elaine.rigoli
on Aug. 28, 2009
Does an applicant’s name have any bearing on his or her chance of getting hired?
Although considering someone’s name as part of the decision-making process is not only wrong but illegal, we want you to weigh in. Has this happened to you personally? To your candidates? Both?
elaine.rigoli
on Aug. 28, 2009
The latest ExecuNet Recruiter Confidence Index shows an increasing number of executive recruiters expect job growth at the top of the employment market to improve in the months ahead.
And with evidence that the longest recession since World War II is losing its grip on the U.S. economy (apparently just as job woes are heating up in Japan), do you align yourself with the 49% of recruiters who are confident or very confident the executive employment market will improve during the next six months? Or are you more aligned with the 7% of Execunet’s respondents who are not confident that the market will get better during this period of time (down from 14% last month and 20% in February)?
Mark Anderson, ExecuNet’s president, says the “deep cuts” many companies made during the past 18 months could mean “the pace of job growth during the year ahead could be stronger than expected in many industries.”
Jeff Allen
on Aug. 26, 2009
Q: I read one of your articles on “Does Arranging Interview = Placement Fee?” I’m reading the book SEARCH AND PLACEMENT by Larry Nobles. He talks about the marketing cold call in which we present a qualified candidate to a company when we don’t know if they have openings. I understand the whole point is to get a search assignment, but if they like the candidate I’m presenting and want to interview that person, when should I mention the fee? After I suggest we set up an interview or before? Should I say something like, “Great, I’ll fax over our client agreement and you can give me a couple of good interview dates”? The book talks about closing on a search assignment but says nothing about what to say besides “Let’s set up an interview,” when they happen to want to meet the person I’m calling about.
Thank you,
Kenneth Stallworth
Dear Ken,
I’m honored to answer this question because it mentions Larry Nobles.
Larry died a decade ago from inoperable brain cancer. I remember talking with Fordyce Founding Father Paul Hawkinson after Larry visited him in St. Louis, knowing it would be for the last time. A few hours after dropping him off at the airport, Paul received the call.
Larry was among the few extraordinary people who keep our industry placing. His techniques, his delivery, and his “desk-up” knowledge were superb. He was a great guy, as unpretentious as he was wise. Larry still lives through his work that he shared so generously during his life. You can still buy his classic books at www.larrynobles.com.
So speaking for this angel on high, here’s my reply:
Your greatest leverage exists at one point, and one point only. It’s just after you present — and just before you identify — a candidate the client thinks she wants to hire.
Note there are two phases to the referral:
1. Present, and
2. Identify.
If you haven’t fully cleared your fee in writing prior to identifying the candidate, you’ve lost your leverage — and given away your stock in trade.
Best wishes for collecting your well-earned fees. Clearing and documenting them before the sendout is the key!
***
To participate in future Q&As, email jeff@placementlaw.com. Keep in mind you should always consult with your own attorney. Nothing contained herein should be construed as legal advice. It is for your information only.
John Zappe
on Aug. 25, 2009
How would you brand a newly minted London firm that recruits intellectual property attorneys for jobs all over the world? With a video of a wedding photographer kicking a goose, of course. How else?
Amazingly, that’s what Fellows and Associates has done. And just to make sure you get it, the firm issued a press release over the weekend discussing the video.
“The aim was to find an idea that was provocative in order to elicit a response and maximise the video’s potential for spreading virally whilst maintaining a balance of responsible advertising” says Fellows and Associates Managing Director, Pete Fellows.
I don’t know about the provocative part, but the viral part seems to have fallen flat. According to You Tube stats, the “Goose Attack At Wedding” video has not yet broken 1,000 views after seven days online. Compare that to the branding video for Caterer.com that I wrote about in July. It got almost 38,000 views on its first day.
The press release notes that “Fellows and Associates are the first UK recruitment firm in the Intellectual Property sector to experiment with viral video advertising.” But issuing a formal press release isn’t quite what viral marketing is all about, even if it has gotten some online mileage.
On the other hand, when you’re launching a new business into a competitive market, any publicity is good publicity. We wrote about it, didn’t we?
elaine.rigoli
on Aug. 20, 2009
Encouraging signs? Consider a mere 4% Q2 drop compared to a 26% decline from Q4 ’08 to Q1 ’09, according to the latest Association of Executive Search Consultants report.
The AESC says senior executive searches in the technology and financial sectors, which both saw quarterly declines in Q1 2009, rose 4% in quarter two. Similarly, the consumer goods sector witnessed a 1% increase from first-quarter levels.
AESC President Peter Felix notes that second-quarter figures “confirm that the first six months of this year have been a serious setback for the search industry,” but there has been a leveling-off in declines and even a slight increase in the number of searches started.
“This quarterly stabilization indicates that organizations are beginning to pull back from the hiring freeze that shaped the early part of this recession as senior management gear up for economic recovery,†says Felix.
Jeff Allen
on Aug. 19, 2009
Q: How long must I wait before I recruit from a former client?
The underlying question is, “What constitutes a former client?”
Establishing a recruiter-client relationship usually involves five major steps:
Even if you do all of these things, ask any human resourcer whether his company is your “client” and he’ll reflexively answer, “No.” But he’ll change his answer almost as fast if:
Unless you’re accepting retainers or placing temps on site with the business, use your best judgment. You’re under no legal obligation to wait.
Otherwise, waiting one year is more than enough time — and be careful not to be accused of initiating the communication.
If you do decide to run with a candidate and you’re not sure whether there will be repercussions, tell him you’ll work with him only if he notifies management, and obtains the clients’ consent.
An email or phone call to you from the client is fine. If it’s a call, ask for confirmation by email or do it yourself.
***
To participate in future Q&As, email jeff@placementlaw.com. Keep in mind you should always consult with your own attorney. Nothing contained herein should be construed as legal advice. It is for your information only.
elaine.rigoli
on Aug. 19, 2009
Here is a replay of yesterday’s Fordyce TV episode with Shally Steckerl. Among many other topics, he talked about reverse-engineering Internet sourcing, new research techniques, and how he gets insider details like key names and job titles. The show is just over 30 minutes and includes Shally’s questions-and-answers with viewers who chatted with him live during the show.
(If you have ideas or requests for topics you would like Shally to cover in his next episode, leave a comment here and we will pass the ideas along!)
elaine.rigoli
on Aug. 14, 2009
From our sister site, ERE.net, check out a recent article about the best iPhone apps for recruiters on the go.
From “Tweetie” (makes communicating via Twitter easy and fast) to “SearchOnTheGo” (turns your keywords into a full-blown Boolean search string for resume searches, blog searches, PDF and Excel file formats, and more), this is a helpful article for anyone (and that pretty much means everyone) who is addicted to their beloved iPhone.
Another cool app that gets some attention in the article is the LinkedIn iPhone companion for recruiters: “when meeting someone in person, try linking in instantly, instead of exchanging business cards.”
elaine.rigoli
on Aug. 12, 2009
Retained executive search firm The Caldwell Partners International has acquired Cromwell Partners, Inc., a New York City-based executive search firm specializing in financial services.
Cromwell’s recruitment activities span the breadth of the global financial services industry, serving clients across investment management, alternative investments, global banks and investment banks, and major endowments.
The Canadian company says it was attracted to the “unique team of experienced, high-caliber, and client-driven search professionals,” and will incorporate existing Cromwell staff into its team. Caldwell already has offices in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
The company did not release financial details of the transaction, though it stated in a release that this acquisition makes the company’s U.S. operations “a size that is now approaching that of our Canadian business.”
elaine.rigoli
on Aug. 11, 2009
You’re invited to chat and learn with Shally Steckerl on Tuesday, August 18 during our next episode of Fordyce TV.
The show, which starts promptly at 2pm ET, will explore Shally’s best client prospect sourcing tips.
Shally will show us how he has reverse-engineered his world-famous Internet sourcing and research techniques and uses them to uncover business leads and hiring managers. Shally will talk about how he gets insider details, including key names and job titles, contact details, internal promotions/moves, and other intel to better prepare himself for the cold call.
The show will be held at 2pm on Tuesday the 18th on www.fordyceletter.com (right before the show you’ll see a small TV logo — click the white arrow in the box and enjoy the show — if you don’t see the box at 2, try refreshing the screen once or twice until you see it). There will be a live Q&A session via the chat box with Shally after the presentation, too, so come prepared with questions.
For those who wanted to watch a replay of our most recent episode of Fordyce TV with Lynn Hazan, you can check that out here! (Note: the audio is out for the first minute only.)
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