Think about the professional athlete who is at the top of his/her game in their specific sport. When the time comes for that athlete to decide on whether to play another season for the team he or she is on, or pursue joining another team, that athlete isn’t going to approach another competing team without an agent’s representation. The agent’s job is to understand his client’s strengths or even weaknesses, skill-set, and overall accomplishments as it relates to the needs of the other team. The sports agent, just like a specialized recruiter, is an expert resource with knowledge about an organization’s culture, their current team members, and how the player they represent will potentially fit to enhance performance for continued overall wins.
Having representation through a highly qualified recruiter promotes candidate credibility. It also assures that before a meeting/interview is granted by an employer all the basic, yet timely, questions have been answered by the recruiter on the candidate’s behalf. This alone makes, both, the candidate and the hiring authority or HR comfortable opening initial conversation. When a recruiter has put forth information on his candidate’s behalf, such as job transitions, salary history, relocation, and desired compensation to name a few topics that can sometimes be uncomfortable discussions, the candidate/job seeker has a few less things to worry about and can focus on presenting his or her skills, responsibilities, and outcomes as a result of the positions/job functions that were held.
In addition, just as sports agent would represent a top athlete, executive recruiters should be expected to negotiate salary and benefits on the candidate’s/job seeker’s behalf.
The service provided to the job seeker/candidate is customarily free of cost, unless it involves the recruiter in resume writing and/or making revisions on the candidate’s behalf. There are companies that provide resume writing services with varying fee structures. The expectation that the recruiter has of the candidate is an open line of communication and follow-up, including phone debriefings subsequent to interviews that were arranged by the recruiter. This helps the recruiter communicate back to the hiring manager or Human Resources the candidate’s level of interest in the job opening and can essentially reinforce the interest that was communicated by the candidate to the interviewer.
A candidate/job seeker should not hesitate to interview the recruiter. It’s critical that the recruiter is a polished professional with the candidate’s best interests in mind…not just his/hers. Pre-qualify the recruiter by using the following questions:
· How many years have you been recruiting?
· Do you specialize in my industry? (There are generalists who might not have as many connections in one specific industry the way a specialist might. When a quality or “placeable” candidate is actively seeking a new position time is of the essence. Who the recruiter already knows or has existing relationships with can make a big difference in how quickly a candidate gets an interview).
· Can you tell me about some of the most recent positions you’ve filled?
· Can you name some of your clients…name people you’ve placed in my industry?
· What resources do you use to network within the industry?
· Do you have recommendations/references? Recruiters expect candidates to have them so candidates, especially at the executive level, should expect a few references from a recruiter.
· What is your process? What is your client’s process?
· Ask the recruiter specifics about the job openings (why is the position open? How long has it been vacant? What have been the challenges in filling the position, etc.)
· Get recruiters email address, cell number and office…be sure to reciprocate with all of your contact numbers and information.
How many recruiters should a candidate use at one time during a job search? That’s up to the candidate, but in my professional opinion working with one good recruiter is all you need if he/she specializes in one industry. Of course, one recruiter might not have established relationships with every organization in his/her specific industry/vertical but partnering with a recruiter who can present a candidate flawlessly can open new doors for both the candidate and recruiter. The relationship between the candidate and recruiter can be defined as a partnership in which the outcome is often mutually beneficial.
For more insight on using an executive recruiter email jd@placementcorp.com
or call 856-832-4550.
