How do you handle from the client we don't share a salary range?

Here is my new dilemma so to speak. I am helping a law firm locate a candidate in IP with an undergrad in chemical engineering. The job order said 1 to 5 years. I talk to a great candidate with the required under grad. It would be a relocation for him but he seems interested. I ask him what his salary range is. After hanging up with him I call the client and leave a message for the recruiting coordinator with my presentation and salary range. I get an email back saying that range is out for them and oh by the way we want 2 to 4 years even though the job order says 1 to 5. I email back and ask very nicely since that salary range was out could she please share with me the range that they are looking for so that there are no disappointments down the road. The answer was no she could not but they were competitive with the market.

How do I handle this? I have had lots of thoughts going through my head and realized that I need to make about the law firm and not about I work on contingency. Something to the effect that I know the Partners are really busy and would hate to see them spend their time interviewing a candidate get excited about said candidate only to lose out because of salary. It would better knowing if you had a hirable candidate before everyone went through all the interviews and possible flying in to find out that his/her salary would not work.

Thanks. Any advice would be sincerely appreciated.

Theresa

Comment by Bill Schultz on July 17, 2012 at 1:45pm: I got an account to "insource" the 24/7 word processing center of a major NY Law firm. It was a very lucrative account and a huge score. I now refer to it as "The worst year of my life"

Comment by Theresa Hunter on July 17, 2012 at 1:55pm: LOL!!!!!!!! Those were word processing folks multiply that by a 1000 and you've got an Attorney!

Comment by Elise Reynolds on July 17, 2012 at 1:59pm: I guess this is outside of my experience. I am sure you have already tried this but you might just have a conversation that you don't want to spend alot of time chasing a candidate, encourage them to spend their time updating (it is never updated) their resume and trusting you when they are outside the salary range. Assure them that you will keep any salary range in strict confidence.

There seems to be a reason people dislike lawyers.

Comment by Theresa Hunter on July 17, 2012 at 2:16pm: I appreciate what you have to say and yes I approached them with those words and I got the same response about not sharing salary ranges at the beginning of the process.

Comment by Jerry Albright on July 17, 2012 at 2:24pm: As I think about this - I'm just trying to picture myself accepting this as the norm within my customer base. I just can't see it happening.

Is every opening some sort of pin the tail on the donkey when it comes to salary discussions? I just see this as a very clear indicator of how they view their relationship with you. I just could not work this way.

Comment by Theresa Hunter on July 17, 2012 at 2:28pm: I would say it is 50/50 when it comes to salary. Getting a job description is also a little daunting at times. I will go to the partner first to see if I can get the job description and sometimes they will give me the time but more often than not they will tell me to call the RC for the info and that is a waste of time generally. I will keep pushing but nicely and I will sometimes get a better job description than we need a 2-4 JD with a background in EE, CS or ME.

Comment by Bill Schultz on July 17, 2012 at 2:32pm: @ Theresa- The Word Processing team was a pleasure, for the most part. (There was a proofreader who got drunk on the job No one drinks that much lemonade, pal).

The Attorneys were a walking nightmare. I've never been yelled at so much on a daily and nightly basis. (and I've been married!)

Comment by Elise Reynolds on July 17, 2012 at 2:32pm: Theresa is this the standard for the industry?

Comment by Theresa Hunter on July 17, 2012 at 3:08pm: Yes, for the most part it is. I don't want to lump all law firms together because I have met some really wonderful people. I have three partners from different firms I can reach out to in regards to their searches but it is pretty rare and I don't abuse the privilege. For the most part the above scenario would not bother me but for some reason it has. I guess because things are taking longer to come to fruition and I have lost candidates to other recruiters this was the straw that broke this recruiters patience.

Comment by Sandra McCartt on July 17, 2012 at 3:40pm: My funniest lawyer placement was with an attorney that i had placed when he came out of law school. He called me several years later looking for a cracker jack paralegal. I asked him what he wanted to pay, he would not tell me said that would be like telling the other side what he would settle for before mediation started. Ok fine. I found one who could walk on water, he interviewed her, loved her and called me pissed off to a fare thee well. Said she was outstanding but he was not going to hire her because she pissed him off when he offered her a salary range and she tried to negotiate with him. I said, ok bub, i will find you another one and hung up.

I called the candidate and told her what the deal was, she laughed and said fine.

An hour later he called me and asked if i had found anybody else yet. Nope. He paused and started laughing and said , "I was thinking about this and what she did is what i do for a living and it pissed me off, maybe she is a great fit, call her and offer her what she asked for." Ok.

I called the paralegal and told her the story, she laughed and said, "Tell him no, sorry, if he wants me the price just went up 100.00 a month."

I called the attorney and told him what she said. "He died laughing and said, "Call the bitch and tell her i said fine, if she is that tough she may be just exactly what i need." They worked together for 15 years. She would get mad at him and quit. He would call me and ask me to get her to come back. He would fire her and she would call me to get her job back. Once they got so mad at each other that nobody knew who quit and who got fired. The wife of the attorney called me and said, "Please get Catherine to come back, i have Bob settled down and he doesn't think he can practice law without her". I said we could probably get things back together because the paralegal's son had called me and aksed if i thought i could get them back together because his mom was just miserable not working for Bob.

I called the attorney and told him i thought i could get this put back together but he would have to pay me another fee. He did.