Second, executive recruiters locate and screen as many candidates as they need to be able to recommend perhaps three to five for the company's consideration. Screening usually involves several personal interviews and extensive checking of references.
A key element of an executive recruiter's skill is evaluating the chemistry of the organization and that of candidates, to see that they are as compatible as possible. The candidates recommended must have strong technical credentials and they usually represent a range of personality types and operating styles.
Finally, the recruiter works with both the company and the most favored candidates to make sure that each has a realistic understanding of the other, performing a low-key selling job on each to bring about a favorable match. Recruiters are sensitive to good matches because their long-range success depends on repeat business, which in turn only comes from a high percentage of successful assignments.
Because of this, a recruiter looks for candidates with outstanding records who are currently employed and presumably doing a first-class job. Recruiters run a greater risk than they prefer if they recommend somebody who is unemployed. If such a person is hired and doesn't work out, the employer (even though he or she made the final decision) may hold this against the recruiter in the future. Roughly only 5 percent of the candidates hired for executive-recruited jobs are unemployed. Don't, however, ignore executive recruiters in your job search.
The sources of potential candidates for assignments by recruiters are, first of all, their firm's extensive files. Recruiters are literally deluged with resumes. It is not unusual for a small recruiting firm to receive more resumes a day than the number of searches they conduct in a year. They are all reviewed and categorized so that they can be pulled out of the files on short notice. The larger firms have computerized files that include the names of up to several hundred thousand executives. Another source of candidates is a network of executives that the recruiters know of in an industry. A common technique here is for a recruiter to contact all the executives in their files from the industry or industries similar to the company for which they are conducting a search. These executives will be asked to recommend candidates for the particular assignment. Many executives are willing to make recommendations to maintain the good will of the recruiter for the future. The other source of potential executives is advertising.
A close working relationship between the recruiter and the company is important. It not only speeds up the search considerably but it also increases the likelihood of success, since the recruiter understands the organizational chemistry of the company he or she is recruiting for. So, most recruiting firms develop their own special niche (marketing, electronics, etc.).
Because of the high fees of executive recruiters, companies often won't hire them until they have exhausted all their own resources for candidates.
As a result, recruiters are often given an assignment at the last minute, when the urgency of hiring somebody is great. Recruiters therefore must often work under great pressure.
Many executive job hunters spend far too much time trying to see executive recruiters, figuring that they handle the best jobs. You can usually spend your time more productively. A letter and a resume will get you enrolled in a recruiter's file, particularly if your specialty coincides with the firm's. Contacting recruiters is one instance when it is advisable to include your salary requirements. If the recruiter is searching for a candidate like yourself, you will be contacted.
Furthermore, if you are a good candidate for the kinds of jobs that the firm generally handles (even though there isn't an active search under way for such a job at the time), the recruiter will want to meet you in the future. Since recruiting is a service business, recruiters work hard to maintain the good will of their clients and potential clients.
Therefore, they see a lot of individuals who are probably not good candidates for their typical assignments, although usually these are for short, courtesy interviews.
Don't expect to get a lot of advice from recruiters. Their time is limited and their orientation is toward screening candidates for specialized jobs, not advising job hunters on how to conduct a search. Recruiters are skilled in executive selection, however, and even a short interview may provide you with some good advice.
One other thought; a staff member can make a very good living conducting only 20 searches a year -which means he handles very few at one time.
Register with as many good recruiting firms in your field if possible. A list of executive recruiters showing the name, address, phone number, salary minimum, and particular area of specialty may be obtained by writing: Consultants News, Templeton Road, Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire 03447. Ask for The Directory of Executive Recruiters. This covers over 2,300 search firms and offices in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This firm also publishes a list of over 650 search offices in 46 countries, entitled The International Directory of Executive Recruiters.
