Have You Personally Used an Honest Head Hunter?

Haacked asks: "As a software manager, I've tried using recruiters and head hunters to find qualified employees. My experience is that used car salesman feel like paragons of integrity, in comparison. It seems their interests never lie with the job applicant, nor the company. However, I once read that some recruiters do act with integrity and actually care about the people they are trying to place. The book suggested finding a head hunter who is interested in a long term relationship with you (not for the commitment-phobic) and will serve more as a career counselor, attempting to find a position that meets your goals. Seems to me that establishing a long-term relationship with fewer as opposed to screwing people over in volume would make good business sense to garner repeat business. Have any of you ever worked with any firms you felt represented your interests well?"

Comments

Out there, but rare...

[TopShelf]

I've personally dealt with a wide variety of recruiters over the last few years, and only one has generally conducted himself in a proper, professional fashion (he's from MRI, which is a large firm with offices in several cities). In general, my experience has shown that you're best off dealing with a good-sized placement firm that's been in the game for a long time. Like other aspects of the 90's bubble, recruiting got flooded with resume-shufflers who were looking to make quick bucks by placing anybody and everybody with firms that were scooping up people left and right. By now, many of those prospectors have been driven out of the market. Just for kicks, though, here's a short list of some decidedly unprofessional recruiters I've worked with:

Shortly after introducing himself, asked me to sign a pledge declaring that I would not, under any circumstances, accept a counteroffer from my current employer.

One recruiter, who I had never met or spoken to, submitted my resume to the company I had just left two months previously! Not only that, but he grossly exaggerated my experience and qualifications.

Huh?

[El]

Like Diogenes and his search for an honest man, I personally have never been able to find an honest headhunter! The sleaziest incident was when one of them slipped me $1000 cash in an unmarked white envelope to quit the job I'd just started and go to work for the job he had been trying to set me up with but was taking too long. Ah, those were the good ol' days...

well....

[I8TheWorm]

I have, but it was deep into my career as a developer before I found one.

Most seem to be flesh pimps... put a warm body in a seat... as long as they get their check. That can not only ruin their reputation with companies out there, but can ruin a developer's career and self esteem.

I have to wonder, in retrospect, if part of the problem was me though. I now know exactly how to talk with head hunters, and think I am pretty good at getting a feel for what they're actually about. I have no problem telling them when they're wrong, and when I think they're trying to pimp me out.

I have a good working relationship with two head hunters now, and they know my skillset very well. I haven't had a problem with the flesh pimps (other than the usual cold calls) in some time.

I did, once, have one ask me how long it would take for me to learn a particular language that wasn't on my resume. I asked him how long it would take him to learn Portugese. He got the message.

Re:You don't want to use one, even if they're hone

[kwerle]

I don't understand why people still go to headhunters. Even if this mysterious honest recruitment firm did exist, they'd still be taking a lot of money that could be going to your salary (they have to make a profit somehow), and they'll always be bad at matching you up with a company, because if they knew what they were talking about, they'd have a real job.

Certainly not my experience. I've had 2 very good experiences with headhunters, and 2 mediocre ones. It is certainly not true that "if they knew what they were talking about, they'd have a real job." I've had managers that couldn't code, and certainly the headhunters couldn't, but they DID know how to communicate. That's what they're there for, and if they know how to do that you're in good hands.

I can tell good UI from bad, but I have a real hard time coming up with good UI on my own. There are plenty of art critics who can't paint. Hell, everyone knows good music when they hear it, but relatively few can play.

For that matter, there are plenty who can play music but not compose - and vice versa...

I have...

[pVoid]

In fact, he was exactly what you say it to be: a career counselor. I actually bumped into him by chance in a bus. Or rather, he started talking to me. Old dude, with white hair etc. Very cool guy.

At the end of our conversation in which I mentionned I was a programmer and was looking for work, he said, well consider this your interview: you passed.

After that he got me a really cush job, but not after allowing me to turn down 3-4 crummy ones.

He even coached me on interview presentation, something which as a young person and a developer combined, I lacked even though my skills were good.

It's been roughly 4 years since, and I still talk with the guy, we go out for coffee sometimes etc. He's helped me out during times of depression/annoyement with the job market... overall career-saver for sure.

So it does exist, you just have to be lucky I guess.

On a side note, the company that ended up hiring me had and continues to have very close ties with the hiring firm. It's basically an extention of their PR department for hiring. No hiring done from outside that loop.

Re:Retainer vs. commission-based headhunters

[eln]

Let me tell you a little story.

When I was looking for work a few years ago, I was told about a job by a headhunting group. They told me the company that was hiring generally gave $6k for relocation, which seemed pretty high to me, but I said that sounded great and let's move on. Well, lo and behold, I was offered the job, but there was no talk of relocation benefits in the offer letter.

So I ask the company, and I mention the 6k and they say they only offer that kind of money to upper management types. So, I call back the headhunters and relay the information. Without even blinking, the recruiter says "Oh, well then since we already mentioned it we'll just pay you the $6k". Keep in mind that there was no contract or anything in writing stating I would receive $6k for relocation expenses. As soon as I moved to the new location, I put my stuff in storage and got a hotel room and called the recruiters and told them I had arrived to take the position. The very next day a check arrived at my hotel room from the recruiting agency made out to me for $6,000.

The moral is, these guys make boatloads of money on each new hire, which is why they were not particularly bothered by giving me that money.