In this Issue:
Recruiter – Client Relationships
Types of Recruiters
Basically, there are two types of contingency recruiters: 1. candidate driven, 2. client company driven. Candidate driven recruiters solicit resumes and shop those resumes to companies in hope that they have a need. They do not always tell the candidate where they have sent their resume. They will sometimes charge the candidate for their service. They tend to be transaction oriented. Nonetheless, they can be a practical resource to a job seeker.
Client company driven recruiters build long-term relationships with companies and their hiring managers, in order to understand their business strategy, their products, their capabilities, their competition and their culture. These recruiters will call potential candidates only when they have a specific opening that they are trying to fill. They represent the company, are paid by the company and screen candidates against client requirements before presenting them for consideration. These recruiters tend to have industry specific expertise and are in it for the long-term.
Recruiter – Client Relationships
Recruiters will evaluate potential clients based on several criteria before agreeing to do business with them and before giving them their most valuable asset, their time.
Recruiters represent clients to their competition and to the marketplace in general. They need to be well informed and capable of speaking to their client’s needs while protecting trade secrets or other confidential information. The recruiter can provide positive PR for their clients and be an emissary of goodwill. They also collect competitive information which can be quite useful.
In order for a recruiter to be effective, they need the following from a good client:
- Respect for a recruiter’s time and a willingness to form a partnership to help the recruiter help them.
- Must be sufficiently motivated by need to work with the recruiter to hire the right person quickly.
- Must be a good company with a good job opportunity. The best candidates will only try to work for the best companies.
- Must be responsive, collaborative, communicative and decisive.
- Must be flexible and solution oriented throughout the process.
- Must trust the recruiter and confide in them when appropriate. The recruiter has to manage candidate expectations and can only do that with timely feedback and insightful information about the situation at hand.
- Must appreciate the value brought to the relationship, understand the service provided and ensure prompt payment of the fee.
Good clients are well worth the time and effort. They are appreciative and energize the recruiter to be a valued member of the team. Good clients don’t just want resumes. They want the recruiter to understand their needs and be a problem solver. They don’t renegotiate fees after the fact.
Recruiters have to assess their client relationships in order to determine how to invest their time and earn a living. When your income is directly related to your ability to complete assignments, the quality of the client relationship is the key determinant for mutual success.
Bob Harrington Associates 