Christy's Top 10 Tips for Working with Recruiters

I got a call from a headhunter. What do I need to know about working with him? — Carla

Dear Carla, 

Thanks for reading and for your question. 

A headhunter is a person who works on behalf of a company to help fill job openings. Also known as an executive search consultant or third-party recruiter, they work on two main types of searches. 

The first type is a retained search. In this type of search the company invites the recruiter to work with them closely to fill a specific position. Typically, a retained search is initiated for positions that pay more than $100,000 per year in situations where talent is difficult to find or when there is a need for confidentiality. The company pays a retained search consultant between 25 percent and 35 percent  of the first year of compensation – whether or not the position is filled. 

With a retained search, the company will spend a great deal of time with the recruiter sharing information about the job, the company, the key players and other information. Therefore when you work with a retained search consultant, you can think of him as an extension of the company’s hiring team. 

Because the company will pay tens of thousands of dollars, they expect a high degree of professionalism and a lot of leg work to find qualified people and create a short list of candidates. You can expect a retained recruiter to interview and assess you very carefully before they present you to the company. 

Be aware that they may not divulge the name of the company during the first few conversations. 

The second type of search is a contingency search. In this type, the hiring company will only pay the recruiter if he is the one to fill the position. Sometimes a company will ask several contingency search firms to work on their search at the same time so there can be an element of competition to fill the job. In this situation, the recruiter’s goal is to move fast and get his candidates presented first. 

Other times, contingency search firms identify job openings and present candidates without even being asked to do so by the company. Therefore when you work with a recruiter working on contingency, you can’t be sure of the depth of the relationship he has with the company. He may know a lot, or he may know very little about the company or job. He may screen you carefully, or he may present you quickly. 

As you can see, it is important to ask the type of search when you get a call from a headhunter. 

When working with any search consultant, remember the following: 

1. Never pay a recruiter to get you a job. The company always pays the fee.
2. Since the company is footing the bill, the recruiter’s loyalty will be with the company. Don’t say anything to the recruiter that you don’t want shared with the employer.
3. Recruiters are sales people and their job is to persuade and influence. Do your own due diligence and verify important information for yourself.
4. Recruiters will definitely ask you about your salary expectations early-on in the conversation. Use discretion when discussing compensation and use broad ranges. Do your research and know your worth the market.
5. Tell recruiters to ask your permission before they share your resume with an employer. This is very important because things could get messy if two recruiters tried to present you for the same job opening.
6. Similarly, you’ll want to inform a recruiter when you’ve applied for a position directly. Applying directly when possible can be advantageous to you because the company won’t have to pay a recruiter fee.
7. If the recruiter tells you it’s not a good fit, don’t argue. Accept the decision with grace and ask to stay in touch with him. You never know what opportunities may cross his desk in the future.
8. Don’t circumvent the process – especially with a retained search. Since the company hired the search firm for their expertise and efficiency, most employers won’t take kindly to you going around the recruiter.
9. Be honest with recruiters. If you’re not really interested in making a job change, don’t waste their time. If the job or salary range doesn’t meet your needs, don’t play games trying to get past the recruiter hoping to find a different story when you talk with the employer.
10. Treat recruiters with the respect they deserve. Even if you aren’t interested in an opportunity, respond to recruiters and help them out with introductions from your network if possible. You never know when you may need the help of a recruiter in the future. 

I hope this information is helpful to you, Carla. Good luck to you! 

Christy Suerth

Your Neighbor and Career Coach