In a previous post, I talked about what it is that we do as our core competency as recruiters/talent advisors/talent managers.  This is more to create the understanding of the basics of what we are to job-seekers so expectations can be set, met, and realistic.  In order to do this, I’m going to break us into two main categories – Agency and Corporate (there are definitely others, but we don’t need to get into that minutia today!).  There is a difference, and sometimes it’s HUGE!  In all cases, make sure you understand one thing:  They don’t work for you the job-seeker, they work for their clients (internal or external).

Agency

Agency recruiters, depending on the structure of the firm in which they work, may work on multiple clients, skill sets, geographies, and so on. They are typically reactive as their clients only call them when they have needs, and usually they are very urgent and/or confidential.  They can be fantastic resources for you in your job search, both for a specific opening, but also giving you feedback on your resume, as well as their perception of the marketplace.  Get the thought out of your head that they impede your search.  Good agency recruiters are worth more than their weight in gold.

The agency recruiter may be “full-desk” (manages both candidates and clients) or “split-desk” (just works with the candidates).  There is no better or worse as they both have their positives.  As with corporate recruiters, they work for their clients.  These clients demand a quick turnaround on candidates.  As a result, these recruiters are constantly reaching out to you to say hello and confirm your status, but also having to move quickly when they do have a need.  Agencies are typically paid by their clients in one of two ways:  They earn a placement fee or they charge hourly for the services of the person they employ.  To further clarify, Agencies may charge the client a percentage of your first year salary or a flat fee, if you’re hired.  If no one is hired, they earn no money.  This incentivizes them to present the best candidates quickly.  The other side of many of their businesses is to employ you and bill the client hourly for your work.  They calculate your loaded pay rate (pay rate plus all direct costs – taxes, fees, benefits, etc) and bill the client some amount above this loaded pay rate (hopefully).  The difference between the two is typically called the margin (profit).  Quickly, you can figure that they are motivated to see how they can keep the pay rates low, and the billing rates high to maximize this margin.  It may differ by firm and individual recruiters how hard they press this differential.  The bottom line is that agency recruiters come in all shapes and sizes, but they work for their clients, and have speed in mind when interacting with you, and working through the process.  They are usually compensated by earning a base with a large bonus structure based on successful candidate placement.

So what now?  It never starts to strike up relationships with one or more agency recruiters, even if you are not actively looking.  Before you do this, do your research (we can cover this in another post)!  Just like anyone in any role, there are great ones, and some are not-so-great.  My recommendation, is to align with a recruiter and firm that tends to specialize in your line of work, and build a relationship over time.  Network with them and refer them people that might be in-line with their needs.  Most recruiters will act as a reference for you to their clients as someone they already trust if they’ve spoken with you over time prior to actually submitting you.  You need to search on your own, but leverage the recruiter’s contacts to open doors for you, and grant you access to the companies and managers that can hire you.  If you are a person that brings value to them, you will stand out amongst the job-seeking population they deal with, and most recruiters will go the extra mile for you!

Corporate

These people work for one company, but usually many internal clients (managers).  They are the first step in the candidate experience.  Some act as gatekeepers, screening out candidates that perhaps won’t be a cultural match or don’t have the prerequisite experience.  Some may also do some screening, but are more looking for talented people to pull into the organization sooner or later.  In any case, they are not just looking to see if you have the skills on paper, but will you continue to drive the company in the direction that leadership wants it in.  Keep this in mind when speaking with them!

So what caveats can be imparted?   Always be thinking value.  All recruiters SHOULD always be networking.  Even if you’re not the right fit for this particular role, you’re valuable if you can refer people that are.  Further, giving them data on the marketplace is helpful.  Some corporate recruiters work in regions or even nationally.  They are probably aware of some of the costs of living, market pay rates, etc.  They may not know all of this data, as well as things like traffic patterns (25 miles near LA can be a lot different than 25 miles near Des Moines).  Anything you’ve done that helps you in their search for their next great coworker is usually appreciated and remembered.

As with all recruiters, don’t waste a corporate recruiter’s time.  Like yours, their time and efforts are valuable.  They may be working on 50 different openings, and while they really like interacting with you, they may not have time.  They are not your buddies.  They are usually very interested in everyone that gets hired as they have to then interact with these hires.  That being said, always be as professional with a corporate recruiter as you would with the hiring manager.

 

In summation, think about interactions with recruiters as you would building a relationship with a neighbor down the street – even if that person is not saying everything you like to hear, hope that what they say comes from a good place, and keep it friendly.  As with a great neighbor, you share information and help out when they ask, that’s really the secret to working with a recruiter.  Most of us are humans too!

 

A little about me:  Currently, I’m a Principal Talent Advisor at Oracle.  I’ve been involved in Human Capital for over 20 years with the last 15+ in Talent Acquisition and advisement.  My quest is to expedite hiring processes, bring the best people to the best companies, and help people along the way.