Working with Recruiters, Agents, Head Hunters...

Working with Recruiters, Agents, Head Hunters, Employment Agents, Contingency Search Firms and Retained Search Firms. 

There are so many myths about recruiters, what they do and what they don't do.  This month we're going to talk about the false realities of the "candidate/recruiter" relationship.  When you're on the hunt for a job, time wasted heading in the wrong direction can be financially fatal. The newest wave of misinformation is in the area of the Employment Agents.

According to the media:   "The traditional employment agent assists job seekers in finding work. Some firms charge the job seeker, so be sure to clarify, upfront, if there is a fee. Others are paid by the employer. In most cases, I would not recommend using an agency that charges the job seeker."

To me, the excerpt above is very misleading because the author seems to be confusing some terms here and not really clarifying anything.  There are firms the help you find a job for free and there are those that charge you a fee.  And there are several types in each of those categories as well.  The term "employment agent" is fairly new and there is some confusion over what they do.  More importantly there are a lot of "recruiters" out there that charge a fee for finding you a job that are not "agents".  

Someone who charges a company to find people is traditionally called a  "recruiter".  There are good recruiters, and there are very bad recruiters.  Some recruiters of the past used, let's say, less than professional recruiting tactics in business.  Usually they were driven from the industry by their bad reputations, but persistent people tend to endure and can be quite creative.  Some of them just found themselves a new title and discovered an easier way to make a buck.  Hence the new industry moniker, "AGENT".  Unfortunately that has put up a bad face for the people who really do provide a different type of service for a fee.  These are the real Career Agents.  

So lets discuss the various different types of agencies out there and see what they each provide for you.

The career agent is exactly like the entertainment performer's agent or the sports athlete's agent.  The Agent works for the individual only.  Forbes Magazine recently introduced the first Agent to the world in early Summer 2003.  The Agent, a gentleman in Los Angeles, CA was the first "known" service of this kind for the busy executive.  Career Agents help executives manage their careers, communicate with their bosses, help re-write your job descriptions at work, help you build a strategy for negotiating salary and performance reviews, promotions, etc.  They also help their "clients" find speaking engagements and when necessary, new jobs.  Because of the extensive work they do for their employee "clients", they, the Agent, ALWAYS charge the individuals they counsel and represent.   In many organizations, this type of recruiter is probably better referred to as a career coach or outplacement consultant.

Search firms can be industry specific (i.e. banking or retail) or skills specific (i.e. accounting or information technology) and there are two types of search firms as well.

A contingency agency is paid when the employer hires their candidate. These types of firms are most often used for low and mid-level searches and they often send a large number of resumes to the employer. 

There are also professional contingency search typically work on assignments in unison with several other companies on searches for candidates below $100k in salary.  These companies work on permanent positions, temporary to permanent positions, and temporary positions as well.

Retained Search Firm:  

A retained search firm has an exclusive relationship with the employer. They are typically hired for senior-level searches and for a specific period of time to find a candidate to fill a job. They are paid expenses, plus a percentage of the employee's salary, regardless of whether their candidate is hired. 

Retained Search Firms work in an extremely confidential environment, are paid up front as consultants, have an exclusive arrangement, and are very focused on specific requirements.  Their assignments are typically for people earning in excess of $125k.

The word "headhunter" is often construed as a negative term.  Some recruiters take offense to being called a headhunter and some don't care or ignore the comment.  In most cases the terms are interchangeable and primarrly just generic titles for someone in the career search field.  It is important however to know if the search professional you are working with has a prejudice against the term headhunter before you call him or her one.  My guess is that if they really care about being called a headhunter they have some other issues anyway.  

Basically, there are two primary positions in any recruiting company, contingent or retained.  One is the marketing person who works mostly with client companies.  The other is the recruiter who works mostly with the candidates.  In many companies the marketing person and the recruiter are one in the same.  Obviously, it is important for you, "the candidate", to know who does what.  

Agents you pay to help you find a job, speaking engagement or manage your career.  They all charge up front and also charge a fee if they get you a paying "gig" or a new job.  A Career Coach or Outplacement Consultant, who you also pay up front, acts as the candidate's consultant, the Agent functions as a practitioner and actually does all the work for the candidate.

The contingency search firm recruiter.  They never charge the candidate. The company pays them after they complete the search and use various methods of recruiting.  You can communicate with them via the Internet job boards, their own websites, mail, phone, in person, etc.  They welcome resumes and new candidates.  Though they always represent the company, it is in their best interest to know you.  

The retained search firm recruiter.  They always represent the company, are paid as a consultant and not for producing new candidates.  They will want to know you if you are employed but may not be interested if you are unemployed.  

The Hybrid Recruiter.  Having said all this, let me remind you that the recruiting industry is and has always been a very "inventive" and "creative" business.  Consequently, there are always recruiting firms constantly in the process of re-inventing themselves.  Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

The most annoying phone call a recruiter gets is that which comes from the "aggressive" calling candidate with a chip on the shoulder.  "This is Bill Davis, did you get my resume?  ‘What have you got for me?  Tell me about the companies you're working for and how can I get into meet with them?  What are the salary levels?  Did you send my resume yet?"   

I'm a recruiter with 20 years in the business.  I get this exact call all the time and it's very annoying.  The result?  Your resume goes into the circular file.  Who needs the hassle!!!  And who has the time to go searching for someone's resume 50 times a day every time someone asks you to make sure you have it filed? 

If you are interested in working with a recruiter, try being nice, polite and considerate of their time.  "Most" of them are nice people, under stress, and busy.  The easier you make their job, the more they will want to work with you.  Keep in mind that they don't work FOR you, so don't be demanding.  You'll only cut yourself off. 

When you send a recruiter an email, also send your resume, again.  It takes you a minute to do so, but it might take the recruiter 5-10 minutes to find yours.  Chances are, your request for information will go unanswered if a resume must first be hunted down.  Also, never assume a recruiter knows who you are, even if you have called and talked numerous times.  Recruiters deal with hundreds of people daily.  When you call, introduce yourself and state your title each time, ask if now or maybe later is a good time to talk and ask if another resume emailed would be helpful.  

If a recruiter tells you your resume needs work, don't object and begin arguing your case, simply accommodate the request, unless you are no longer interested in working with that particular recruiter.  Recruiters don't ask for resume rewrites unless they have specific reasons.  Failing to comply with the request simply puts you out in no man's land.  

Never cry on their shoulder.  One out of Ten candidates has a sad story to tell anyone who will listen.  Recruiters are completely turned off by negativity.  Dealing with people looking for jobs is a very stressful experience.  Many of the candidates recruiters meet are in panic mode, about to lose everything, or arrogant, or just down right difficult and disrespectful.  Recruiters enjoy fun as much as anyone.  And like most people, they also tend to avoid negative or depressing people as much as possible.  So, keep it light and make it fun to work with YOU.  

Would you like to be on the top of the recruiter's list of presentable candidates?  Here's how!!!  Provide all the help you possibly can to aid the recruiter in marketing your skills.  The typical recruiter wants someone who can be placed quickly and easily. This is particularly true when the recruiter is a contingency recruiter who only gets paid if a "placement" is made.  

Present the recruiter with a list of companies that you are best suited to work for.  If you're in IT, list the hardware and software configurations and special or proprietary programs.  Include in this list, company, contact name, title, address, phone number, email address, description of the company, its industry specific information and any other information you think will help.  Now you're partnering with the recruiter and you can bet it's going to be noticed in a big way.

Next send a BIO, a list of 20 solid reasons why someone should hire you, several cover letters, a Resume or two, and a dossier (your professional life's history including everything you can think of, including your professional goals and objectives.  The more information you provide, the better.  The recruiter will use this to better understand your qualifications.  And finally, provide letters of reference from previous employers.  Nothing worries a recruiter more than what might be said about you AFTER the offer letter is sent. 

The recruiting industry is a $15 billion dollar industry and it's growing everyday.  There are both good and bad recruiters, just like there are good and bad people in every industry.  It's your job to find someone you can work with.  You may have to talk to several.  But in the end you will make a friend and get what you want, a new career.

Happy Hunting. 

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