Recruiting the Recruiter - Put these myths aside before you pick up the phone

Recruiting the Recruiter Put these myths aside before you pick up the phone. Twin Cities Business Monthly, March 2003 Your company is thinking about hiring a recruiting firm for an important executive search. How much do you know about working with one? The first step in your quest is to assess your own perceptions of the recruitment process. Are you thinking that with more people in the job market, top talent will be easier to find? And if they’re easier to find, then shouldn’t a recruiter’s rates be less? On top of that, do you believe a recruiter’s fee structure is an important factor when choosing a search firm? Recruiters say “none of the above” is the answer to these misconceptions they hear from businesspeople. Here’s a clear look at what to expect – and what not to expect – when recruiting your recruiter. Misconception #1: Recruiters Cost Too Much The greater the value a certain hire represents to a company, the better bargain a search firm represents to them, say recruiters. A good recruiter has the ability to reach beyond a company’s finite talent pool – current or former employees, personal business contacts, and those applying “cold”. When considering this pool, recruiters ask, how likely is it that it will include the best possible CFO or vice president of marketing? “Look at your own staff,” says Paul Beard, vice president of sales with the Minneapolis search division of TMP Worldwide (formerly Hayden & Associates), based in New ...