Working with Recruiting Firms, Part II

**Thanks to Jeff Jefferson of Actum, Inc for this two part guest post about recruiting. Learn more about Jeff and join his network on LinkedIn here.**


The main thing to remember about any recruiting firm is this; they don’t get paid unless they place you, so immediately there is a vested interest in you being a fit for one of the jobs that they are working to fill. In most cases that’s a good thing, but unfortunately, in some cases it is a bad thing. Here is what I mean, if the recruiter doesn’t have the right motivation (i.e., “right candidate, right job, right time”), or the experience, you could end up as a square peg being stuffed into a round hole. There are a percentage of recruiters out there, that are merely playing the numbers game. They are trying to throw spaghetti at the wall and seeing if anything sticks. In a lot of cases recruiters are managed to a weekly quota that measures the number of resumes that they send to a client company and even the number of candidates that they personally interview, regardless of whether or not they have a job for that person. That is where it can be a big waste of time for a job seeker. In most cases though, a seasoned recruiter has both the relationships, and the knowhow to match candidates to appropriate job opportunities quickly, and if not they will be completely up front with you and let you know that. Quality recruiters are also masters of follow up, if they say they will call you, they call you. I have heard all too often stories of candidates interviewing for jobs, and not getting so much as an email from their recruiter to let them know the feedback from the hiring manager. If I had a nickel! Not all hiring managers give the recruiter feedback, but the recruiter should always let the candidate know, even if they themselves have no idea. You deserve a simple email, or call.

Remember those contract jobs that I referenced earlier? Well, recruiters are the only people who are able to help you get those jobs, and in a down economy, that’s not always a bad way to go. There are also a large number of companies who prefer to hire their permanent employees through an initial contract assignment; these are called contract to hire or temp to perm assignments, and the contract terms typically range from 3 to 6 months. I am a fan of these types of placements because both the employer and the employee get an opportunity to make sure it is a good fit. Again, I have heard a lot of horror stories about these types of placements, so you have to make sure that your recruiter is someone you can trust. Some recruiters will tell you it is a contract to hire when it is a contract only, so that is a very appropriate discussion to have in the interview with the client.

Choose your firm carefully.
Its important to work with a firm that is reputable. If you are looking for work, make sure that you ask around and see which firms your co-workers and friends have used in the past that have treated them right, and obviously make sure that you pick an appropriate firm based on your skill set. If you have zero experience working with recruiters and your friends aren’t able to refer you to anyone, you can turn to users groups, or associations for referrals. Recruiting firms will regularly provide sponsorship for these organizations, and their networking events are a great way to get to introduce yourself directly to many recruiters. Most important of all, use your gut when working with a recruiter. If you feel like they have your best interest at heart, and they are following up consistently and providing opportunities, then you can get a lot out of the relationship. My biggest piece of advice is, “don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.” During my career as a recruiter I personally placed hundreds of people, and a 99+% of them were completely happy with the process, and landed great jobs.