One thing [Overloaded] Corporate Recruiters value in Recruitment Agencies...

I was a "Head-hunter" (on contingency basis) for over 11yrs and have been on the "other side of the desk" for over 5yrs. Having worked on both sides, I can understand the frustrations both agency recruiters and corporate recruiters feel when dealing with each other.

Ironically, some of the frustrations are similiar such as response time, communication, content of requested information, etc. We both have the same complaints in many cases, the difference is from which side it comes and who has it first. Either way, it can develop into a real quagmire of frustrating issues that eventually get resolved either by Agency pouching from their client (because they decided that it was more valuable taking out of them than working with them), or Corporate Recruiters black-listing the agency (usually done discretely by consistantly telling them that they don't have any job orders to give them until they fade away...and probably end up pouching from them anyway).

Just as a gentle reminder, Corporate Recruiters have more than just sourcing, qualifying and placing the candidate. We also have to deal with Compliance issues (internal/external), Corporate Initiatives (e.g. Diversity), Constant Meetings with Stakeholders, Training, Posting jobs and documentation on ATS', "special projects"--lovely term for "more work, more hours, zero reward", etc. , etc, ETC!

Because we (Corporate Recruiters) are over-worked beyond belief (especially with downsizing recruitment depts to bare bone), this creates a need for what I call, "Recruitment PARTNERS", not "Vendors".

So as my Post Title suggestions, I'd like to let all the Agency Recruiters know a particular area that can "set-you-apart" from "Head-hunters".

The primary value is information. Since our days are spent (including but not limited to) handling 100+emails, managing the recruitment process, creating and explaining endless spreadsheets for each of our 40+Hiring Managers, the last thing we want to have to do is spend hours qualifying ONE candidate for ONE position (of +40 positions we have to fill YESTERDAY)...especially when the candidate comes from an Agency!

"Head-hunters" to me is defined as a recruiter that sends a SANITIZED CV with little to no extra information other than the typical 4-5 bullets such as availability to interview, salary expectations, etc. and doesn’t do any more work except when requested (piece-mealed!).

What a “Recruitment Partner” will do is send their INTERVIEW NOTES TO THE CORPORATE RECRUITER! When you’ve invested the time to FULLY INTERVIEW YOUR (I REPEAT, YOUR) candidate, AND SENDS THOSE INTERVIEW NOTES to the Corporate Recruiter, it saves us:

1) Time
2) Gives us a wealth of information to process in little to no time, and
3) We can then make an informed decision (collectively with the Hiring Manager or with the Recruitment Partner themselves) as to which direction we want to go in with THEIR candidate.

Notice I mention that the candidate is the Recruitment Partner’s candidate? Because the Candidate is YOUR ASSET, not the Corporate Recruiters. And some of you have experienced “Credit-Junkie” Corporate Recruiters but regardless if they want to take an ego trip and claim the candidate as their own, at the end of the day, it shouldn’t matter to you because it all comes out in the open. Did you forget that the candidate knows who placed them?? So don’t get caught-up in that mess. It’s a waste of time. Your stock will go up in the eyes of the Hiring Manager/Stakeholders no matter how political the Corporate Recruiter gets.

You see, the value of information is priceless to a Corporate Recruiter. The more you can do for us, the less we have to do, and the less we have to do, the more valuable you become, and the more valuable you become, the more we want to use you. So just because you work on a contingency basis, or you fear loss, the worst you can do is give limited information. You limit your ability to make a placement and build your relationship when you work with limitations. Don't worry about the limitations the Corporate Recruiter places on you (e.g. gate-keeper to Hiring Manager), go with blind faith and SET EXPECTATIONS UP FRONT with them! AND REMIND THEM WHEN THEY DON'T MEET YOUR EXPECATION...gently (as you are probably aware that Corporate Recruiters can sometimes have "attitudes" with "HEAD-HUNTERS"). Its up to your savy ways to find a way to connect with your client.

I suggest that the main reason why Recruiters don’t divulge Candidates' contact information up front, and hold information back is due to trust. My suggestion to you is:

IF YOU DON’T TRUST YOUR CLIENT ENOUGH TO DIVULGE ALL THE INFORMATION UP FRONT, THEN YOU HAVE A TRUST ISSUE. AND IF YOU HAVE A TRUST ISSUE, WHY DO YOU EVEN WANT TO ENGAGE IN A BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM? THE SAME PHILOSOPHY APPLIES IN PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS APPLIES IN BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS. ESTABLISH TRUST FIRST, BUILD ON IT WITH SOME AMOUNT OF BLIND FAITH, AND GO FROM THERE. I can certainly assure you that if a Corporate Recruiter doesn’t trust an Agency Recruiter, believe me, you are of no value to them nor yourself. And at the cost of contingency, what dice do you want to roll?

Comment by John Bennewith on March 11, 2011 at 4:41am: I agree with Bob for every good Internal Recruiter/Corp recruiter/HR manager/Personell call it what you like, there are 100 terrible young bucks/girls out there who would have you believe they are the centre of your universe and you will play by there rules or else, and yes they would steal from there own grandmother if it saved THEIR (CAPS for you Mauricio) company money but not time.

Just because they have an IPD degree or an MBA what makes them think that this substitutes experience?

As for using internal portals to put MY candidates on YOUR database/talent pool so you can by pass me next time. No way.

Comment by bob on March 11, 2011 at 8:02am: john Amen

Comment by Mauricio on March 11, 2011 at 8:28am: Bob: Work with a Mutually-agreeable contract. Any Attorney will tell you that and any well-earning Business Person will telll you the same. Remember, as Agency Recruiters, the world is your oyster. If you are limiting yourself to a niche market, then open yourself up geographically. I made money during down times because I've always been a Global Recruiter. Somewhere in the world, there's business dying for a good Agency Recruiter.

On the other comment about working with Hiring Managers instead of Corporate Recruiters, that's a no-brainer. But I can assure you that mid-sized to large-sized companies are moving towards in-house recruiting. The trend is happening. So adapt, accept, and gracefully understand the Stakeholders are no longer just the Hiring Managers. Laws, Initiatives, Strategies are changing from yester-year. The alternative is working with small companies but they are struggling and again, the highest cost of recruiting still remains the Agency Recruitment model.

Comment by bob on March 11, 2011 at 9:54am: Mauricio The great trainer Bob Marshall had a theory of inverted triangles where 80% of the business comes from the tightest geography and the apex tip of the triangle. I am in NYC and we are leading the recovery therefor i am loathe to expand my horizons. Most of the Hospitalist Recruiters want us to use their contract and its so froth with fraud and danger that independent recruiters are being frozen out or ripped off. Any suggestions on how to fix that. my theory is not very nice but very effective..

Comment by Paul Alfred on March 11, 2011 at 9:58am: @Gay ... Yes you're right but I always initiate my relationship with the hiring sponsor and work backwards - when I do initiate contact with the Corporate Recruiter I have the real problem or issue with respect to the need and I have more intelligence or something to offer the Corporate Recruiter when I get on the phone with him/her for the first time ... My relationship is then built with the Corporate recruiter from that point on because I bring real value from the first call ...

I work in a few niche markets like IT Security so perhaps this approach might work for me an not for some ... On another note I do have great relationships with Corporate Recruiters but its always stronger when the Corp Recruiter packs alot of experience and don't feel it necessary to prove they are the Gate Keepers ....

My biggest Client Relationships are with the Key Hiring Sponsors ....

Comment by bob on March 11, 2011 at 10:07am: to the board Is there a list of Corporate Recruiters in Engineering ,Construction or Medical maybe I am just running into the bad apples thanks

Comment by Gay Carter on March 11, 2011 at 11:50am: Paul, I'm in full agreement with you as I always make my first contact with the hiring sponser as it's very worth while to get referrred back to the recruiter by the sponsor. It's starts that important rapport with the corporate recruiter. I think I misunderstood your first message to say one should totally ignore the corporate recruiter.

Comment by Jody Schwartz on March 11, 2011 at 12:26pm: Of course we ALL WANT TO meet the decision makers FIRST but that doesn't always work especially when you are doing cold calls. If you really want to start out with a NEGATIVE relationship go above the corporate recruiter and try to get to the decision maker first. They will never ever ever ever do work with you!!!!!

Comment by Paul Alfred on March 11, 2011 at 12:27pm: Don't mind me Gay ... I am a provocateur of sorts ... :-)

Comment by Paul Alfred on March 11, 2011 at 12:32pm: Hmmmm @Jody ... If you call a Hiring Sponsor without understanding their needs then you can forget about picking up the Client ... Think and Sell like a CEO ... Author is Anthony Parinello I am a student of his method and his other books ... It's worked for me....

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