Has Your Head Been Hunted Lately?

A client asked me this morning about using "headhunters". A few minutes into the conversation, I realized that my client was looking for a magical shortcut around the hard work of a job search and in his mind, connecting with a “headhunter” was an easy way out. Find a headhunter, they will present you to a dozen jobs, and just like that, you’re hired. Wouldn’t that be nice? Who wouldn’t want to work with a headhunter? I know I would! But that’s not how it goes.

After working with recruiters for years, and working as one for the past three years, here’s what I know about recruiters:

1. The name “headhunter” (which still makes me grimace involuntarily) came about from the practice of poaching talent from one company to serve one’s client. Not only is it not really a nice name, in my opinion, but it is incorrect to call a recruiter a headhunters when you are the one doing the calling.

2. Reputable recruiters are ALWAYS paid by the employer, typically at a rate of 15-25% of your first year’s salary. They are paid the big bucks to find, prepare, and present the PERFECT candidate while protecting the employer from the inevitable business interruptions caused by a search.

3. Recruiters are sometimes confused with executive search firms. I’ve worked with thousands of job seekers over the years, a few of whom have used "executive search" firms, which are by all accounts the biggest rip-offs on the planet. These fine folks, in their plushy offices and $500 suits, will gladly take several thousand of your dollars and then say that they are doing your job search for you. So because you paid them all this money, (or your former employer did) you sit back, relax, and two years later, voila! Still no job. Don’t just take my word for it, ask around in any job forum, or read the section on this matter in any given edition of What Color is Your Parachute by Richard Bolles.

4. Most recruiters are work on a small handful of placements at any given point in time. Most times, they’re paid on a contingency basis, and are directly competing with other recruiting firms – whoever delivers the right candidate to the employer’s door wins the prize. If you are not a very good or near-perfect match for the hot job placement they’re currently working, they're not likely to be motivated to spend a great deal of time with you. In rare cases, a talented candidate will be marketed to the recruiter's regular clients without a current job opportunity, but again, this is rare.

5. Given the fact that each recruiter is working on so few jobs at any point in time, if you choose to “work with a recruiter”, work with several, and contact them every two weeks to stay at the top of their minds.

6. Since only a small fraction of jobs are filled through recruiters, working with a recruiter or several recruiters should not be your primary method of job searching. Talking with recruiters is a small part of, and not a replacement for the honest hard work of a well-run job search.

While recruiters may be able to provide you with assistance in your search, or ultimately connect you with your dream job, they can’t do your job search for you. Take charge of your search, network well, hire job search services as needed, initiate a lot, follow it all up, and you will be successful! Questions? Feel free to contact tracy@career-magic.com!