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Working effectively with Recruiters, Agencies,Executive Search Consultants & “Head hunters”
If you are in the midst of changing career or an enforced job-search it can sometimes be achallenge to find a recruiting partner willing to spend time working with you.
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Why does no-one return my calls?
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Why does no-one want to help me with my CV?
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Why does no-one see the benefits of my experience?
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Why does no-one share the same enthusiasm for my experience?Sound familiar? For the most part these issues may occur because you are not targeting theright recruiter for your needs. Relationships are key to results. It is therefore, worthspending time finding and “cultivating” the right recruiter to keep in your back pocket duringyour career.Invest your time at the start of your job-search in finding the right recruiter to represent yourneeds in the marketplace and work with you to mutual benefit.Here are some tips for gaining better results in your job search – Good Luck!
So what’s the difference?
There are 20,000 recruitment offices in the UK alone – from “kitchen table recruiters” to the“glass and steel brigade” usually holed up in regional cities. The differences lie in workingpractices, time, fees – and it all goes back to salary levels worked. Bigger the fee, moretime the recruiter has to spend on an assignment. Smaller the fee – the recruiter has tomake more placements – less time for the client and candidate interaction and the faster therecruiter has to work which means working practices vary widely.Some are specialist, some are generalist, others are niche, some are temp or contractfocused others are only perm. Some do both. Some are geographically constrained. Othershave global desks. Some are part or large organisations – or maybe “boutique” and highlyspecialised.Generally speaking we are all broadly tarred with the same brush (especially by HR Managerswho unfortunately bear the brunt of questionable practices, but who also must take a sharein responsibility for creating them) – apart from “head hunters” – which generally come witha sharp intake of breath, needing a very large chequebook, a methodology that is usually 3times longer than anyone else, three times the amount of staff (usually with double barrellednames), large commissions and salaries and generally speaking will not want to workassignments with salaries of less than £70K a year. EcoSearch likes to dispel this mythhowever – as we use a headhunt methodology right across the board – and we can show theclient how we do it – it’s no longer rocket science or needing long lunches at The Ritz. Welike to bust this divide – its our mission in life we just haven’t come up with a word for ourway yet!
Understanding Recruiters
©EcoSearch 2009
 
It is a sad fact, but a true commercial one – time is money and recruiters have to be efficientwith what is important.If you are sending an unsolicited CV – bear in mind that on an average day a typical recruiterwill have to view between 50 and 100 CVs, spend 3-4 hours on the phone and sift informationon candidates, clients and industry news from multiple sources for both current assignmentsand future assignments. You have probably
15 seconds
to make an impact – ask yourself honestly what makes your CV or approach any different or more valuable than others?Good recruiters seek long term relationships with the “best” candidates in their market space– it is in their interest to do so. It is a reciprocal information exchange arrangement thatbenefits both parties. A good recruiter can give you non-confidential market information,industry knowledge and unbiased career appraisal and advice – regardless of whether youchoose to work with them.
So which category does EcoSearch Fall into?
Well – we are head hunter’s but we are not “atypical”. We don’t believe that service shouldbe constrained by salary levels and in today’s market you have to use a blended approach toget the best results for both clients and candidates. We will work exclusively on bespokecandidate introduction campaigns for candidates we feel have real market value. Ourmethodology for completing search assignments has been refined since 1965 with more than1100 offices around the globe successfully operating it.
Why Use a “Head hunter”?
We manage your market exposure; protecting your value in the market place and undertakethe sensitive negotiation process that can sometimes damage your relationships with futureemployers. We are specialists – we get you in front of the right people. We represent yourinterests and highlight the benefits you can bring to a new employer. Exclusively workingwith us is critical as multiple submissions of your details to potential employers can bedamaging – for both you and us.
Tips for working with recruiters
1.
Be honest and demand honesty in return – many recruiters struggle with informinga candidate that “they cannot help” – give them your permission to do that ratherthan falsely hold out for unfulfilled expectation.
2.
Always demand reassurances that your CV will not be released without yourpermission
3.
Do your research on the best specialist recruiter for your area – seekrecommendations from people in your industry – colleagues, companies, clients,suppliers as to who they work with and have had good experiences with. Apersonal referral will also elicit a little more time from a recruiter. Why? – theserecruiters have established contacts with long term clients – this is a short cut toa new career for you.
4.
Choose a specialist - Niche recruiters are better because of their invaluableindustry knowledge and their ability to place you quickly and efficiently in frontof the right people.
5.
Be
personal
when contacting recruiters – Nothing smacks more of “non-exclusivecandidate” than an e-mail shot. Remember 15 seconds maximum.
©EcoSearch 2009
 
6.
Do not “spray” your CV across multiple recruiters – the more competition arecruiter has, the higher the risk on not getting a return – it means lesscommitment to you as they have to “hedge their bets”.7.Recruiters want exclusivity. The last thing a recruiter wants is to submitcandidate details to a client that another recruiter has already sent in. Itdamages their credibility and reputation – this is why you may see a reluctance towork with candidates “on the open market already”.
8.
Agree with your recruiter who he/she can introduce you to, which companies youwant him to approach on your behalf and why – this helps him/her formulate a“marketing plan” for you and is a more focused approach9.Always know where your CV has been submitted and by whom so if you choose towork with a different recruiter – you have an “audit” trail and will not waste anytime re-starting a new campaign
10.
One recruiter may not have all the contacts but
work
with one recruiterexclusively at a time and keep them informed of where your CV has gone, whichcontact and what the outcome was – this saves time and embarrassment
11.
If necessary negotiate periods of exclusivity to work with your recruiter – this willkeep them focused on getting the necessary work done to your time frame.
12.
Be prepared to remove your CV from online job-boards for your chosen recruiter.Clients pay premium prices for “off-market” candidate searches. Many clientswill walk away from candidates when they face “Dutch auction” situations. Don’tallow yourself to be put in this situation it will damage your career credibility.
13.
Understand what it is you want and aspire to in your career – if you don’t book atelephone conversation with a specialist recruiter and ask for an honest “marketappraisal” of your skills and experience. Remember - you also have valuableviews to share with a market specialist. When taking this approach use that asyour “selling tool” to gain time with a recruiter.
14.
Do your homework on the market for jobs in your industry – check out the job-boards and employer career sites so you get a feel for what is out there and alignyour expectations.
15.
Ensure your CV is not written from a “jack of all trades” point of view. Ensure itcontains clear, unambiguous, identified and measurable features and benefits.Work with your recruiter to define these and ensure he/she has a goodunderstanding of what it is you can “bring to the table” for any potentialemployer16.Understand what motivates you, what your next challenge will look like orcontain, what you enjoy, what you excel at, what you need development in ,what you can “flex” to and what you would like to do. This helps the matchingprocess.
17.
Don’t waste time (yours or theirs) – do what you say you are going to do when yousay you are going to do it.
18.
If something else crops up – be transparent and inform them immediately.19.Understand your recruiter has to work with clients who are themselves busy andthat finding the right opening is sometimes a matter of time and circumstance.
EcoSearchLiberty HouseNew Greenham ParkNewburyBerkshireRG19 6HW
MRI
Network™ 
BUILDING THE HEART OF BUSINESS™ 
©EcoSearch 2009
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