Recruitment Companies

[outrageousrich]

hey,
anyone on this site a recruiter that can give some do's and don'ts and what CV's they wont even consider.

In addition, there any solid recruitment companies that people have positive experiences with.

I've been with the same company for quite awhile and I don't even know where to begin when looking for a recruitment company or what to add to my CV.

thanks

[Graham_A_M]

What industry are you looking at? Lots of companies have specific focuses, such as trades, office and so on.

[BavarianBeast]

Nothing really to add here, but I have recruiting companies contacting me multiple times a week.

Some of the ones that looked solid were Harbinger, Randstad and Aerotek. These are for engineering/construction positions however.

[ExtraSlow]

Very much matters which industry and type of postion you are looking at.

[woodywoodford]

Originally posted by BavarianBeast
Nothing really to add here, but I have recruiting companies contacting me multiple times a week.

Some of the ones that looked solid were Harbinger, Randstad and Aerotek. These are for engineering/construction positions however.

Do you ever respond to them? I've had two reach out to me lately but never had a chance to call back. On one hand I do want to make a change (eventually), but on the other I don't know what the catch is.

[nykz]

Originally posted by woodywoodford


Do you ever respond to them? I've had two reach out to me lately but never had a chance to call back. On one hand I do want to make a change (eventually), but on the other I don't know what the catch is.

There probably isn't really a "catch", most recruiters/headhunters get paid both salary and commission. They generally contact prospects that fit a posting they have open or feel that you can fulfill a role that can make them some money.

[ExtraSlow]

For a while I was on a pretty heavy rotation of recruiters calling me. Was getting probably two a week. I've learned a lot about the industry.

1) Not all of them are on salary (or retainer). Some are 100% pure commission.
2) be selective who you deal with. Talking is fine, but since linkedin, there are dozens of people who think a laptop and a business card are all it takes to become a recruiter. Some of them have no contacts, and will be cold-calling the HR department using your resume as bait. This isn't helpful to you.
3) Many companies don't need to hire recruiters, they are able to attract and retain talent without that expense and hassle. Therefore, many companies who are using recruiters have some "flaw." Could be a pennwest style accounting nightmare, a recent change in management, a new entrant to the local market, or just a bad reputation. Sometimes that's a deal-breaker, sometimes not. Just have to be cognizant of it.
4) your best contacts are STILL people you already know and have done business with.

I will also add, if you want recruiters to call you, build a very complete linkedin profile. Your phone will ring.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[Graham_A_M]

^ Really? I thought it was closer to about $2-5.... Ive had to use recruiters in the past when I just got back from the farm in the fall, and was desperately trying to find work. Aerotek looks quite promising. Randstand is a joke, I2S is quite iffy.

[ExtraSlow]

Don't know what it is per hour, but I have heard that some senior engineering or executive positions the recruiter can be paid 15% of the first years salary.
In those cases, the successful candidate won't be paid less, but it costs the company more. So if you are an intermediate or junior person, with not much to distinguish yourself, it actually can be a detriment to have a recruiter present your resume, as it makes you more expensive than other candidates.

My Rule of thumb is that if the job is posted on a website where you could apply directly, you shouldn't let a recruiter present your resume.

[Mibz]

What a recruiter makes should have no bearing on whether or not you use them. If you like the position, the company and the rate then the fact that somebody else is also winning is irrelevant. If your own contacts are coming up short then recruiters are probably going to be your best bet.

ExtraSlow's 4 points are great, but #3 isn't ubiquitous. Some companies outsource HR rather than keep a team of experts on two dozen different fields on board. It's your responsibility to research a potential employer and make sure you want to work there.

[muffzz]

A lot of these recruiters tell you details about a specific job and position and when you get to the job it's completely different. I have experienced it first hand a few times. I believe they're on commission as well.

[BrknFngrs]

Originally posted by muffzz
A lot of these recruiters tell you details about a specific job and position and when you get to the job it's completely different. I have experienced it first hand a few times. I believe they're on commission as well.

I've had this happen once as well and after I left the interview I called the recruiter to let them know exactly why I wouldn't be dealing with them again. You definitely have to be firm in dealing with headhunters and set the tone from the start about what you expect because they often don't have your best interests in mind. I still think they're a valuable tool to take advantage of though.

[SkiBum5.0]

I think we are confusing placement companies and recruiters. Placement agencies like Aerotek are approached by companies to fill a void, usually with a shotgun approach that has been mentioned above. They are only concerned about quantity.

A valuable recruiter will have a gold-plated rolodex and will know of openings before they become public. These guys/girls are usually compensated based on salary of candidate as well as retention (ie if candidate remains at company for 6 months or more). You can approach them but you will need to have a polished CV already and be in demand.

Just my 0.2

[ExtraSlow]

SkiBum5.0 is right, but there are people out there who pretend to be "real" recruiters, but actually have no knowledge that isn't public, and often have no prior dealings with the company.

[Pacman]

Originally posted by SkiBum5.0
I think we are confusing placement companies and recruiters. Placement agencies like Aerotek are approached by companies to fill a void, usually with a shotgun approach that has been mentioned above. They are only concerned about quantity.

A valuable recruiter will have a gold-plated rolodex and will know of openings before they become public. These guys/girls are usually compensated based on salary of candidate as well as retention (ie if candidate remains at company for 6 months or more). You can approach them but you will need to have a polished CV already and be in demand.

Just my 0.2

This is the type of recruiter I have dealt with in the past. The one I know earns 20% of the first year salary.

Generally, hiring companies approach these recruiters with a specific candidate profile in mind. They ask for 3-4 candidates that fit the profile. They don't want 20 resumes sent over and they generally don't want junior candidates sent over as it's much easier and less expensive to attract those candidates by posting jobs on the company website.

These recruiters are not easy to get a hold of if you are a candidate as they usually have a "short list" of people they send for jobs that meet certain criteria. As one person gets hired, they fill the spot with another candidate so they always have 4 or 5 "rock stars" that they can send for interviews. They know the market segment they specialise in very well and they might have a file on you, even if you have never contacted them.

I've had decent experiences with them, but have had a few that tried to persuade me to interview for jobs that I felt were lateral moves....only because they wanted to snag the placement fee.

Always confirm with the hiring manager who you interview with about specifics of the job and never take what the recruiter claims. Sometimes, the recruiter might not be telling you everything......but other times, the hiring manager may mislead the recruiter in order to get them to send over strong candidates and then try to lowball them.

Also, keep in mind that some executive search firms get the same jobs, so it's best to stick with 1 or 2 recruiters at the most. It's uncomfortable when you have 2 different search firms calling you on the same jobs.

Always remember.....they are the pimps, we are the hoes.