Q & A How To Find A Great Search Firm
|
Q & A
Q: Are people sometimes cautious of 'headhunters'?
A. Yes. However the industry has evolved over the last decade and steadily gained more respect. Now recruiters go to the same lengths that other professionals do to be certified by obtaining a Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC) designation.
Q: Is it appropriate to approach a professional recruiter or should the recruiter pursue the job seeker?
A: It is very common for both to occur. Our search firm, FGP International (Find Great People) has been building its own proprietary database of candidates and contacts for nearly 22 years. This has been done by active contact on our part as well as by referrals from those who respect our approach. If you contact a firm directly you need to do your homework before simply sending a resume. We are not "all alike".
Q: Which is best? Contingency or Retained?
A: Both types have merit. A Retained search firm is paid in advance and will typically be dealing with Executive and Senior level officials. Searches where the base salary start in the mid 100k area and exceed 300k. Contingency firms will work mostly on searches below those salary levels. Contingency firms are routinely paid only if the person they present is hired by the company. Each have their place.
Q: Say you are a candidate for a position. What is the next step after this?
A: After a recruiter presents your background to a potential employer, he or she should contact you frequently to keep you aware of where you are in the interview process. Routine cooperation and feedback is expected from the company, and the individual seeking a position. Once the client company desires to proceed with an interview the recruiter would facilitate the interview process.
Q: How do you know a search firm is right for you?
A: Investigate the firm to see if it is specialized in any industries or any particular niches. It is always best to contact the search firm that coincides with your area of professional interest. Once you begin working with a search firm, ask yourself these questions. How cooperative is the search firm with you? Will they give you feedback, and will they give it to you in a timely manner? Make a phone call first before sending a resume. Ask them to walk you through their standard approach of the placement process.
Q: Is the size of the firm important?
A: Multiple consultants mean a more diverse client base, and a larger network of client contacts. There are many of solo practitioners (recruiters who work alone) in this field. Unless the solo practitioner is known throughout the country, they will be limited in their effectiveness of placing because they are only one person. With eleven consultants, my firm, FGP International, can cross-sell to our client base across multiple disciplines.
Q: How can you tell if a search firm or consultant performed well in the past?
A: It's perfectly all right to ask. Find out what percentage of repeat business (from the companies) the firm has. If they don't have an answer, that's a good indication that it's not high and that may point to their ineffectiveness.
Q: What is the best way to evaluate an individual consultant?
A: Ask them their interview to hire ratio. The industry standard is between 4 and 7:1. If the number goes higher, then the consultant may have an inability to understand the job, the company, or the candidate's abilities when conducting the search, thereby introducing the wrong people on the wrong position.
Q: For job hunters that may want to entertain the idea of relocation, what is the best way to evaluate a search firm?
A: First, determine your own geographical focus. Then, pinpoint a search firm with a similar focus. Some firms are local and statewide, while others are national and international. A national or international search firm would be desirable, if your geographical preference is broad.
About The Author
Steve Hall has been a professional recruiter with Find Great People International (http://www.findgreatpeople.com), in Greenville, South Carolina, for 14 years. He specializes in IT and manages consultants in apparel, finance and health care. Steve has averaged a 3 to 1 interview to hire ratio, while the industry standard is 7 to 1.
|
|
|
Your Attitude Is Screaming
There is more attitude around than the 'traditional 'positive / negative attitude. This issue's topic will expose you to the other kind of attitude. You will also learn about the significant role attitude in the making your world go round!As you read through, you will begin to understand what the components of attitude are and how can use these to have an attitude that serves you. That's exactly want you need, right?Okay, let's take an...(related: Employment)
Work At Home Jobs Vs Self Employment
Work at Home Jobs vs Owning a Home Based BusinessNot everyone is interested in owning their own home business, but a lot of people are interested in dropping out of the rat race a little bit. More and more jobs are available where you can work from home. And since your productivity will probably be better working from home, you'll probably make more money. The other advantage is that it doesn't cost as much money to work from home, since you no longer have commuting expenses, lunches out expenses, or the same clothing expenses. These are big advantages.Just because you don't want to own your own home based business doesn't mean you can't work from home. All it involves in a change in mindset and some effort.Recommended ReadingIf you're interested in learning mo...(related: Employment)
Who Do I Have To Kill To Get A Job?
I have had more than my amount of trouble in getting a job. I did everything I was supposed to do. I went to an Ivy Le...(related: Employment)
Finally The First Online Job Agency In Mauritius
Mauritius is a small island in the Indian Ocean with a population of 1.2 million inhabitants. It is well known primarily as a tourist destination. Its economy is based on 4 major pillars: Agriculture, Manufacturing, Tourism and Services sector. Unlike many other A...(related: Employment)
Preparing For An Interview
When preparing for an interview, you need to know your skills, experiences and achievements, and how to answer interview questions.Your SkillsBec...(related: Employment)
What Students And Parents Must Know About Student Loans
A student loan helps you get through college. Then youcome out into a high-paying career. It's a greatinvestment in your (or your sons/daughters) future.Student loans generally give you a good deal. You getbelow-market interest rates, and you get a $2500 federaltax credit on interest paid over any period of time(previously first 60 months only)It doesn't matter if the student, or parent takes out theloan; tax deduction remains the same.* Did you know the federal government has a $50 billionstudent loan program ?Not surprisingly, the federal government provides thelargest percentage of student loans. Other student loansmay come direct from colleges, private lenders or stategovernments.One of the key ad...(related: Employment)
5 Steps To A New Job
The economy is picking up, budgets are new, positions are open and companies are hiring. Now is the time to rev up your job search efforts. Use these tips to dramatically improve your results.Get on the job boards and make sure you setup search agents so you get a daily e-mail whenever a new job is posted that meets your criteria. Look for niche boards that focus on your profession.Make sure your resume is great. If your resume has been posted for a while and you have not been getting calls, then run, don't walk, to a professional resume writing service. This is one of the best hiring times of the year and an investment of a couple of hundred dollars to have a resume that gets you noticed is well worth it.Identify companies th...(related: Employment)
Importance Of Your Job Search
So that you can decide just how critical your job hunt is in your total life scheme, let's put a kind of frame around the importance of the effort ahead.Reflect on it.A job is not just a job. Half of you waking hours are devoted to it. Its quality ramifies through all other aspects of your life. It determines your productivity and how far you will go in achieving full self-realization. It governs your happiness, the happiness of your family, where you live, and how well. The quality o...(related: Employment)
The Telecommuting Tightrope
For many of us, telecommuting seems like the ideal situation. You wake up, shuffle over to your home office, work at your own pace. You take a break when it suits you, you end your day when you're ready to. You can rearrange your work schedule to fit aro...(related: Employment)
site-map - Copyright © 2007 | Contact Webmaster | All Rights Reserved | Free Articles and Information | Employment