find the
right ones for you is to use a directory. Your local library should have a copy
of The Directory of Toronto Recruiters and The Directory of Canadian Recruiters,
both from Continental Records Company (www.directoryofrecruiters.com).
You can also try searching www.employmentagencies.ca.
Yet another route is to visit one of the big job banks, like Monster or
Workopolis, find the jobs you’d like to apply for, and note the agencies who’ve
posted those positions.
Locating a recruiter is the
easy part. Getting one to give you the time of day is like getting a minority
government to work harmoniously.
Headhunters are notorious for
ignoring your calls, e-mails and rocks with messages hurled through windows.
It’s because of how they work: they’re accountable to the employers that pay
them—not to you (if a recruiter ever asks you for payment, run for the hills,
but not before reporting them to the Better Business Bureau). They can only
place people for job orders they’ve manage to scrounge. And they only look at
resumes that closely match existing assignments.
How then to grab the attention
of a busy recruiter? You can start by sending in your resume to firms that have
postings in your field. Try calling first to get the name and e-mail address of
the person on the gigs you’re applying to. Then attach your perfected, third
party reviewed resume to a brief e-mail describing your background and interest
in the position. Follow up within three business days with a polite phone
call—“Just checking to see if you’ve received my application. I realize you’re
busy but have you had a chance to review it yet?”
A more effective approach is
to get someone the recruiter knows to refer you in to them. Nothing beats
starting your cover letter along the lines of “You may remember Cheryl, who you
placed last year at my company. She says you really helped her out and
recommended I speak to you directly.” Unless of course you’ve hired people
yourself and have good contacts with search firms.
One note of caution: find out
from the start if the recruiter is working on “contingency” or “retainer.” A
retainer search means the recruiter is likely the exclusive agent for this
particular job. Contingency means a whole bunch of firms will probably compete
to fill the position.
If you’re working with
multiple agencies, make sure you insist each one notifies you before you allow
them to send out your resume. The last thing you want is your application to
end up on some H.R. manager’s desk three or four times, all from different
search firms. It could put you out of the running if there’s potential for
dispute over who got there first.
Executive Search
This is the stratosphere of
recruiting. Senior executives and highly paid professionals are welcome at such
headhunters as Caldwell Partners International, Heidrick & Struggle and
Korn/Ferry. Usually Directors and V.P.’s are the starting point, right up to
CEO. It’s an exclusive group, yet even at this level the odds of getting your
calls returned are daunting.
Best bet is to network your
way in via other players. Otherwise, make yourself a known quantity by getting
published in trade magazines, speaking at industry conferences, or getting
quoted by the media (though not in the Martha Stewart way).
Regardless of the type of
search firm you go after, there are certain rules of the game. For instance,
always treat the recruiter like they’re the employer. Be on your best game with
them whether e-mailing, speaking by phone or meeting face-to-face. After all,
they’re your gateway to the real deal.
Also, if you agree to go on
an interview, even if your heart’s not in it, prepare to shine. Otherwise you
make your recruiter (and yourself, of course) look like a dolt. Try getting
them to send you out ever again.
A few more hints. Don’t be
belligerent or bossy with recruiters. They usually have plenty of other
candidates to choose from. Respond to their messages promptly. Be polite and
enthusiastic. And if you really want to get on their good side, give them the
names of other strong candidates you know who are looking for a new job.
The bottom line is that
search firms should be used strategically in your job hunt. If you treat them
right and they send you on appropriate interviews, you’ve broadened your
chances for success. You also have the right to walk if you’re being treated
unfairly. The end game is for both of you to come out happy: you with a great
new position, they with bucks in their pocket. Just remember it’s up to you,
not them, to make sure things proceed apace.
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Part Two: Games Recruiters Play—And How to Win Them.
Knowing What You're Up Against Is Half The Battle
You’re sitting
nervously in the reception area of a company you’ve spent hours researching, in
preparation for today’s interview. Hands shaking slightly you barely notice the
magazine you’re thumbing through. Now it’s show time. Only the session doesn’t
go as planned. The job they’re describing is far too junior for you. Not at all
like your recruiter described. So what’s going on here?
In the world of headhunting,
it’s known as the old “bait and switch.” The recruiter you’re working with knowingly
sent you on a job interview you’re overqualified for—in the hopes you’re
desperate enough to take it. If you do, the employer wins (they get a better
employee than they bargained for), and the recruiter scores (they get paid for
placing you). But you end up with less money and a lesser title than you might
have earned elsewhere, plus a position that’ll bore you to tears within six
months.
If this doesn’t strike
you as fair, that’s because it isn’t. Not that job seekers are always
forthright in their dealings with recruiters. Headhunters I’ve spoken to
complain about candidates (job seekers) who lie through their teeth, don’t show
up as promised at interviews, show up but are embarrassingly unprepared, or gratefully
accept a job then fail to appear their first day because they found something
else behind the recruiter’s back.
The thing to keep
in mind is that working with recruiters is an essential part of your job
search. It can expose you to between 10% - 20% of all the positions out there. Like
any industry, it has many highly ethical players and a host of barracudas.
Knowing how to spot when you’re being manipulated saves you time and
frustration. Here are some of the main ways less trustworthy recruiters jerk
people around.
The “Oreo Cookie”
Maneuver. In this little scam, you get sent to a job interview, although the
recruiter knows you’ll never get the offer here. Then he sends in a top notch
candidate who knocks the employer’s socks off. Following that, he sends another
job seeker in who, like you, isn’t a perfect fit for this specific assignment.
You’ve both been served up as the outer crust surrounding a creamy, delicious
centre. Guess who gets left on the shelf.
“Gone Fishing.”
Ever responded to one of those “blind ads” in the paper? That’s where the job
sounds great but there’s zero info about who the company is. Likely as not,
this ad was posted by a recruiter looking to fill her database with potential
candidates. She’s happy to get your resume along with the hundreds of others
she’ll receive. Then she can call employers and boast about all the great
candidates she has for them. Mind you, if she does find a job for you this way,
you end up a winner. Still, wouldn’t you rather have control over who gets your
resume and where it ends up?
“Under Pressure.”
I once used a notoriously unprincipled recruiter back in my corporate marketing
days. I’d heard stories about him but figured I could deal with whatever he
threw my way. Anyway, after one of the job interviews he’d arranged for me, he
called me to ask how it went. On a Friday night at
“Hold The Mayo.”
A recruiter acts as a gatekeeper. They get paid by the employer and may have
little loyalty to you. So you might get held back from certain opportunities
without ever knowing it. For instance, a headhunter might believe you’d be a
great fit for job A. He feels you could easily do job B as well, even though it’s
not quite what you’re hoping for. The recruiter has another candidate who’d be
great at job A too, but wouldn’t match the company culture at job B. So the
other candidate is sent on the interview and snags job A. All you’re ever told
about is job B, which you end up taking because really, it’s not so bad, and
after all you’ve been looking for months now and the kids are fed up having to
eat Kraft dinner every night. Meanwhile the recruiter gets two separate
commissions and is celebrating with bubbly at North 44.
Fortunately there
are ways to manage recruiters and reduce the chances of getting exploited. Like
insisting that your approval is necessary before your resume is sent anywhere. Refusing
to go on interviews if you know that the company or position is very likely not
to be a fit. No longer applying to blind ads. And approaching as many employers
as you can on your own, thus reducing your reliance on middlemen.
If you’re being
harassed or pressured, you can hang up or leave the recruiter’s office. Follow
up with a warning that you’ll use another agency if this persists. Tell the
recruiter you’ll spread the word to every single one of your friends and
colleagues. And report especially offensive or illegal behaviour to the Ontario
Ministry of Consumer and Commercial Relations (www.cbs.gov.on.ca).
Bare in mind that not all recruiters are bad. In fact, many have built a reputation for honesty and fairness. The idea is to find ones you feel reasonably comfortable with. Inquire around and have friends or colleagues refer you to the better firms. Ask headhunters for references (they’ll be requesting yours soon enough). And walk away from a bad situation, because there are many headhunters to choose from. If you do find a good one, reward them with honesty, enthusiasm and referrals. And stay in touch over the years. Because a recruiter who’s your ally might be just the edge you need to land that great new job.
Mark Swartz, MBA, M.Ed., is a speaker, career coach and author. He can be reached via e-mail.
The above article may contain material not included in the edited version.
© Mark Swartz, 2003, 2007. Republished with permission. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or republished or redistributed without the prior written consent of the copyright holder. See Reprint Policy for details. Not-For-Profits exempted.
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