Working with an Executive Recruiter

By Jennifer Seidman and Justyn Makarewycz

Working with an executive recruiter is one resource available to you in the proverbial job search tool bag. But, and we cannot stress this enough, an effective job search employs multiple strategies simultaneously. So, if appropriate, engage with an executive recruiter, but by no means rely on one.

 The first thing to understand is how executive search firms (also fondly referred to as head hunters) work. These firms work for the employer, NOT the candidate. They are commissioned by an employer and receive compensation (typically 20-30 percent of the position’s first year salary) after the hired employee has passed a probationary period.

            The benefit of using executive search, if you are a strong candidate, is they will push for you. Employers who have engaged an outside recruiter will trust that you have been well vetted and therefore will be more inclined to interview you. The executive recruiter’s job is to run interference. They will obtain all the details you need going into the interview and prep you. They will also be given feedback on your interview which can be invaluable, and ultimately may even handle the salary negotiation at the end stage.

If you have reached out to an executive recruiter and not heard from them, there may be many reasons why. At any time, executive search firms are working on a limited number of positions for which an employer has allowed them to submit candidates. The number of jobs on which an executive search firm is working changes on a weekly or even daily basis. In order to increase the number of candidates they receive (and to speed up the process), employers may use multiple executive search firms to work on one job at the same time. This is why executive search firms work quickly to select and promote candidates they deem “winners.” It is also why executive recruiters focus the majority of their outreach on the candidates they feel match the jobs on which they are working. If you’re not a fit for their clients’ needs at the time, you most likely will not hear from them.

Typically, executive search is engaged to fill mid to senior level positions. Candidates seeking to change careers (from accountancy to digital marketing, for example) will most likely not find much help from executive recruiters, since companies are not likely to pay a recruiter’s fee for such candidates that they can easily find on their own. However, executive recruiters are ideal to use for specific niche industries. Specialized search firms have a clear vision of market landscapes and are well versed in the culture of different organizations. The best recruiters are also tapped into the hidden job market, as well as the hidden candidate pool. They pride themselves on sourcing candidates through their own cultivated network. This is why it is almost best to start connecting with recruiters before you need them, and is true of successful networking in general. Networking should never stop once you have landed your dream job.

Where should you start when outreaching to executive recruiters?  Some of the largest recruiting brands include such names as 24Seven Talent, Adecco, Creative Circle, Korn Ferry and Robert Half. To find executive search firms that may be most effective in your job search, reach out to your network and ask whom they have used to either fill jobs at their company or have assisted in their own personal job search. Utilize the public library for databases of search firms, as well as Google searches. Investigate job boards and identify which firms are most frequently represented in your search results.

As a word of caution, it is also important to understand your association with those search firms you engage. Be sure that any executive recruiter with whom you work will submit your resume to a client only with your permission. The last thing you want is to have multiple firms submit your candidacy for the same job. Employers do not want to be put in the middle of determining which recruiter submitted your application first, where the end result may be that you are not considered at all.

It is also important for you to be open and honest with an executive recruiter who reaches out about a job opportunity. Be sure to extend them the same courtesy you would a professional colleague by respecting their time and by being responsive. Expect the same from them as well. If you are not in the market or not looking to change jobs, professionally decline an opportunity. If you are open to hearing about opportunities, take a short time to consider them from an executive recruiter. But be sure to get back to them in a reasonable amount of time on whether you are interested or not to close the loop. You do not need to be interested in every opportunity a recruiter presents. In fact, saying no and being professional will be greatly appreciated by a recruiter, and will likely keep you on their radar for future opportunities.

If you have been presented by a recruiter and are interviewing with their client, be sure to keep your recruiter updated on your status. Let them know how interviews go, when you have followed up with thank-you notes to the interviewer and if you have heard from their client. If an employer begins to negotiate an offer with you, feel comfortable doing so directly, but be sure to let your recruiter know of any final decisions made.

If after going through interview rounds with a recruiter’s client you find you are no longer interested in the role, work with your recruiter on how to withdraw your candidacy professionally. As with any interview process, employers and candidates learn about “fit” as they engage with one another. Sometimes they find there is none, but the relationship between the client and the recruiter will remain after you have left the picture. Never let a recruiter try to talk or guilt you into taking a role you are confident you do not want.

Working with an executive search firm can have great value, but use them as a supplement to your own robust networking. Ultimately, it’s important for you to always be the driver of your own job search.

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Jennifer Seidman has been a Career Consultant with the GCMC since 2003, having worked in both the academic and corporate arenas. Previously, she held the role of Assistant Director of Graduate Career Services at Pace University before joining Merrill Lynch as a Corporate Recruiter and HR Generalist. Additionally, Jennifer currently works as a Contract Recruiter. She has a BS in Business from the University of Delaware as well as an MA in Organizational Psychology and an Ed.M. in Counseling Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University. When Jennifer is not advising our students or managing her recruiting business you can find her chasing her two beautiful children.

Justyn Makarewycz has been with the GCMC since 2011, with experience in marketing and creative communications at various companies, including Gay.com, FleishmanHillard and AXA. Justyn also led the New York metro-area office of a boutique recruiting firm, delivering staffing solutions to small and large companies across various industries - from financial services to consumer packaged goods. Justyn works directly with employers seeking to engage Baruch's MBA and MS students through networking opportunities, as well as for internships and full-time roles at their companies. Justyn completed his undergraduate education at the University of California, Davis.