How Do You Evaluate Your Recruiting Sources

Show as Much care to Your Choices as you do to Other Purchases

I bought an SUV last year after we moved to Pennsylvania. I wasn’t sure what to buy, so I went on the web, looked at a variety of guides, read reviews from existing owners, examined price at different dealers, found the best price in my area, then looked at service contracts and what the best price was I could get for one before I walked into the dealer’s showroom.

All the stories about customers getting into the sales office and getting snowed into overspending didn’t happen to me because I learned what I wanted in advance, and shopped for the best price in the two places in the two places where I would be charged—the car and the service contract.

When the dealer heard my counteroffer on their service contract price, they asked how determined that amount. I answered, “It’s $50 over your cost and the fact is, I’m going to come in here for service anyway so you might as well collect the money from me.”

When most companies agree to have a recruiter work on helping them fill their jobs, most know far less about the recruiter than I did about my SUV. They select the recruiter because

1. They called at just the right time
2. Got through to them on the phone
3. Were willing to agree to their fee terms
4. Claimed expertise in the market that the job was in.
5. Have a voice or presentation that you found “tolerable”

Is it any wonder that most of what you receive seems like resumes are flipped to you like burgers at a fast food restaurant? What do you really know about this person?

Instead of just listening to the “typical agency speech,” consider asking them a few questions. If you ask about their experience, most junior recruiters will claim more years of experience than they actually have so that may not be a useful tactic.

Ask them about the jobs they’ve worked on. Listen to how they answer your questions for holes in their story. Your questions might include

Talking about a similar search they’ve worked on

Clients in your industry they’ve supported in a similar search

Whether they only do work in your area or in a broader territory

How did you hear about this position being available?

To whom do they report?

What challenges they might have in qualifying someone for the position?

Do they have any “real life” expertise in this area (have they been an accountant doing this kind of work)?

How will you evaluate and assess someone and determine if they are qualified?

Are they published? Do they write for the trades (or publish an ezine like this one)?

Google the person and the firm.

It’s not just what they say, but how they describe their experience that will help you determine if they will be useful or a probable waste of time.

In addition, communicate changes in your thinking about a job to them.

From the time a position description is approved until the time it is filled, a job description actually goes through frequent and subtle changes based upon the people that you meet.

If you don’t communicate the changes to the recruiter, how would you expect them to know of them?

This happens very frequently and slows the staffing process down unnecessarily.

And aren’t you trying to fill your positions quickly with the least amount of effort?

Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com

© 2007 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines since 1971. He is a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

If you have a question that you would like me to answer, email it to me at: thebiggamehunter@gmail.com

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search for openings that The Big Game Hunter is working on, to use Jeff’s free meta job lead search engine, Job Search Universe, to learn about his VIP program, or to subscribe to Jeff’s free job hunting ezine, “Head Hunt Your Next Job, go to http://www.jeffaltman.com. Job Search Universe is also available at www.jobsearchuniverse.com To add your firm’s career page to “The Universe” email the url to jobsesarchuniverse@gmail.com.

For Jeff’s free recruiting ezine, NaturalSelection Ezine, to help human resources professionals, managers and business owners make even better hiring decisions, ,subscribe at www.naturalselectionezine.com .

If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at jeffaltman@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).