Let's make one thing clear right from the start – executive search firms, recruiters, and employment agencies are not in business to help you find a job. They are merely channels through which you may secure an opportunity for an interview.
Placement agencies that charge the job seeker a fee should be avoided completely. Contingency-fee recruiters are paid a percentage of the candidate's salary – but only if they actually place the candidate.
Retained executive search firms are the classic “headhunters,” who are granted an exclusive right to conduct a search on behalf of their client company and are paid their fee (or at least some of it) by the employer even if the search is unsuccessful.
“When working with any type of executive search firm or recruiter, you must maintain control of them and their activities. In fact, even though the search firm is not working for you, I tell my clients to ‘supervise' the work of recruiters as though they were managing a group of employees,” says Ford R. Myers, founder, Career Potential, LLC. This means following some important guidelines when working with external recruiters:
1. Be careful and selective in choosing which recruiters you want to work with, and politely decline to work with those who don't appeal to you or are inappropriate for your situation.
2. When speaking with your search firms, be totally honest and direct about your job objectives, past compensation, desired salary, geographical preferences and other details.
3. Never pay any sort of “registration fee” or any other money – for anything! All the search firm's fees should be paid by the employer.
4. When interviewing, make sure that the job is exactly what the recruiter described. Confirm (and re-confirm, if necessary) the important job details, responsibilities and compensation.
5. Remember that you are the source of the recruiter's income (indirectly). You are entitled to courtesy and respect, as well as honest and prompt answers to your questions.
6. Do not sign any contract or make any agreement that obligates you to work exclusively with one search agency, or that requires you to pay any fee. Have all required forms from the search firms reviewed by an employment attorney.
7. Ask that your resume and other information not be forwarded to any prospective employer without your prior approval.
8. Be sure that the recruiter does not edit your resume or any other documents without your permission.
9. At the point of negotiating your compensation for a new position, do not rely on the recruiter to do this for you. You must either conduct the negotiations yourself, or at least be actively involved in the negotiation process.
10. Focus only 5% or 10% of your job-search energies on recruiters. Remember that most of your time should be spent on more productive activities, such as professional networking.
“Some Executive Search Consultants will also provide vital information about such things as industry conditions and local business trends, as well as insightful feedback about your campaign strategy, your compensation level, etc. However, never confuse Executive Search Consultants with Career Consultants – they play very different roles,” adds Myers.
If you have a basic understanding of how the search industry works, and follow the guidelines above, you will find that search firms and recruiters can serve an important role in your successful job search or career transition!
For more information and other useful tips for achieving career success, visit http://www.CareerPotential.com .
