Choose Your Recruiter Wisely
In these tough economic times, the job market is less fluid than a year ago. If you are looking for that perfect fit for a new opportunity, you need to sharpen your strategy. One of the best ways to up your game is to carefully choose who represents you in the job market.
With fewer spots to fill, human resources departments will be cutting the search firms they use by up to 70% in the coming year. Since HR no longer needs the incremental candidate flow, the bottom half of their agency roster will be eliminated. They will only retain top-notch agencies who demonstrate the greatest degree of success.
Here’s my advice to both job candidates and hiring managers: you need to be very selective in choosing the firm you work with today. All search firms and recruiters are not created equal. Your resume and successful placement represent between $15,000 and $30,000 to a recruiter. You want to work with a top-notch firm that has exclusive access to the greatest selection of positions in the litigation support/e-discovery market.
How do you choose a search firm? Here are some savvy questions to ask:
- What is your referral-to-hire ratio? Any search firm worth their salt will be able to tell you their referral-to-hire ratio. This ratio refers to the number of candidates referred for a position in relation to the number of employees hired. The Cowen Group’s ratio is 2.8 to 1.
- Do you specialize in litigation support and e-discovery? Many search firms place a wide range of legal candidates from attorneys to paralegals; litigation support is only a small portion of their business. Search firms that specialize solely in the litigation support/e-discovery space will have a greater understanding of client needs, firm culture and overall market conditions within the space.
- Do you place candidates in all three litigation support/e-discovery silos? If the search firm has access to AmLaw 200 firms, corporations and vendors, you will have a wider selection of opportunities.
- Where were your last three successful placements? Make sure the organizations in which they are placing candidates are the types of firms you want to work for. (HR Managers, does the recruiter place excellent candidates that can appeal to your exacting standards?)
- Do you have access to opportunities from coast to coast? The best jobs and the best people come from all across the country. Does your recruiter have the extensive network you need?
- How will you market me? Here’s a dirty little secret: many search firms will simply send resumes out in an e-mail blast to employers. Make sure the recruiter you choose will work hard for you. At the very least, they should draft a customized bio, actively pitch skills and assist with interview preparation.
- Do you understand the client? Make sure the recruiter understand the client’s needs and culture and what it takes to forge a successful ongoing relationship.
A recruiter should be able to answer all of the above questions to your satisfaction. In this economy, you shouldn’t settle for anything less.
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