How to Get Recruiters to Aid Your Job Search

It is becoming common for employers to use agencies to "try before they buy."

Since most recruiters earn their fees from (and therefore owe their allegiance to) the employers they recruit for, how can you get them to work to your benefit? First, some basics. The term "recruiter" is often applied to employment agencies, contingency recruiters and executive search consultants. They are not the same. Employment agencies typically seek to fill jobs which range from entry-level to middle management. Today, fees are usually paid by the employers, but in some rare cases "applicant fee paid" agencies still exist.

When the employer pays the fee, it is only paid when the agency places an applicant on the job. It is a contingency fee. Often employers interview applicants from several different agencies at the same time, since they are under no obligation to hire any applicants and will incur no fee until they do so.

Increasingly, employment agencies also offer temporary services. Here the employer is billed for the services of an employee who is actually on the payroll of the employment agency. The rate charged for a temporary employee includes the payroll rate paid to the employee, payroll taxes, worker's compensation insurance and payroll processing costs.

It is becoming common for employers to use agencies to "try before they buy." This is called "temp-to-perm" employment. The employer will first try out the employee on the agency's temporary payroll and only offer regular employment after they've had sufficient opportunity to assess the employee's abilities and performance.

Contingency recruiters operate much like employment agencies, but they usually deal only with professional, technical and managerial positions. Their fees are almost always paid by the employer, but they, too, only earn a fee if the employer hires one of the job candidates they recruit. Sometimes recruiters specialize in certain industries or functional areas.

Executive search consultants are another breed altogether. They typically work on a retained basis for their clients and are guaranteed to receive a fee whether a hire is made or not. These "headhunters" usually recruit exclusively for senior management or executive-level positions. They often specialize in a particular industry or function. What they all have in common is they don't work for the job-seeker.

They all work for the employer who is paying their fees. What does this mean to the job-seeker? First, know what you're dealing with. While there are a few hybrid firms that perform both contingency recruitment and retained search, most do one or the other exclusively. Find a firm that operates at a level appropriate to the position you seek.

Second, know what you can expect from a recruiter. It is a common misconception that recruiters serve as clearinghouses for job opportunities. They don't. They only work to fill the jobs that employers have authorized them to recruit candidates. It is not the recruiter's responsibility to help you get a job.

Don't be surprised if a recruiter you contact asks you to send a resume, but does not interview you. Recruiters will only invest their time interviewing candidates they think maybe right for a job they are currently recruiting to fill, or for one they can expect to have in the near future. If you're not interviewed by a recruiter, don't think they are trying to find the right job for you. They're not. At best, they're putting your resume on file or in their database for future reference. At worst, they'll discard it, as most recruiters receive dozens of unsolicited resumes every week.

However, if a recruiter asks you to come in for an interview, do so. Most reputable recruiters will only refer employment candidates to their clients after they have interviewed them. Also, if a recruiter sends you to interview with one of their clients, be sure to do whatever follow-up they ask you to do. Usually, the recruiter will want to hear from you right after your employment interview, before they talk to their client. Sometimes, they can help to overcome any problems that might have arisen when they follow up with the employer on your behalf.

Before you interview with an employer, use the recruiter as an information resource. The recruiter should be able to brief you on the company, the job and the people you will meet. If they can't or won't, they either don't know what they're doing or they don't have a firm recruiting assignment from the employer. It will probably be a waste of your time in either case. Knowing how to deal effectively with recruiters can help increase your odds of finding the right one and the right job, too.