Secrets of Working with Retained Recruiters

I understand retained recruiters. My recruiting "roots" are on the retained side of the business. In fact, the overwhelming majority of the searches I still work directly are retained assignments.

I make this choice for a couple of reasons. First, I like to get paid for the work I do. With a retained search assignment, my income is guaranteed under my contract. Secondly, I find that my relationship with my clients is different - I'm a partner in the search process, not one of several "vendors" working the project.

This is important to the quality of the product I deliver. It's hard to make a perfect match if critical information about the job and/or the organization is missing.

I get to know my clients and understand their business and their objectives. I get a feel for the type of candidate who will fit my client's corporate culture and be successful in their environment. This fit issue is often more important than the skills and experience a candidate brings to the position. I can always find people who meet the requirements...it's matching on the "fit" level that makes a truly successful placement.

You can read about the real inside story on working with the executive search community by taking a look at my article titled: Working with Executive Recruiters: Myth vs. Reality. Check it out in top-sales-jobs.com's Article Library.

In the meantime, let's take a closer look at working with a retained search firm.

Retained Recruiters: What to Expect

I'm sure that many of you receive calls from headhunters on a regular basis. Do you take the time to hear them out? If it's a retained recruiter calling, you just might want to listen to what they have to say. Candidates working with a retained recruiter, will find that:

• Retained search firms tend to work on higher level positions ($100K+) and with top companies. Companies who understand the value of recruiting top talent will often turn to a retained firm to fill mission critical positions.
• Retained recruiters will have a lot of information about their client and about the position they're trying to fill. They typically will have access to the direct hiring manager, along with other senior players on the team, allowing them to understand more about the opportunity than what appears in a job description.
• A retained recruiter will present only the top 4-6 candidates they surface to their client. This means that you might interview with the recruiter but never get to the hiring manager.
• The retained search process takes longer. It's not uncommon for a retained firm to take 4-6 weeks before presenting a slate of candidates to their client. The recruiting firm is constantly evaluating candidates against each other. Since only 4-6 will be presented, you might have the qualifications but not make the cut, based on the same types of issues that knock you out of the running with a hiring manager. Often times there's nothing "wrong" with you - it's just that someone else is a stronger fit.
• Your references will be checked - both professional references and academic credentials will be verified. Retained firms will often try to speak with people who don't appear on your official reference list.
• Interviews are likely to be held in person or via video-conference, rather than by phone.
• You can expect communication with a retained headhunter to be good throughout the process. This includes communicating to you when you're no longer in the running for the position.
• A retained recruiter gets paid by the client regardless of how the candidate surfaces. It's not uncommon for a client to send a potential candidate they know about to the recruiting firm to be screened along side of other candidates. If this client-generated candidate is hired, the recruiting firm still gets paid.
• Retained recruiters will not share your resume without permission. You will know at all times who the recruiter is working with and where you stand in the process. You can not circumvent the recruiter on a retained search.
• Retained firms are hired to find candidates that completely match the requirements of the position. Your background will not be submitted if your experience is not a direct fit with what the client's looking for.

If you're a hiring manager and want to bring top sales talent into your organization by working with a retained firm, here are some things you should know:

• You need to commit budget dollars to fund your search and be prepared to pay the fee regardless of who surfaces the candidate. As mentioned above, my clients will often ask me to include a candidate they know about in the mix of candidates I screen. If their candidate gets hired, I still get paid the full fee we agreed upon.
• The recruiter will need access to you and your team in order to fully understand your requirements. The initial meeting to hand off the search may take a couple hours of your time; follow up questions will surface as the firm starts to talk with potential candidates. You need to make yourself available to provide supplemental information when needed.
• You will get dedicated resources devoted to your search. When a retained firm accepts an assignment, they are obligated to find candidates who meet your requirements. There is no walking away...they are on the hook for producing.
• You will only see the best candidates for the job. The recruiting firm will share only the best candidates with you, eliminating unnecessary work effort for you.
• The process takes time. It will take 4-6 weeks to generate candidates for most searches.
• You can expect regular communication from a retained recruiter regarding status of the search and any market intelligence that's coming out of their screening process. A retained recruiter will make sure that you understand the feedback they're hearing, about your company, the position, your compensation structure, etc.
• References will be checked and academic credentials will be verified. Make sure that the firm you're working with starts this process before you've identified your top pick for the job. Surprises at the end of the process are not welcome. My practice is to check at least one or two references as candidates move into the interview process. Before the second interview, academic credentials are verified and additional reference checks are completed.

The biggest benefit to you as a hiring manager?

You will be looking at a pool of passive candidates rather than active job seekers, most likely coming from competitor organizations. These are typically the best candidates for the job.

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