Gatekeepers, Telephones & Targets

I recruit niche, in demand technical skills across the UK and Europe, technical skills that companies are continually looking to hire, as well as wanting to retain.

It is becoming more evident that companies do not want their prize technical assets taken away from them by “head hunters” and are implementing a variety of methods to ensure their technical staffs are not being poached.

Here are some of the ploys companies are using to make sure their staffs are not approached:

No name polices
Software/Technical/Engineering teams do not take telephone calls
Software/Technical/Engineering teams messages and emails contact can only be made through a Gatekeeper

It is becoming increasingly difficult to discover and make contact with technical talent so I am interested in hearing about out-of-the-box ways to overcome these hurdles as well as any other methods companies are employing to stop their prize assets from being poached.

Comment by Darryl Dioso on March 1, 2011 at 1:06pm: Don't even call. Go to where they hang out. Seriously. I've made a few successful contacts at pubs and coffee shops where I knew they hung out.

Comment by Al Merrill on March 1, 2011 at 2:38pm: Use your contacts in major consulting companies for who their clients are, and who they work with and respect. Also I'd be at the major trade show like a CeBit in Hannover picking up cards from booths, and be looking for the person who will give me or sell a copy of their internal directory or worldwide directory. That was my key to recruiting from the old Andersen Consulting for D & T, as well as major banks. Your looking for the internal office directory with extensions and email addresses. You will find someone who'll give it up if you ask, and then of course work them as a candidate for a better opportunity!

Comment by Sourcing Apprentice on March 2, 2011 at 3:48am: Darryl,

The pub option sounds very good, but I am not sure the Mrs will buy into it. Certainly doing to give it a go!

Comment by Sourcing Apprentice on March 2, 2011 at 3:52am: Al,

Internal office directory certainly sounds like the way forward, thats a route I'll be exploring.

Thanks for the advice

Comment by Leigh Cosgrove on March 2, 2011 at 4:22am: I have used the "mouse audit" before. You call up and pretend to be from IT/Procurement, tell the person that you are doing an asset check and ask them to read the number off the bottom of their mouse, their name and role. Then ask if they sit with others and ask them to transfer you to the next person, repeat until you have all the names or you get busted. I have mapped an entire team of 15 people including the hierachy before but it doesn't work every time.

If you have a name already then you can try the UPS trick where you tell the gatekeeper that you have an urgent package/documents that requires that person's signature and you need to speak to them to arrange delivery. Your driver has tried to deliver several times but keep missing them and that if you don't speak to them to arrange the delivery then the package will be returned to the sender.

Comment by Thomas Patrick Chuna on March 2, 2011 at 7:52am: @Leigh - I haven't heard good ruse stories in forever, LOL.

I knew one recruiter who would ( when he had a name ) call the guy, and tell the gatekeeper he was 'Dr. so and so'..worked every time.

Comment by Leigh Cosgrove on March 2, 2011 at 8:48am: I like the Doctor one although I am sure their is probably a law against impersonating a Doctor (which is why I stopped pretending to be a policeman). I do like a good ruse for collecting difficult information, puts the fun into name gathering.

Comment by Sourcing Apprentice on March 2, 2011 at 9:03am: Leigh,

Loving the "mouse audit" approach and the UPS approach isn't bad either. Legally you can probably get away with impersonating a Doctor, but the old bill approach, probablya bit too far.

Comment by C. B. Stalling!! on March 2, 2011 at 12:35pm: Call the company after hrs like 10 pm or later. Most firms have a directory by names when the main number is not answered. You can get lots of names that way.

Comment by Paul Alfred on March 2, 2011 at 12:44pm: Most Companies will let you in if you have a name ... To get names you can utilize LinkedIn... Then when you call back you can drop a name of say a VP ... Hello I was trying to reach Jon VP of whatever but you don't mention the last name that shows familiarity establishes comfort level with the gatekeeper ... Then say you know what I don't really need Jon can I speak to the Director of such an such who works for Jon.

This is one of the tricks I use ... It works really well ... ( You do need a pretty big network on LinkedIn outside of a Corp Account....)