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The Fordyce Letter

Straight Talk for the Recruiting Profession


Jeff's On Call!

Jeff’s On Call!: Candidates Paying Back Fees

by on Oct. 31, 2011


law_gavel

This week’s inquiry comes from Tim Burkhart:

Hello Jeff — really enjoy your industry input and availability via The Fordyce Letter. Always helpful.

I have been in the placement industry since 1984. Always on the perm staffing side of the business. Our company focus is in the accounting and finance area.

Quick question: a candidate of mine living in the city where I work has taken a job out of state via another recruiter. The candidate shows up for his first day of work and gets surprised with a ‘please sign this if you leave in the first year’ agreement. Basically, it states ‘if you leave our employ in the first year(12 months) you have to pay back the fee.’ That was never discussed by the recruiter (ever) or the client (ever) during the whole interview/offer /acceptance process. Is this legal or is he truly bound firmly to the agreement? He feels he signed this under duress for fearing his job offer would be rescinded.

Tim

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The Business of Recruiting

“The Phone Rang…” Lessons from Robocruiter, Part 1

by on Oct. 28, 2011


Robocruiter logo

The Total Account Executive

The phone rang.  I answered and boy was I surprised.  At the other end of the line was someone I hadn’t spoken to in quite a long time and yet someone who had such a dramatic influence on my recruiting life.  It was, in my opinion, the best recruiter who has ever lived, bar none.  So good at our craft, in fact, that years ago I nicknamed him ‘Robocruiter’ (half man; half recruiter) after the 1987 futuristic movie Robocop.  I also wanted to give him a nickname so that I could teach his techniques without disclosing his identity.  I didn’t want him to be bothered by curious recruiters and I knew that would happen if I divulged his name.  After all, we recruiters are not a shy lot.

Robocruiter called because he had committed to a speaking engagement and, since he knows that I do an awful lot of training and standup presentations, wanted to ask me some technical public speaking questions.  We talked about speaking and then our conversation moved into the recruitment training arena.  I told him that his concept of The Total Account Executive (AE) was one of my favorite topics.  I also said that over the years, I have taught so much of what I learned from him that I couldn’t tell where he left off and I began.  He thanked me and we went our separate ways.

For those of you who haven’t been exposed to Robocruiter before, buckle your seatbelts.  I am going to take you on a brief flight through some of his more memorable (to me) recruitment technique snippets.  By the end of our journey, you will be able to appreciate his complete mastery of our profession.

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Industry News

Value of Retained Executive Search Consulting Is High, But Relationships Still Transactional

by on Oct. 27, 2011


aesc_logo_300dpi

The worldwide Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC) released its bi-annual report today of client satisfaction levels with retained executive search consulting. Overall, respondents endorsed the differentiated value of retained executive search and its contribution as a high-end consulting service for the recruitment of top management.

According to the survey, during the past decade a number of developments have provided pause for thought and reflection within the retained executive search profession, including:

  • The development of internal recruiting functions (the survey revealed that 2/3 of the companies who completed the survey have an in-house search function)
  • The rise of social media
  • Pressure by clients on the terms and conditions of doing business
  • The challenge of introducing retained search into emerging markets
  • Opportunities to provide leadership consulting services
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Ask Barb

Ask Barb: Should I Offer Referral Fees?

by on Oct. 26, 2011


Ask Barb

Dear Barb:

I recently listened to a podcast you did and want to thank you or all your good work. I believe I heard you mention something about referral fees becoming difficult due to recent regulations and therefore you might have suggested to stay away from offering them, or you might have suggested an alternative, but I didn’t quite catch the entire point of your statement.

Can you expand for me on what you said about referral fees? Or alternatively, can you direct me to some documentation I can read to get a better understanding of how I can or cannot engage in offering/paying referral fees?

Katie W., Paramus, NJ

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Social Media

Die-Hard Phone Jockey Arise, Conquer the 21st Century

by on Oct. 25, 2011


die-hard phone jockeys

This is the sixth and final installment of our Die-hard Phone Jockey’s Guide to Social Media series. We will now review the conclusions we’ve drawn on the way here, both about the four media we’ve discussed and about the subject of Social Media for Recruiting Power and Performance in general. We’ll do more, though; our analysis will cover four commands that will enable you to remember what we’ve discussed, and they will be your plan for conquest in the twenty-first century. Let’s dive in now!

The Essence of Recruiting, or Life Before Social Media

Have you ever asked yourself what is the essence of your work as a recruiter? Think about it for a moment. If I say that your job is to connect and provide connections, each in a different way, can you guess where I’m leading you? First, it is your job to connect with people directly, yourself. You must connect with candidates and prospective clients. The stronger the connection, the faster and more frequently you can make use of it; and the more consistent you are in doing so, the better your performance will be. But you will never close deals by connecting with people all by yourself in one-to-one relationships. A second connection must be built. You must facilitate the connection of Candidate to Hiring Manager.

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Business Development

The Art of Marketing and Business Development, Part 3 (of 3)

by on Oct. 24, 2011


man script

The Scripts That Work — 6-10

Welcome to the last installment of The Art of Marketing and Business Development series. Last week, we discussed the first five business development scripts that are working today:

  1. Reference from an Internal Champion
  2. C-level Approach
  3. Vertical Market Approach — “Insight”
  4. MPC/”A” Player Approach
  5. Combination Approach

This article continues with highlighting the additional five marketing scripts, 6-1 0. Keep in mind: different selling situations will call for different scripts. As a recruiter, it is important to have as many options (clubs) in your recruiting bag as possible. Master them all, so you will be prepared for any selling situation and have the ability to pull them out when that shot is needed. Don’t forget, the goal is to achieve a large quantity of job orders coming in so you have the ability to continually ‘top grade’ the work you have on your desk. Until you get a large number of “A” search assignments (job orders), keep marketing every day. That’s right – every day.

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For Managers

“The Phone Rang…” The Success Pyramid

by on Oct. 21, 2011


JOHN WOODEN

The phone rang. It was Craig, a recruitment firm owner from Westwood, California—home of my alma mater, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). I often think of UCLA…

One of the reasons I went to UCLA was that I wanted to be proud when I was asked where I received my college degree. And it worked. I am proud when asked that question. But, in addition to my diploma, I gained something else along the way. I became aware of the teachings of our legendary basketball coach, John Wooden – The Wizard of Westwood. I still remember watching him from the student section at Pauley Pavilion as the Bruins were warming up before a game; his calm professionalism; his rolled-up program; how he looked up into the stands behind the Bruin bench right before the tip-off to find his beloved wife Nellie and give her a wink and a wave.

During my college years, I learned about the Wooden Pyramid of Success that Coach spent fourteen years developing. It requires a lot for those who follow it, but it is a proven foundation to build upon.

In this article, I am going to discuss Coach Wooden’s pyramid and how the central blocks and the external casings relate to our world of executive recruitment.

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Business Development

The Art of Marketing and Business Development, Part 2 (of 3)

by on Oct. 20, 2011


woman phone script

The Scripts That Work — 1-5

Earlier this week, I shared with you three key principles to establishing a strong marketing foundation. Of course, it all starts with obtaining high quality searches.

After that though, you need to know how to have an appropriate conversation with potential new clients, and the best way to do this is by having a pre-written script to help you. Today, I bring you the first 5 of the top 10 marketing approaches that rock the recruiting world today. 

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Ask Barb

Ask Barb: “Can’t Help” Candidates

by on Oct. 19, 2011


Ask Barb

Dear Barb:

I’ve heard you admit that early in your career you focused on the candidates who really needed your help and almost went out of business. I think I’m following in your footsteps. My business is bombarded by people I will never be able to place. I could spend all my time helping people who need me – but that doesn’t help my business. I keep hearing things are turning around, well I can tell you Florida must be behind the rest of the country. The three people who work for me are following my lead and none of us are hitting our goals. How can we turn them away without being perceived as heartless?

Sue R., Valparaiso, FL

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Ask Barb

Ask Barb: Giving Clients Weekly Feedback

by on Oct. 19, 2011


Ask Barb

Dear Barb:

I heard you speak in Denver recently and I’ve implemented several of your ideas. However, I don’t see the value of calling all clients with open orders weekly. It’s turning into a big waste of time and all they do is complain when we don’t have candidates to present to them. Can you explain your reasoning here?

John F. Denver, CO

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