Unfortunately I have very few contacts outside of my area, which is primarily Rochester NY. I also work some in Buffalo, Syracuse, and some other smaller local cities.
With all the (previous) growth in the RTP area, there has got to be a few good recruiters down there.
A quick google search found me http://www.rtp.org/local/jobs/joblinks.html
There is also a link to local clubs and organizations. You should be able to find some contacts in there that will recommend a good recruiter. (Again, back to networking...)
Well. So much to write. So little time tonight. I have read quite a bit that I would like to respond to. I will see how much I can get to before I start falling asleep.
Yes, the recruiting industry has a generally bad reputation. There are a LOT of scumbag recruiters out there. And I cannot tell you how much more difficult they make it for me to do my work.
I am a sole proprietor. I like my 'job'. I hope that I am a little different from the average headhunter. I generally work fairly low volume, and work to build solid long term relationships with clients. I also work to build long term relationships with candidates. I get to know people well, and the companies well, so that my placements are happy, and so that the companies are happy. Somewhere over 95% of my placements stay at their positions for 2 years or more. Is this normal? No. That is why I am still in business when many of my competitors have gone under. I also have the advantage that I was once a software developer, so I 'speak the language' a little better than most recruiters.
Fees: In my city, the standard fee is 20%. I only collect my fee when a candidate accepts and starts a position. In most cases the company pays me within 30 days of the start. I have a 6 month 100% replacment guarantee. I work hard to provide the best service for my fee. But this does not make me rich, especially with the economy being down for 2.5 years.
I bring value to a company. I find them the people they need, in the time frame they are looking for. In the long run I SAVE money for my clients.
I am on the phone all week long. I am contacting clients and candidates. Some may think it is easy to make a quick buck from a placement, but those people have no idea how much time and effort is spent long before a good job order arrives on my desk. I keep files on over 300 companies. Most of those companies I have never worked with, but may in the future.
My suggestions for a candidate looking for an 'honest' headhunter: 1) Ask friends (but not current coworkers) for the names of recruiters they like and trust. 2) If you have doubts about the person/agency then call first. If you cannot talk with a person, and if they do not return your call, take that as a big hint to look somewhere else. 3) Make sure that the company will not send your resume ANYWHERE without your explicit permission. You should get a detailed job description before agreeing to have your resume sent. In my case, I tell my candidates the company name after they have agreed to have their resume sent. (Hint, if you have already sent your resume to the company, and you did not recognize the job description, then part of the problem is of your own creation.) 4) Make sure the recruiter asks about (preferred) or listens to (acceptable) your own GOALS. The recruiter should be able to give you an idea about how realistic your goals are. 5) In better times I keep in touch with all my candidates. I generally work with 10-20 people at a time. Currently I am working with over 200 unemployed IT related people, so I do not have time to call all of them even every few weeks. At present I only call when I have jobs. I spend most of my time trying to find positions for at least SOME of the people I am working with. 6) As someone posted CORRECTLY, the absolute BEST way to find yourself a new position is through networking. A very high percentage of jobs are found that way.
For companies looking for an honest headhunter: 0) Dang. This is a hard one to quantify. 1) Look for value, not price. Look for a contract with guarantees. Ask for references from other satisfied customers of the recruiter. 2) Look for quality, not quantity. Make sure you have a clause in your contract that says you can cancel the contract and not accept resumes if the quality is poor. Limit the number of resumes that the recruiter is allows to send for each position. 3) Make sure the recruiter understands your industry and product.
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Unfortunately I have very few contacts outside of my area, which is primarily Rochester NY. I also work some in Buffalo, Syracuse, and some other smaller local cities.
With all the (previous) growth in the RTP area, there has got to be a few good recruiters down there.
A quick google search found me http://www.rtp.org/local/jobs/joblinks.html
There is also a link to local clubs and organizations. You should be able to find some contacts in there that will recommend a good recruiter. (Again, back to networking...)
Well. So much to write. So little time tonight. I have read quite a bit that I would like to respond to. I will see how much I can get to before I start falling asleep.
Yes, the recruiting industry has a generally bad reputation. There are a LOT of scumbag recruiters out there. And I cannot tell you how much more difficult they make it for me to do my work.
I am a sole proprietor. I like my 'job'. I hope that I am a little different from the average headhunter. I generally work fairly low volume, and work to build solid long term relationships with clients. I also work to build long term relationships with candidates. I get to know people well, and the companies well, so that my placements are happy, and so that the companies are happy. Somewhere over 95% of my placements stay at their positions for 2 years or more. Is this normal? No. That is why I am still in business when many of my competitors have gone under. I also have the advantage that I was once a software developer, so I 'speak the language' a little better than most recruiters.
Fees: In my city, the standard fee is 20%. I only collect my fee when a candidate accepts and starts a position. In most cases the company pays me within 30 days of the start. I have a 6 month 100% replacment guarantee. I work hard to provide the best service for my fee. But this does not make me rich, especially with the economy being down for 2.5 years.
I bring value to a company. I find them the people they need, in the time frame they are looking for. In the long run I SAVE money for my clients.
I am on the phone all week long. I am contacting clients and candidates. Some may think it is easy to make a quick buck from a placement, but those people have no idea how much time and effort is spent long before a good job order arrives on my desk. I keep files on over 300 companies. Most of those companies I have never worked with, but may in the future.
My suggestions for a candidate looking for an 'honest' headhunter:
1) Ask friends (but not current coworkers) for the names of recruiters they like and trust.
2) If you have doubts about the person/agency then call first. If you cannot talk with a person, and if they do not return your call, take that as a big hint to look somewhere else.
3) Make sure that the company will not send your resume ANYWHERE without your explicit permission. You should get a detailed job description before agreeing to have your resume sent. In my case, I tell my candidates the company name after they have agreed to have their resume sent. (Hint, if you have already sent your resume to the company, and you did not recognize the job description, then part of the problem is of your own creation.)
4) Make sure the recruiter asks about (preferred) or listens to (acceptable) your own GOALS. The recruiter should be able to give you an idea about how realistic your goals are.
5) In better times I keep in touch with all my candidates. I generally work with 10-20 people at a time. Currently I am working with over 200 unemployed IT related people, so I do not have time to call all of them even every few weeks. At present I only call when I have jobs. I spend most of my time trying to find positions for at least SOME of the people I am working with.
6) As someone posted CORRECTLY, the absolute BEST way to find yourself a new position is through networking. A very high percentage of jobs are found that way.
For companies looking for an honest headhunter:
0) Dang. This is a hard one to quantify.
1) Look for value, not price. Look for a contract with guarantees. Ask for references from other satisfied customers of the recruiter.
2) Look for quality, not quantity. Make sure you have a clause in your contract that says you can cancel the contract and not accept resumes if the quality is poor. Limit the number of resumes that the recruiter is allows to send for each position.
3) Make sure the recruiter understands your industry and product.
Well, I hope this helps.
If anyone has specific questions, please ask.