How to Find a Job: When There Are No Jobs (Book 1) a Necessary Job Search and Career Planning Guide for Today's Job Market (Find a Job Series) (12 page)

A recruiter should monitor the entire search process from its inception to its completion and act as a consultant when needed to both the client company and the candidate. If the client company should decide to make the candidate an offer, a recruiter skilled in the art of negotiation can assist the candidate to negotiate the best compensation and benefits package possible including all aspects of relocation. Keep in mind that the recruiter, although working with you, does not necessarily represent you.

He is technically working for and being paid by his client company. If it seems like a conflict of interest, it is. However, the best and most successful recruiters are able to effectively work with both the candidate and the client so both parties get what they want thus creating a win-win situation. It is my view that each candidate must be conscious of all aspects of their career including specific needs and any limitations they may have. It should be the goal of a candidate to develop an honest working relationship with a few good recruiters. 

A recruiter can be an invaluable resource and consultant should you decide to seek a new job or make a career change. A recruiter may often approach you with several potential career opportunities throughout your career. Even if you are not actively looking for another position at that time a recruiter may present a potential career opportunity more beneficial than your current position. In addition, should you become active and decide to search for another career opportunity, a recruiter may be able to assist you by exploring other potential career avenues.

If, during a recruiter’s search, he is not able to locate the proper candidate from his in-house files, they will begin to network and search outside their database. Recruiters conduct an extended networking process through a series of telephone calls and emails utilizing as many of their contacts as necessary seeking out individuals outside of their database including Internet searches and personal interviews.

Most executive search firms are very specialized and thus recruit only in their respective fields. My executive search firm, for example, specializes in the food industry, recruiting technical as well as sales and marketing individuals. It is beneficial to locate a search firm that specializes in your area of interest or expertise. Many retained executive search firms do not specialize in any particular field but work on more senior level positions and thus have specific guidelines pertaining to the candidates they represent including their experience and compensation.

A book called “The Directory of Executive and Professional Recruiters” can be found on the Internet, at your local library or bookstore and can be a helpful resource to determine a recruiting firm’s specialty and their location. Your local Yellow Pages can also be a valuable resource listing various recruiting companies. However, if you decide to use your local Yellow Pages you may need to make a few telephone calls to determine the firm’s specialty. In addition, many recruiting companies can be found on the Internet. It is always beneficial to receive a referral to a search firm where someone you know has had success with the firm.

Executive search firm fees are generally paid by the client company they represent and not by the candidate. However, it is always wise to ask the recruiter who pays their fees thus eliminating any unwanted surprises. I am quite sure you would not appreciate a recruiting bill equal to 30% or more of your first year’s compensation!

My recommendation is to locate a few search firms that specialize in your specific field of interest. Telephone each search firm that you have identified and ask to speak with the owner or manager. Depending upon your situation, tell this individual that you are conducting a job search in your specific field or that you have made a decision to make a career change. Be careful with the latter statement. Most recruiting firms may not be interested in your background if you are changing your field of endeavor. Keep in mind that recruiters are paid a substantial sum of money to locate the most qualified candidate with a background that most closely matches the specifics dictated by their client company. In many cases if you have decided to change your career focus, the search firm you have chosen may not be able or willing to assist you. My advice in this case is to be persistent and locate a search firm specializing in your chosen field that will look at your entire background and be willing to represent you based on several factors of your experience. 

Once you have located a recruiter with an executive search firm or employment agency with which you are comfortable, it is important if possible to meet with the recruiter. Dress as though you were going on an interview with a prospective employer. Bring several copies of your resume and express to the recruiter that you are willing to conduct research on each company where they may represent you.

If you are seeking a career change you will need to sell the concept of how and why the recruiter should represent you to their clients versus representing someone else with exactly the background their client seeks. This is a very tough sell but persistence may pay off. You may have skills and attributes that lend themselves well to a particular position but lack specific experience and knowledge about the job itself.

You must be realistic when using a recruiter to assist you in making a career change where you lack the specific experience their client may require. For example, suppose you have a bachelor’s degree in Microbiology and have been a sales representative for the past several years selling medical supplies. If you decide to change your career path and pursue a career as a Microbiologist with only your education and degree as experience, it may be very difficult to convince a recruiter to represent you. Unless your background closely matches the specifics of an open position coordinated through a recruiter, the recruiter may not want to represent you. There are limitations to what a recruiter can and will do for you primarily because their fees are paid by their client companies and they in turn must properly service the needs of their clients.

If you are a sales representative and are seeking a job in the area of marketing, a recruiter may have more success placing you because each position requires your ability to sell. If on the other hand your current background is in the field of administration and you seek a position in sales, you should first determine what you want to sell and then focus your attention on that area. Further, you will need to effectively communicate to the recruiter that your background and skills developed in administration will benefit a career in sales and that you have the ability to become an excellent sales person. Be persistent but do not rely completely on the services of a search firm when you have a desire to change careers.

If, however, you have specific experience for the type of position you seek, contact the owner or manager of the search firm and tell them you are currently involved in conducting a job search. Tell them that you have experience in the area in which they specialize and would like to meet with them to discuss your background and any potential open positions with their client companies. Most executive recruiters work on three or more job assignments at any one time. The specifics of a candidate’s background their client seeks may or may not match your work experience. However, the recruiter is constantly receiving information and seeking open positions with their clients. You should remain in contact with your recruiter once every two to three weeks. Believe me, if the recruiter is aware that you are on the market and your background matches an open position with one of their clients, they will definitely contact you.

There are two kinds of executive search firms and each type works differently with both their clients and the candidates they represent. The first type of search firm is called a contingency search firm and is paid by their clients only if they place an individual into the company they are representing. Contingency firms are not contractually obligated by their client company to perform or complete the search. As a general industry rule a contingency firm usually recruits candidates at an income level starting at approximately $40,000 to $50,000 per year. There is no cap on the amount of salary a candidate may make to work with a contingency search firm.

A retained executive search firm conversely has a contractual obligation with their client company to conduct a search and their recruiting fee is typically paid in advance installments over the course of the search. A retained search firm typically recruits individuals at an income level starting at approximately $100,000 per year. There is no cap on the amount of salary a candidate may make when being represented by a retained search firm. If your total compensation is at or above $100,000 per year, I would suggest that you seek out the services of two or three retained executive search firms. It is my personal experience as a retained executive recruiter that retained search firms are generally more experienced and, consequently, more proficient than a contingency firm.

Most senior and executive level individuals should seek the services of a retained search firm. I would not, however, rule out using the services of a contingency firm if they have experience working on positions at your level. I would recommend that you should work with no more than three to four executive recruiters at any one time during your job search. The number of recruiters you work with may increase as your job search progresses and other recruiters become aware that you are actively seeking employment. Keep a separate file on each search firm, track their activity and don’t be afraid to seek the services of another firm if you are poorly treated. It is an important career decision to develop a close bond and good working relationship with a few executive recruiters.

Be honest and trustworthy with each recruiter you work with, as you want to develop a long-term relationship with them. If you treat the recruiters you work with in a professional and respectful manner they will in turn make you aware of potential career opportunities throughout your entire career. Locating a good recruiter in your field with whom you feel comfortable, is similar to the process you may conduct to find a good doctor, accountant or attorney. The process takes time and persistence. Personal referrals are always the best and the most reliable sources to locate a quality executive search firm.

Salary and Benefits Negotiation

T
he word
negotiation
scares the heck out of most people because it could mean that they may lose something. The vast majority of individuals assume they are in a weak position and are going to lose something during the negotiation. Consequently, most people avoid any type of negotiation. Most of us don’t realize it, but we are negotiating all the time. We negotiate almost everything we do every day of our lives. We negotiate with our spouses, our children and sometimes with our friends. The types of negotiations involving our spouses and friends are among the most difficult because our opponent in these cases knows us very well. They clearly know and understand our hot and cold buttons and exactly how and when to push those buttons.

The key to any successful negotiation is to begin the process with a spirit of mutual respect for the other party’s point of view. Start the negotiating process by asking the other person or persons involved with the negotiation what they may want and what is important to them. This approach acknowledges the principle that most people are generally interested in their own specific needs and will probably only respond to things that will benefit them. In addition, this approach allows you the opportunity to give them what they want if possible. Once you know what the other party wants, you can tailor your response to their interests by integrating their needs with yours. Try to arrive at a mutually beneficial position. What your opponent may want in the negotiation may be close to or exactly what you want. The negotiation can proceed with more ease because you started the negotiations with an agreement rather than a disagreement.

Salary and benefit negotiations are one of the most feared types of negotiation and consequently are often avoided. The reason for this fear is many people question whether they really deserve a raise or better benefits. You may fear that you could be fired or not get the job you want because you have decided to negotiate a higher salary or an increase in benefits.

Many people have a real, often debilitating fear of flying. Most of us do not have a pilot’s license and consequently, we have no control over what the pilot does. This type of fear can be incapacitating and is similar to what you may feel when you attempt a career related negotiation. Since most individuals are not very comfortable negotiating, I have personally found it helpful prior to entering into a negotiation to visualize myself deserving of what I want.

As you become a more proficient negotiator, you will begin to realize that all successful negotiations are a give and take relationship, where both parties must win something. All negotiations involve tradeoffs and compromise. If a negotiation does not create a win-win situation for all parties you will have created what I call a short-lived agreement. Your goal in any negotiation should be to establish a long-term, win-win agreement. For example, suppose you decide to negotiate with your boss for a raise but in the process you also threaten to quit your job if you don’t receive a raise. Your boss out of fear of losing a good employee buckles under your threats and gives you the raise you’ve demanded. What you have achieved is a short-lived agreement. “Why,” you ask? “I thought I got what I wanted and deserved!” You certainly did get what you wanted, but you alone are the only one in this negotiation who is satisfied. Your boss was immediately put on the defensive and began the negotiation out of fear and was coerced into giving you a raise. Your boss may have wanted to give you a raise but in order to create a win-win agreement he must feel good about doing so. This is a short-term agreement, as it will last only as long as it takes your boss to replace you.

This particular negotiation could have been approached in the following manner with far more rewarding, long-term results. Plan to invite your boss, to lunch and approach him in the following manner: “The reason I wanted to meet with you is to ask what your view of merit raises are and the parameters you like to use to determine a potential raise?” Your boss may respond by saying, “I usually take into consideration a number of factors with the individual employee and the type of work and dedication he has shown on the job. I evaluate all of these factors to arrive at a fair salary increase.” At this point, you have just gathered a tremendous amount of valuable information that you can use to respond to your boss.