Different Kinds of Recruiters
Retained recruiters operate at the most senior levels of management and usually work with executives in the $75,000+ salary range. Contingency recruiters generally work one notch lower, recruiting from the professional and middle-management ranks where annual salaries of $40,000 to $75,000 are more the norm. Retained and contingency recruiters are paid differently. Retained consultants receive a fee just to conduct the candidate search, whether or not it's successful, whereas contingency recruiters only get paid if (and when) they make a placement. Since both are paid by client companies, not job hunters, in the end this means their loyalty will always lie with the client- not with you.
The way recruiters are paid tends to dictate their style of working with candidates. As a retained recruiter, Joy Reed-Belt often works with her client corporations to develop "job specs." Not only is she intimately familiar with their corporate culture, she considers herself part of their team.
"My first loyalty is to my client corporation," says Reed-Belt. "The art of what I do is in finding the perfect match for their team."
Steve Xagas, a retained recruiter in the manufacturing and service sectors for a Geneva, Illinois, firm that bears his name, agrees, "I consider myself part of a corporation's executive management team," says Xagas. "I know their politics and their personalities."
While contingency recruiters also have established relationships with client firms and know a great deal about their corporate cultures and needs, they play more of an outsider's role. Because they don't get paid unless they actually make a placement, they're usually more interested in developing a network of candidates they can market to prospective employers.
"A recruiter is only as good as his or her portfolio of candidates," says Florence Yee, a senior search consultant with A.L. Associates Inc. in New York Most headhunters collect their fees from the company, so the service to the job seeker is free. Be sure you understand the payment obligations before you sign anything or hand over any money. Don't hook up with an agency that requires money up front before finding you a job. If you're still tempted, check the firm's reputation with your state's office of consumer protection.
According to the Fordyce Letter, a St. Louis-based newsletter for employment professionals published by Paul Hawkinson, some candidates are so sought after that recruiters present them widely, in hopes of drumming up additional search business. To qualify, though, they can be easily placed--with skills, experience and accomplishments that are exceptional, in high demand and low supply.
For example, a senior loan officer who was relocating to a major Southwestern city had such strong credentials that two different recruiters marketed her heavily, resulting in 14 serious inquiries, 4 interviews and one job offer (that she accepted).
Many job hunters dream of attracting such attention (and get frustrated if they don't). However, not every candidate fits a recruiter's profile.
The Right Qualifications
First, you must fall into the search firm's specific area of specialization. (You may be a great R&D manager, but if the recruiter specializes in real estate, he or she can't help you.)
Recruiters also look at what Xagas calls "credential power." People who have earned degrees from well-respected schools, built careers with prestigious corporations or have an impressive track record of accomplishments are safe
The quickest way to burn a bridge with a recruiter is to lie. If there's a problem in your background, be straight up about it and put your cards on the table.
Verification of Credentials
"You have to show honesty and candor with recruiters," says former contingency recruiter Rick Ehlers. "They need to know exactly where you're coming from."
Don't expect search consultants to rely strictly on your say-so. Good recruiters consider reference checking essential, so they use investigative researchers-often former police, military or FBI officers--to find out all they can about a candidate's background. This isn't paranoia; it's a question of survival. A recruiter's credibility is only as good as the candidates he or she presents, and a candidate who gets caught lying makes the recruiter look foolish and inept.
The Question of Fit
Identifying candidates with the right qualifications and verifying credentials is an important part of recruiters' initial screening function. However, headhunters usually spend the bulk of their time on the more subjective question of fit.
Reed-Belt estimates that she spends 25 percent of her search time on the issue of qualifications; 75 percent goes toward exploring fit.
In one case, she worked with the CEO of a financial institution who wanted someone exactly like himself to head up one of its newly acquired banks in Texas.
"He was a cautious man who reached decisions carefully, and it was important to him to find someone who would make decisions in the same way," says Reed-Belt. "He wanted someone whose behavior he could predict."
Thus, Reed-Belt asked prospective candidates lots of behavior-based questions. "I wanted to hear specific examples of how they reacted in a variety of situations because I firmly believe that past behavior is the best predictor of future success," she says.
Another recruiter was asked to find a portfolio manager who lived in a certain wealthy Connecticut suburb.
"Basically, they wanted to know who rode in his car pool with him," the recruiter says. "Anyone who operated outside a certain ZIP code got screened out."
Personal Questions
At times, recruiters are placed in the unsavory position of becoming an employer's discriminatory arm. Under the guise of "fit," they may be asked to screen candidates on the basis of race, gender, age or other personal characteristics. In such situations, you may find yourself bombarded with a host of personal questions you don't understand.
A recent industry survey of recruiters' "favorite" questions included the following highly personal inquiries:
What are the values you were taught in your family?
How has your personal background (upbringing, schooling) influenced what you are today? Discuss the importance of your job vis-a-vis your family and your faith. Unfortunately, you have no idea what a recruiter plans to do with the information you provide in response--or, more important, what he or she may be looking for.
Ehlers believes that if you're interested in the position, you have no choice but to answer such questions openly and honestly. "You have to remember that recruiters are often working with a very specific set of requirements that you know nothing about," says Ehlers. "They ask the questions they ask to determine if you fit those requirements, and if you don't give them that information, you'll automatically get screened out."
Whether you're talking to a recruiter or directly to an employer, it's best to plan ahead of time how you'll respond to personal questions.
If a question offends you, you can refuse to answer it. (Then, plan on finding another recruiter to work with you.) Otherwise, answer it, but do so judiciously. This isn't the time for true confessions, and, as always, put the best face on the truth.
For example, say you don't want to disclose that you're a devout Catholic, Jew or Methodist. You can tell the recruiter you have a strong religious faith (without revealing the denomination) that you always try to incorporate into your daily activities. Or, suppose you think the fact that you aren't married might work against you. You can indicate that you're very involved and committed to your family (meaning your parents and siblings), without necessarily saying "I'm still single."
The Recruiter-Candidate Relationship
Recruiters like to do extensive information gathering, but don't expect them to reveal much in return. Reed-Belt, for example, never divulges the name of her mind. Since you need to develop a relationship that encourages the recruiter to submit your name to the client, it helps to get yourself organized and in the proper frame of mind. You're not obliged to be spontaneous if it's not in your best interest.
During your initial conversation, the headhunter may ask you to mail or fax a copy of your resume. If the telephone discussion goes well and your qualifications are on target, the recruiter will ask to meet with you so he or she can size you up face-to-face. As in a traditional interview, you'll need to develop a good relationship with the recruiter and find out as much as possible about the assignment. If you're asked for references, be honest about who you can and can't use, and why.
Candidate-Initiated Relationships
Other times, you may initiate contact with a recruiter in hopes that you'll be marketed to his or her corporate clients. In that case, your initial screening interview may take on a different flavor. Since there may be no specific job order with your name on it, you'll be interviewing to the recruiter's specialty area rather than focusing on what a specific employer wants.
Thus, Ehlers recommends contacting recruiters selectively, concentrating on those who specialize in your target industry or function. Your goal should be to build an alliance that will motivate the recruiter to want to help you. Sometimes, a little bit of personal information can go a long way in that regard.
Yee remembers working with a middle-market manager from Amsterdam who wanted to move to the United States to marry his girlfriend but wouldn't do it without a job.
"I'm a romantic," Yee says. "I fell for that."
So even though the market for credit-and-lending professionals (the manager's area of expertise) had bottomed out, she worked hard to repackage him-- and found a position for him as a research analyst with a debt-rating agency.
But more than romantic visions inspired her. "He was a very articulate man with a lot of presence," Yee says. "I knew he'd present himself to employers well."
The Search for Presence
A candidate's "presence" is one quality that really makes recruiters sit up and take notice.
"Most hiring decisions are made in the first 30 seconds," says Xagas. "The way candidates project themselves-their aura, energy level and appearance- can make the critical difference."
It's not surprising that recruiters find a dynamic presence appealing. Once you've passed their initial screen, they still have to turn around and sell you to potential employers. And employers are impressed with candidates who make good self-presentations. A candidate who presents poorly often isn't marketable in the recruiter's world.
The Desirable Candidate
Are there other qualities recruiters look for that set a candidate apart? Marilyn Moats Kennedy, a Wilmette, Illinois, career counselor, asked some recruiters to share anonymously why some candidates lose offers. Their responses, which she published in her monthly newsletter, "Career Strategies," include:
- Lack of energy: One recruiter described an accomplished candidate who, during an interview with a CEO, complained of fatigue. Although the candidate was, on paper, the most qualified for the job, the offer went to someone who exhibited more energy and enthusiasm. Knowing that the job required long hours and real results, the CEO says he couldn't bring himself to hire someone who was already exhausted,
- Inappropriate behavior: There's a real difference between self-confidence and arrogance. Candidates who lack common courtesy or basic conversational skills aren't likely to generate much excitement with recruiters or the corporate clients they represent. While it's important to look good on paper, it's equally important to demonstrate the kind of personal and professional savvy that distinguishes really great candidates from mediocre ones.
- Inflexibility: Employers have all kinds of interviewing protocols and procedures that may not make sense to you. Regardless of how you feel about meeting six people in one day or taking a battery of psychological tests, you need to honor and be responsive to the procedures they have established (unless, of course, you find them illegal or totally offensive, in which case you can terminate the interview). Keep in mind that the way an organization develops and handles the interviewing process says a great deal about it. If you aren't comfortable with the way things are done, this might not be the best organizational fit for you.
- Helplessness: Another recruiter complained that some candidates are overly dependent on assistants to handle basic tasks. For instance some professionals need help ordering airline tickets or reserving rental cars.
Recruiters who decide to work with you will act as a mediator between you and the prospective employer. They will arrange your interview schedule, including how much time you'll spend with their client, where you'll meet and who you'll meet. They may coach you on interview strategy, but they probably won't put words in your mouth.
Typically, recruiters won't attend your interviews with employers. Head-hunters may get you in the door, but it's up to you to represent yourself. Remember to take time to build rapport with the hiring manager, learn as much as possible about the opening and find ways to present yourself as the solution to the company's problems.
There will probably be no discussion of money at this point, since the recruiter has already communicated your financial requirements to the company. Interviewers will be far more interested in the issue of "fit."
Feedback
Recruiters generally follow up after on-site interviews to see how things went. While you want to be honest, you should also be prudent. Recruiters may be alienated or offended if you're overly critical of an employer with whom they have close ties.
A highly aggressive operations manager returned from a visit to a recruiter's long-standing client. When asked for feedback, the candidate described the hiring manager as "Typical HR guy. No imagination. Stupid questions. Limp handshake."
However, the headhunter liked the human resources manager and knew he was a well-respected member of the company's management team. Rather than move forward with what could only turn out to be a disastrous placement that could jeopardize his relationship with the client, the recruiter dropped the candidate.
If the interview goes well and you're genuinely interested in the position, the recruiter will call the employer to get its impressions. If you both want to move forward, the recruiter will try to negotiate an offer or another meeting. Should the company decide to make you an offer, it likely will be extended through the recruiter. If the offer is low, you can negotiate for more dollars or perks via the recruiter. Once the details have been hammered out, the company will contact you directly with a formal offer.
Recruiters are a bonanza for some professional and executive candidates; for others, they're agonizingly unresponsive. If you fall into the latter category, it may simply mean that you don't fit a recruiter's profile or current set of needs.
This doesn't mean that you're unemployable. It just means an intermediary can't help you. In that case, you'll just have to work harder to sell yourself directly to employers.
