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 As you rise through the ranks of corporate America, your value to executive recruiters increases too. And if you're in the market to find a new job, then it's important to understand how to work with a recruiter.
In this article, we're going to discuss how to work effectively with an executive recruiter. That discussion will briefly touch upon the fundamental relationship between recruiter and client / job seeker. More importantly, we're going to discuss how to optimize that relationship so your chances of finding a more rewarding or a higher paying job increases.
Recruiters / Client Relationship
Working with a recruiter is a satisfying experience because by its very nature the goal is to create win-win situations:
- Executive Recruiter - when a recruiter is able to place a candidate in a position successfully, they are paid a commission by the hiring company and / or the client.
- Candidate / Client - the job seeker is able to find a more rewarding and / or higher paying position at a new company.
- Corporation / Hiring Manager - the company looking to fill a critical position has secured a successful candidate.
And because all of the participants end up in a winning situation, there's a lot of incentive all around to cooperate and share information freely.
Working Effectively with a Recruiter
If you're interested in continuing to climb through the executive ranks, then it's important to understand how to work effectively with a recruiter. This is especially important if you're contacted by the recruiter first. By understanding some of the simple rules of thumb that follow, you can increase your odds of quickly finding a job.
Roles and Responsibilities of an Executive Recruiter
When you're working with a recruiter, it's important to feel that you can trust the person you're working with to respect your privacy. That's because when you're actively seeking a job, you are assuming a small risk that you'll taint the relationship you have with your existing employer - especially if they find out you're actively seeking employment elsewhere.
A recruiter that is acting responsibility and professionally will always follow these guidelines:
- Safeguarding of Information - a recruiter will always ask for your approval prior to submitting your resume to a prospective employer.
- Effective Communication - finding a good match between the client and company means the recruiter must be both a good listener as well as providing you with timely verbal status reports.
- Operate Efficiently - executives are generally busy individuals with little free time. An executive recruiter should always respect your valuable time and operate as efficiently as possible.
- Seek Permission First - once again, the recruiter will always seek your permission prior to contacting any of your job references or reaching out to a company on your behalf.
- Disclosure of Information - prior to accepting an offer, the successful candidate should understand the entire compensation package, relocation requirements, as well as the job requirements.
- Two-Way Trust - above all, there needs to be a trusting relationship between client and recruiter. Withholding critical information, such as your current salary, leaves the recruiter with too much guesswork to work effectively.
Roles and Responsibilities of the Client
In the same way that you'd expect an executive recruiter to act professionally, it's only reasonable to expect clients to act professionally as well. The following guidelines will help to ensure an effective working relationship between client and recruiter:
- Be Committed - make sure you're serious about finding a job and not just trying to make yourself feel better because you've been frustrated at work recently. If you reach out to a recruiter, then turn down the opportunity for an interview; don't be surprised if the recruiter doesn't call you again.
- Understand Your Requirements - if you have a certain geography or industry in mind, then share that information with the recruiter. If you're unwilling to work under certain conditions, then make sure that's communicated too.
- Provide Job References - although we don't advocate referring to Job References on your resume, you should be prepared to provide at least three solid references to your recruiter, complete with contact information.
- Be Prepared for the Interview - effectively interviewing for a job requires a little bit of homework prior to the meeting. Obtain a copy of the job requirements and ask the recruiter to provide some insights into the company's culture.
- Stay Engaged - if the executive recruiter isn't calling you, then make sure you check in with the recruiter once a week. Work with the recruiter to identify companies or positions that are of interest to you. Finally, keep your recruiter informed of any progress you've made on your own.
Finding a Good Recruiter
The more restrictions you place on where you work, the longer it's likely to take to find a job that meets your requirements. That being said, you still need to work with a recruiter that's going to work hard for you. If you haven't been asked on a significant interview in a three-month timeframe, then it's probably time to move on.
Before switching recruiters, you may want to try appealing to their competitive spirit. A simple way to try to motivate your recruiter is politely suggest that you may need the services of a recruiter that has more connections in your job niche. Talent recruiters are quite competitive with one another and this approach will often result in the redoubling of their efforts.
About the Author - Working with Executive Recruiters
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