Find a Recruiter- find a headhunter

Find a Recruiter

How a Recruiter Works

A recruiter works for the company or organization that pays for his or her services. If the recruiter places you in a position, he/she gets a fee usually based on a percentage of your salary. If the recruiter has an open position that fits your skills, experience and education he/she will contact you to discuss the requirements of the position. These requirements may include your job responsibilities, compensation, travel, location, company size, benefits. Letting your recruiter know what is really important to you will help match you to the right job.

Third Party Recruiters

A third party recruiter (sometimes known as a "headhunter") or an employment agency acts as an independent contact between its client companies and the candidates it recruits for a position. These firms or individuals specialize in client relationships and finding candidates, with minimal or no focus on other HR tasks. Most recruiters tend to specialize in permanent, full-time, direct-hire positions or contract positions, but occasionally in both. The responsibility is to filter candidates as per the requirements of each client.

Executive Search

An executive search firm is a type of company that specializes in recruiting executive personnel for their client companies in various industries. Executive search agents/professionals typically have a wide range of personal contacts in their industry or field of specialty; detailed, specific knowledge of the area; and typically operate at the most senior level of executive positions. Executive search professionals are also involved throughout more of the hiring process, conducting detailed interviews and presenting candidates to clients selectively, when they feel the candidate meets all stated requirements and would fit into the culture of the hiring firm, as well. Executive search agencies typically have long-lasting relationships with clients spanning many years, and in such cases the suitability of candidates is paramount. It is also important that such agencies operate with a high level of professionalism.

Compensation methods for recruiters specializing in direct hire placements fall into two broad categories: contingent and retained. Contingent recruiters are paid only upon the successful completion of the "search." Retained recruiters are paid for the process, typically earning a recruiting fee in 3 stages. 1/3 of the fee for initiating a search, 1/3 of the fee for delivering finalist candidates for a position, and the final 1/3 of the fee when a job offer is presented to the selected job candidate. Legitimate search firms are always paid by their clients (the company doing the hiring) and never by the candidate or job applicant. The days of the "employment agency" are gone since professional recruiting firms always represent the client and not the job candidate.

Selecting a Recruiter

We recommend checking out the web sites below to find a recruiter based on your industry and location.

Recruiters Directory

Online Recruiters Directory

SearchFirm.com

Retained Search

High-end executive search firms get a retainer (up-front fee) to perform a specific search for a corporate officer or other senior executive position. Typically, retained searches tend to be for positions that pay upwards of $100,000 and often far more.

Search fees are typically 30% of the annual compensation of the recruited executive. Fee payments may be made in thirds, 1/3 of fee paid on initiation of the search, 1/3 paid thirty days later, and the final 1/3 paid thirty days later or upon placement of the candidate. Alternatively the fee may be paid upon the new employee starting work with a clawback if they leave within a defined period, sometimes with a clause in the contract which states that the search firm will find an alternative if the first employee fails to remain with the employer for the initial period.

In a retained search the fee is for the time and expertise of the search firm. The firm is employed to conduct the entire recruitment effort from startup until the candidate has started working.

Retained recruiters work for the organizations who are their clients, not for job candidates seeking employment, in some countries, such the UK, recruiters are not legally permitted to charge candidates. In the U.S. job candidates may pay an up front retainer to consulting or counselling firms to assist them in their job search. Such firms are not typically known as retained recruiters but may provide recruiting services to organizations and therefore share the descriptive nature of the title.

Search firms generally commit to off-limits agreements. These agreements prevent a firm from approaching employees of their current clients as candidates for other clients. Since they act as management consultants working in the best interests of the clients for whom they conduct searches, it would be counterproductive to simultaneously remove talented executives from those client companies. Search firms may decline assignments from certain companies, in order to preserve their ability to poach candidates from those companies.