Working With Recruiters

Remember, a recruiter, headhunter, or search guy works with you, to market your background to his or her client companies, but does not work for you. A recruiter works for the company or organization that pays for his or her services. Your relationship with a recruiter is much like the relationship you might have with a real estate broker who represents a home seller, but wants to help you, a buyer, find something that you would like to buy. In order for this to work, a good recruiter will be interested in where you want to live geographically, what you like to do professionally, now and in the future, as well as how much money you want to earn. Typically the more we get you the more we get, so we’re on the same team.

As with any relationship, honesty is important in this relationship as well. Let the recruiter know those things that are very important to you, as well as those of lesser importance. Different factors have more or less weight with different candidates. Factors that you might consider include: job content/responsibilities, growth prospects, compensation, travel, location, company size, benefits, commercial vs. defense-oriented work, mentorship, location, start-up vs. established company, to name a few. Letting the recruiter know what is really important to you and what matters less will help the process.

For this to work, a recruiter must introduce you, the candidate, to an opportunity that satisfies your needs, while at the same time satisfying the needs that his or her client firm has for the individual(s) they seek to hire. It is not an exact science and there is always some amount of give and take on both sides. No one gets  married without making some compromises—the same is true in this relationship between you, the candidate  and the prospective employer.

The Referral Process

Once a recruiter has referred your resume to an organization, and interest is expressed by that organization, the recruiter will introduce the firm and the opportunity to you and then you can decide if you are interested or not. Generally, if you are not in the firm’s immediate vicinity, the company will conduct a telephone interview.
After this, if both parties are interested, a face-to-face interview is the next step. If that goes well, a second or even a third round of interviews might occur. It is possible that you might receive an offer after the first interview.

At the offer stage, the recruiter will probably have some insight as to what you can expect. Some firm’s offer is a “best and final” offer; others might have room for some negotiation. If you prefer to do your own negotiating because you have established good rapport with your prospective supervisor, great. If you need  help, the recruiter can help you. Remember, the recruiter is trying to help the parties create a win-win solution, so he or she will work to satisfy your needs as well as the client’s needs. It will not work any other way.

Speaking of referrals… We will pay you $2,000 for every successful referral you send us. Success being we place your referred candidate with our client employer. Please inquire for more details about this very successful program and review our current openings. Think of it as getting paid to pay it forward.

Helping the Process

Telling the recruiter where you have already sent your resume will help avoid duplication and wasting their time. If you have interviews already scheduled, let the recruiter know where you are in terms of timing, especially if you are expecting an offer in the near term. Remember, if you treat someone the way you would like to be treated, then the experience will be a positive one for all parties: you, the recruiter and the company. A win-win outcome.

Our Commitment to You

• We will act as your talent agent.
• We will present you to companies that will benefit from your skills and experience.
• We will find companies that meet your requirements for the best next step in your career.
• We will set up all interviews, taking care of all the details.
• We will prepare you before interviews. We’ll discuss with you details about the hiring manager, the company and the job description, including what they look for in a successful candidate.
• We will debrief you after interviews, openly and honestly addressing any concerns the company might have.
• Before the final interview, we will negotiate a strong compensation and benefits package with the company so that the situation be a win-win one for you and them.
• We will walk you through the resignation process and cover the counteroffer.
• After you join the new team, we will follow up with you on your first day, after two weeks and after 30 days.
• If you have any issues throughout the process, no matter how small, we will work together to resolve them.

What We Ask of You in Return

• Be as flexible as possible when scheduling interviews and time to talk with us.
• If left a voice message or sent an email, we need to know that you will get back in touch with us within 24 hours.
• Openness and honesty at every stage of this process.
• If you have any questions or concerns, it is imperative that you bring them to our attention immediately.
• We will be asking you where your interest level is from time to time, so we want you to be thinking about that as you go through the interview process.
• To let us know if your interest level ever wanes throughout the process.
• To let us know if you are considering another opportunity now or during the process.
• We may ask you to redo your resume, put together a list of career highlights, and provide verification of sales production (if applicable).