What Should You Expect When Engaging a Recruiter?

If you’re a hiring manager who wants to retain an outside consultant for recruitment, you should have high expectations for the service they provide. And, when possible, you should verify their credentials. A professional recruiter should meet the following criteria:

1. Recruiter has three or more years of specialized experience recruiting within your specific industry.
2. Recruiter has a successful track record for placing candidates with the qualifications and business level of experience you are looking for (i.e., support staff level, management level, executive level, etc.). Each level requires different recruiting strategies. A recruiter who specializes in filling administrative positions may not be as successful recruiting executive candidates.
3. Recruiter has a minimum of three client references from within your industry that you can check. The recruiter should also have solid recommendations on Linkedin!
4. Recruiter has an established track record for making successful placements and can demonstrate that placed candidates generally stay at their new positions for a reasonable period of time. Based on your industry practices, supply and demand, and other relevant factors, you will have to determine what a reasonable period of time is. (For my industry, a reasonable period is about two years for full-time hires, not for contractors).
5. Recruiter should have a reasonable and competitive fee structure and guarantee. What is considered reasonable is based on supply and demand in the industry, but no recruiter should charge more than 30 percent of the annual salary of the individual hired. If a recruiter is retained with an exclusive agreement, rather than hired on a contingency basis, the hiring manager should be able to negotiate a lower fee because a retained recruiter does not have to compete with other recruiters for the same search assignment. A recruiter’s *guarantee period for a candidate should be somewhere between thirty and sixty days. (*A guarantee period is the length of time a recruiter is required to replace a candidate, at no extra charge, if the candidate resigns or is terminated during that period).
6. Recruiter should have detailed knowledge of compensation and benefits related to your industry.
7. Recruiter possesses strong negotiating skills because negotiating a candidate’s compensation, perks, and benefits is a critical part of the job offer process.
8. Recruiter has excellent interpersonal and communication skills (oral and written) with those at all levels within your industry.
9. Recruiter has effective research and information-gathering skills.
10. Recruiter demonstrates consistent follow-through with both the company and candidates.
11. Recruiter has a track record for maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction.
12. Recruiter has built a good reputation in your industry and consistently demonstrates honesty, integrity, and confidentiality with both clients and candidates.

Number 12 may be last on the list, but it is the most important criterion. When you speak to those references, ask direct, specific questions about the recruiter’s reputation in your industry. As you know, many laws protect employees and potential new hires, so you should make sure you are working with a recruiter who is not only knowledgeable but ethical and sensitive to the critical issues of confidentiality and to the often stressful process involved in changing jobs.