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Straight Talk for the Recruiting Profession


Articles tagged 'career'

Cold Calling, The Business of Recruiting

“I Want Your Job…”

by on Mar. 16, 2011


Sandra McCartt

Thirty six years ago, I was an accountant. Happily or unhappily, as the case may be, putting lots of numbers into lots of big black books. Yes, they were big black books. Edison had invented the light bulb but Microsoft was some kind of fabric that kept small children and big dogs from making a mess on pillows . Being not too long out of a divorce I was focused on talking on the phone to discover what was going on with the rest of the world of newly divorced people — planning where and what time the “young and the restless” were going to solve the problems of the world that night. In a fit of pique, my boss walked by my office and uttered the now infamous words, “Why don’t you go find a job where you can do what you do best…talk on the phone.”

Now if you have ever been divorced or have spent much of your life putting numbers in little boxes, you know the mind set du jour of someone who is newly divorced and doesn’t like what they do for a living, either. I remember saying something like, “That’s a great idea, now if you will excuse me, I am on the phone.” I kissed my life as a bean counter goodbye (as soon as I got plans firmed up for the evening), picked up my purse, and headed to the nearest employment agency.

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TFL archives, The Business of Recruiting

Both Sides of the Desk

by on Dec. 22, 2010


corner office

In August 2001, my dream of going back to work for the US Government fell through, and I was subsequently adrift without a backup career plan.  At this time I entered graduate school full-time with the goal of becoming better educated while trying to determine the next step in my working life.  In December 2001, while feeling the disappointment of not having a definitive career goal, I went to go see my parents’ next-door neighbor, who just happened to own a search firm, seeking career advice.  I figured he could point me in the right direction or somehow give me a professional epiphany.  Low and behold, after several conversations I was offered a position in his firm.  In January 2002 I started my career as a professional recruiter.  I worked for this boutique search firm until November 2004 at which time I transitioned onto the corporate side of the “recruiting desk”.

Why this transition?  When one works in a boutique search firm he/she tends to learn a lot about the crucial foundation of recruiting.  But, what a “young” recruiter fails to learn in a search firm is how a corporation works regarding the important synergy and integration between the corporate business and the role recruiting plays in its success.

I came to the conclusion that I needed to know this information and get this experience if I wanted to become successful and last long-term in this highly Darwinian business.

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Relationships

Short Term Cash vs. Long Term Wealth Through Your Recruiting

by on Aug. 13, 2010


fordyce-default

As in any business, the world of Recruiters, “Headhunters”, “Executive Search Professionals”, etc. includes the good, the bad, and the ugly. There are those in it for some good cash for now, and those in it to build a great long-term sustainable business. Which are you?

This industry is characterized by a glut of new recruiters when times are good, and dramatic reductions when times get tough. It’s an easy business to get into, but it’s a tough business to stay in during economic downturns. I often tell people… “This is a business that, when times are good, there’s almost nothing better. There’s a lot of relatively easy money to be made. However, when times are bad, there’s almost nothing worse. The ‘gravy train’ dries up very quickly and companies recruiting budgets disappear.”

There are a number of factors that go into making someone successful in this industry over the long run. However, I believe one differentiator is being willing to add value for people whether you’re likely to make an immediate buck or not. Especially in a down economy, when many good prospective candidates, and perhaps some former (and potentially future) clients are out of work, finding ways to be of help to them pays great long-term dividends. Do you invest significant time and energy into people that can’t be of immediate value to you? Do you view people as people, or simply evaluate them by whether they are worth money to you or not? Are you willing to find ways to assist people that don’t even seem to be of potential value to you down the road?

Many recruiters do, and many, many recruiters don’t.

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Editor's Corner

Introducing The Fordyce Letter’s New Editor, Amybeth Hale

by on Jun. 28, 2010


researchgoddess-225

At the Fordyce Forum in Las Vegas earlier this month, it was announced that I would be taking over the duties of Editor for The Fordyce Letter from Elaine Rigoli, who will remain tied to ERE Media and Fordyce as a business writer. It dawned on me that after returning from the Forum, the news was never shared here. My apologies — I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to the readers of The Fordyce Letter and tell you how honored I am to be part of the history and tradition of this publication.

I am a graduate of the University of Florida, and I recently moved across the country and live in northwestern Washington state. I started my career as an Internet researcher in Jon Bartos‘ office, JSI, in West Chester (Cincinnati), Ohio. I spent four years working for Jon, and I remember some of the first resources I was provided with to learn about the recruiting business were old copies of The Fordyce Letter. I learned all of the basics of recruiting while I worked for Jon.

After leaving JSI, I joined Tom Johnston and SearchPath International, a recruiting franchisor. I was the manager of Internet research with Tom’s company, and I helped to train the new SearchPath recruitment franchise business owners. Topics I trained on included database usage, Internet research, and business/personal marketing through social media channels. I learned great lessons on working independently while at SearchPath, since I telecommuted during the time I was employed there, as well as client relations since I worked with up to 50 franchise owners at one point.

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The Business of Recruiting

Should You Be An Executive Talent Agent?

by on Jun. 22, 2010


business-executive

Being retained by, advising, advocating for, and representing prospective employees can be a fulfilling career in the recruiting industry, especially for those who enjoy individual job search coaching, extensive interaction with candidates, and focusing on individual candidate’s needs.

Executive talent agents and headhunters (also called executive search consultants or external recruiters) are often mistaken for each other. They appear to produce the same outcome: introducing executives to potential new employers. However, the two roles should not be confused. The two professions are paid by, loyal to, and represent separate parties that may have different priorities and opposite interests related to the employment transaction.

For candidates, having an executive talent agent can be a competitive advantage by providing expert, confidential, personalized career guidance, exclusive entrée to prime inside connections, and comprehensive professional services that support the daily job search-related needs of busy executives. Various financial models exist. Some agents collect 100% of their compensation from candidates. Others work on a modest retainer from candidates and charge employers a much larger placement fee. Total compensation for each client can range from a percentage of an executive client’s annual compensation to a project-based or hourly fee. While executive agents are engaged by candidates, hiring authorities also benefit when an experienced third party serves as a liaison brokering a transaction.

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