Achieving a successful outcome through a placement professional depends upon both your actions and the quality of the firm you choose to work with. Evaluating your options armed with the facts will help you make choices that are right for you.
- The Staffing Company should specialize in an area that makes sense for your skill sets. Make sure the recruiter or agency you work with has a history of success placing people in your area of interest.
This one may seem obvious. But you wouldn’t think so if you knew how many inappropriate resumes are sent in response to very specific ads.
If the firm you're considering is locally owned you should be able to tell from their web-site. I say locally owned because national companies don't typically have web-sites for individual branches. So while their web-sites will give you all of their specialties you might not be able to tell which are in your local branch.
The best way to determine what types of placement a firm specializes in is to ask. Find out what kind of openings they currently have available. You won't be told the client company names but you should be able to learn what kind positions the agency regularly fills.
- The Placement Firm should have a reputation for placing quality talent. You will benefit from working with an agency that has the complete confidence of its clients. Conversely you may suffer by association with a firm that has a not so stellar reputation.
One way to tell if the firm is quality focused is by its screening process (or lack thereof). If all you have to do to work with a company is go in and sign up, chances are they have a reputation for spotty results. Well thought of placement companies will have a fairly rigorous screening process that should include:
- A personal interview,
- Some type of pre-employment testing (as appropriate to the function and level of the position),
-
Employment reference
checks
- Possibly the passing of a criminal background check, credit check and/or drug screen.
Some specialty head hunters work on a national basis making a personal interview difficult. This is often the case for many types of executive or upper management recruiters. In those cases an extensive “getting to know you” phone interview should take place in which mutual expectations are shared.
- People should be treated with dignity and respect. The best firm to work with is one that understands your value to them. At the staffing firm I co-owned and managed people were always treated with dignity and respect. No exceptions.
Everyone from the front desk person to the owner understood that without the external talent we would have nothing to offer our client companies. The way you are treated with the first phone call is an indication of how you will be treated going forward.
Likewise, the way you treat the placement team from the beginning will be taken as an indication of how you will interact with the agency’s clients. Appreciating the team’s efforts on your behalf will also give you an edge over candidates who don’t.
- Communication should be honest and direct The best way to a winning outcome for everyone is open communication. No game playing allowed. By anyone.
The placement company should be willing to openly share how their process works; keep you in the loop as to where you are in the process and tell you what you need to do to increase your odds for success.
The best placement person will also make sure you know exactly what the position entails and will recommend you only for opportunities in which you’ve expressed an interest.
A savvy headhunter may ask for permission to market you. She will usually market you 'blind'. Meaning your identity is concealed as she discusses your qualifications with a client. By doing this she may find an opening she wasn't aware of before the call.
You the job seeker need to be open and honest with the placement person as to
your personal situation.
You should feel free to share any information (relocation issues, etc.) that may impact your decision making process.
A staffing professional can only represent your candidacy effectively when she is armed with all the pertinent information. Rest assured that if you are a good match for the job, your placement agent will position you in the best way possible.
Alway remember...by recommending you to her client, the staffing person is putting her reputation and her company’s reputation on the line. Don't burn bridges by putting her in a position to regret the recommendation.
- Everyone should work together toward a win-win-win outcome Your recruiting manager should be able to help you prepare for the interview by providing you with valuable insight into the company and hiring manager’s needs.
She will also be in an excellent position to help you negotiate the best possible salary. (And she’ll be motivated to do so because the higher your pay rate is; the larger her fee will be.)
While temporary staffing firms may encourage you to explore all of your job seeking options most executive recruiters will insist on having an exclusive relationship with you.
By that I mean she will want assurances that you are not working with any other executive recruiters. She will also want to know at which companies you’ve already applied for work.
The reason for this is simple. Executive recruiters (or other direct placement professionals) do not get paid until they actually place someone with the client. All the work they do up front in recruiting, screening and then promoting their candidate is done “on spec”.
It is every headhunter’s nightmare to go to all the time, trouble and expense of vetting their candidate only to discover that person has already been recommended to the client through another source.
If you don’t want to burn bridges, don’t put your recruiter in this position. You’ll be developing an advocate who will be willing to work with you again when or if the need arises.
- Communication should be timely. As you make your way through either the recruiter’s or the client company’s screening and hiring process, there may be times when more information is needed from you. How quickly you get back to your recruiter with what's needed can sometimes mean the difference between getting the job or not.
Return phone calls quickly and do your best to provide answers in a timely fashion. Let your recruiter know if you get a job offer elsewhere or if your job seeking status changes for any reason.
Touch base with your recruiter on a consistent basis if you are not being considered for one of her current openings. Don't call every day. Once a week should be enough to keep you top-of-mind as new openings are coming in.
Vary between emails and phone calls. Keep the recruiter up to date on your other job search efforts. Provide new and improved resumes. Let her know if you expand your personal preference parameters.
If you get the feeling that you're bothering the person, ask her what an appropriate time interval would be. But as long as you're looking for work stay in touch regularly. When that perfect opportunity comes in you want to be the first person she thinks of.
Your recruiter should also demonstrate a sense of urgency in returning your calls. Certainly you should hear back within one business day. She should keep you in the loop regarding your candidacy and call you when or if anything changes.
Client companies want to hire great people. Placement professionals want to fill their open orders. You want to be the person they place.
Making the effort to find a recruiter with all the right qualities. Then respecting the process and working within it is the path to a win... for all of you.
