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Judith Cushman & Associates Retained Executive Search in Communications Judy Cushman's Blog |
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The Cushman Report To subscribe to the email version of The Cushman Report, please send a note to info@jc-a.com with "subscribe" in the Subject line. Click here to view past editions. The Cushman Report Breaking News, Trends and Information about the Communications Marketplace March 1998 Sitting Around the Kitchen Table… Calling the recruiter for a SERIOUS conversation… Helping the recruiter help you… In February I talked about how hard it is in this incredibly competitive market to convert offers into hires. I listed the key points that both candidates (job seekers) and clients should review in order to be prepared for a successful conclusion to this process. In the past few weeks, several finalists have referred to that list and others have downloaded it for future reference. One candidate, at my insistence, prepared a memo outlining compensation details such as the loss of his company’s 401k contribution. As a result, the offer included a sign-on bonus partially compensating him for that loss. We’ve just adjusted our policies dealing with the issue of how to keep a job search confidential, especially for candidates who are employed. The need for a barrier between the job seeker and potential employer is one of the fundamental reasons why executive search people are in business. Policies are spelled out for both candidates (job seekers) and clients (hiring organizations). JC&A insists that initially clients only contact candidates though JC&A. As retained executive search becomes a tool for the recruitment of middle management professionals, there is another issue that should be addressed – that is, how does the process work? What are the ethics, expectations and rules of the "game?" So, I’m going to break it down, step-by-step, with real world comments. This report is from the candidate’s viewpoint. In April, I’ll tackle the subject from the employers’ perspective. First, I’ll explain a few terms. The language of "executive search." There are basically two ways to do business in the recruiting world – contingency and retainer. Executive search is a phrase generally (but not always) used to describe firms that are paid retainer fees for services rendered. Retainer search is a GOOD thing because it means the recruiter is being paid for the work he is doing – not when and if the person he referred is hired. The other approach, contingency, is what I call throwing darts at a target and seeing if it hits – bulls eye (a hire) and you win a prize (and collect a fee). Contingency means the recruiter is thinking short-term and not necessarily about what is best for you. Relationships are secondary; closing a deal is paramount. You are a "candidate" otherwise known as a job seeker, or perhaps someone who is not actively looking but who has been "searched out" by a recruiter and is "open" to exploring an opportunity. The term "headhunter" is an informal term for executive search consultant. As an aside, I have never minded being called a headhunter – it makes it very simple when I phone. People are never confused about what I’m doing. The "client" is the organization that calls the shots, needs to fill the job and most importantly PAYS the fees. A recruiting firm cannot accept fees from candidates – that creates a conflict of interest. Let’s begin. You are sitting at your desk working very hard. Your calls are screened or you have voicemail (which may or may not be private.) A friendly, pleasant person (we are nice people, mostly) calls and leaves a rather brief message. Rarely do I say it’s personal because you won’t recognize my name and you’ll be suspicious that I’m a sales person. It can also be a signal to your secretary (or anyone who taps into your messages) that the call is out of the ordinary. Most probably you won’t know who the person really is or what organization he is with, because the recruiter does not want to cause any problems. However, being curious you return the call, especially if the individual has tried several times. Any good researcher (who works for a search firm) or a search consultant can easily get past a secretary and leave a plausible message. Once you connect, the caller identifies himself as an executive search consultant (if it’s me, I say headhunter immediately) and provides the name of the search organization he works for. If you have the time and can listen, you will be given a brief position description. You will be asked for suggestions/recommendations to fill the opening. How should you handle this contact? First, do NOT provide any personal information until you check out the caller. Ask if there is a web site you can go to for reference. Ask if the recruiter has anything in writing about the position, especially a job description. Ask if the firm is retained to tackle this assignment and if it is being handled by the recruiting firm on an exclusive basis. The recruiter might request a resume for this assignment or for future reference. Do NOT provide a resume until you do your homework and are assured it will be treated confidentially. Insist on this point. Also, you can write on the resume, "Do not circulate without prior permission." Here is a question the search professional cannot answer. "How did you get my name?" The source of a referral is always confidential unless the individual says, "use my name." If recruiters violated confidences and revealed sources, they would be out of business in a matter of months. Search people do lots of research, read web sites, publications, and buy membership lists. You have friends (I hope) who think you are talented. One of these approaches is usually how your name surfaced. Don’t ask, "What is the name of the hiring organization?" The search consultant must protect the client. In many cases, the client doesn’t want to be known at this early stage. One reason is that an overly aggressive candidate may chose to contact the company directly when the search professional has determined that he/she is not a finalist. Or, the client may be a competitor. There may be someone in the post that has not been told about his/her pending change (oops!). It is the search consultant’s decision when to reveal the client’s identity. After you’ve verified that the search consultant is "OK", a more in-depth phone call is in order. You may be asked to make recommendations and generally brainstorm about how the job could be filled. If you are personally interested (or think you might be), it is perfectly appropriate to say so. Do ask for the salary range of the position. If the recruiter is up front and provides the figures, be clear as a bell about your needs – if you are open to exploring the situation. There is nothing so frustrating as continuing a process that should end if the two parties are not destined to "fit" financially. Do not think you can negotiate for an extra $20,000. If the number mentioned is $100,000 and you are above that as a base salary, say so and suggest more junior people. I have never had a client willingly change salary ranges at the beginning of a search…later perhaps when there is a high level of frustration and desperation. You send a resume to the recruiter, hopefully within two days (this means you have a current resume available and that you haven’t put that task on the back burner since you made your last move). If you promise a resume by a certain time, do it or call and adjust the deadline. Most candidates fall behind and don’t call. (I actually expect a week delay, and by then the individual feels so guilty when I reach him that he sends it within 36 hours.) You can expect feedback from the recruiter within a week, assuming no intervening crisis or major travel. He will tell you if your background is on target and if you are a potential candidate. Right now you are feeling flattered and intrigued by the process. It is always a great ego boost to receive a call and know you are in demand. The seriousness of the decision and the hard questions that must be answered are still down the road. You are busy thinking about how to "win" – that is, being selected as a finalist. Enjoy this for a few days and then move on to looking at the situation under a very bright light. Sitting Around the Kitchen Table… Assuming you have sent the recruiter a resume, looked at the job description, and are somewhat interested in the opportunity, it is now time to sit down at the table for the "TALK" with family, significant other, or trustworthy friends. The question is, are WE ready to do something new? If relocation is involved, this is very complicated. Here are deal breakers. Is the family strongly opposed to a change? Will there be a long-term separation during the transition, e.g. will kids finish the school year and spouse stay behind to sell the house and continue working in his/her current job? Will there be a significant income loss for the partner? Are there elder members of the family to look after locally? What will you really need in the way of salary/compensation to make it worth your while? (Until one candidate did his homework, he didn’t realize the benefits package attached to his base salary jumped his earnings level by one half.) Calling the recruiter for a SERIOUS conversation… By now the recruiter has looked over your resume and is interested. He is most eager to move the process along and present your credentials to the client or interview you (by phone or in person) or some combination of these options. He wants you to want the job. Here is where you need to take some control of the process. If you have done your homework, you know what the issues are if you are to take this any further. It is time for a heart to heart talk. BTW, you need to ask that the recruiter treat this information in confidence and only share aspects that you say can be released. Conversely, what the recruiter tells you about the client is for your benefit and you should not share his comments with the hiring organization. Mutual trust and honesty are essential. (If you will be working together for months, invest in strengthening the relationship early on.) You need to review all the issues that are important. If cost of living differentials are a factor, then make an effort to state that you will need a significant adjustment to afford the relocation and give a range. I’ve had that problem come up at the very last minute (of negotiations) with disastrous results. Will you need special cash awards to compensate for the loss of significant benefits? Will you need transitional housing? Once you have this talk, put the major points in writing and give the recruiter permission to share the letter with the client. This is showdown time. If the recruiter cannot assure you that your minimum requirements fit the range, or that personal considerations cannot be accommodated, then stop the process and don’t waste your time. This is the good news. If by doing your homework, you know the process should continue, it is time to work closely with the recruiter to prepare yourself for the interviewing schedule. Ask for background material. By now you know who the client is. Of course, do your own research. Can you find contacts that work or did work at the company? (Be careful, though, organizations change, cultures vary from division to division. Treat what you hear with skepticism, but use it to challenge the hiring manager or the recruiter.) Ask what the process will be, how many interviews are involved and how many candidates will be presented at each round. Are you one of five? Will the field be narrowed to two? Next, what are the backgrounds of the officers you will be meeting? What is the timeframe to reach the finalist stage? Will that schedule fit your business and personal schedule? Let the recruiter know ASAP if you have a vacation planned or major business trips coming up. Saying yes to more than one opportunity…Clients are myopic. They think they have the best opportunity and that you should put their situation first. If you are considering several positions and are moving through second and third rounds, tell the recruiter so he can speed up the process – if that is possible. In some situations, companies simply cannot keep up with your timeframe and should not even try. You do not need to tell the recruiter the names of the other organizations (that is confidential) unless you want his opinion about the quality or reputation of these organizations. If you are aware of the salary ranges of the other positions, let the recruiter know. He can alert his client and set realistic expectations should an offer be extended. Helping the recruiter help you… At each step along the route, be in touch with the recruiter. If you are asked to contact the client and schedule a meeting, get back to the recruiter and tell him you called, and what the outcome was. Most candidates forget to close the loop and the recruiter has to chase down the information. That is not good. If the client doesn’t get back you and time is slipping, ALWAYS let the recruiter know. Perhaps something is happening that is impacting the process. Once an interview is scheduled and actually happens, ALWAYS let the recruiter know how you felt about it within 24 hours. If the appointment was postponed let the recruiter know. He will follow-up with the client on your behalf. He can be very assertive while it would be inappropriate on your part to behave that way. If you have questions or concerns once the interview happens, be as honest as you can with the recruiter. He can go to bat to get the answers; or say the concerns are real and explore with you the pros and cons of withdrawing. If you wonder about the culture, work ethic and values of the organization, ask the recruiter what his impressions are. Here is where honesty and trust must be established beforehand. Remember, in the interview everyone is on his or her best behavior. The recruiter has worked with the organization for months and developed a sense of how things get done. Companies say they are in a rush to hire but the truth is sometimes quite different – and a position may remain open due to the inability of the hiring team to make a decision quickly. The recruiter will know. If you are seriously considering several options, feel free to discuss them with the recruiter. He wants to represent his client in the strongest way possible, but if he is a straight shooter, he should be able to help you sort out the key issues. He should respect you and your ability to make good decisions, therefore his advice should be candid and objective. You should be hearing from the recruiter about how the search schedule is developing. Is the client moving ahead as planned? Usually there is about two-week slippage. Ask the recruiter if the client has any feedback for you and keep reminding him if he doesn’t return your call. Be prepared to provide references and detailed financial information if you are still interested and under consideration going into the final round. This may save days of scrambling if the company determines you are the "one." Remember that a recruiter who is smart and honest is your ally and pipeline to the hiring organization. Keep him aware of your concerns. Clients sometimes have trouble with the basics. They become tied up in bureaucratic procedures and don’t communicate well from department to department. The recruiter can fill those gaps (not all the time) and help an organization respond appropriately. One glaring example of this problem that I experienced was the failure of the human resources department to generate a written offer letter. The company had extended a verbal offer that was accepted. In the weeks that followed with no confirming letter, the deal fell apart. I did not hear from the client or the candidate until I touched base to see that everything was in order. That’s when I finally discovered that the offer was unraveling. I was the one to tell the hiring manager that her HR group had dropped the ball. The recruiter is in the middle between the client and the candidate. His job is to see that the offer is accepted. You expect to get what you want and deserve (always subjective) and the hiring company expects to bring you on board without giving away the store. Usually the recruiter has an opinion about the package you want and can tell you if it is realistic, considering the market. He can also negotiate on your behalf. These days, my role is to educate the hiring organization about the realities of signing bonuses, excellent starting salaries and end of the year bonuses. In virtually all cases, offers were upgraded once the client realized that the candidate intended to reject the initial package. The message here is do your homework and put the facts in writing so that they can be evaluated objectively. My cardinal rule: communicate honestly and openly once you’ve developed a relationship of respect and trust with your recruiter. You are both working toward the same goal. |
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Judith Cushman & Associates 15600 NE 8th St., Suite B1, PMB 178, Bellevue, WA 98008 s (425) 392-8660 Fax (425) 746-8629jcushman@jc-a.com s www.jc-a.com The Judith Cushman & Associates web team would appreciate feedback concerning this site. Please e-mail your comments, questions and suggestions to heathers@jc-a.com. |
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