Date: Wednesday, 10-Dec-97 05:14 PM

From: Kgikaren                 \ America On-Line: (kgikaren)
To:   Charles Patridge         \ PRODIGY:     (Charles_S_Patridge@prodigy.net)

Subject: article for newsletter

Hopefully, you will want to include it in your newsletter, or possibly even include it on your chapter's web page. It is rather lengthy, so all that I ask if you edit the length is:

1. My name and contact information remain in tact
2. Do not re-word, or add any additional information with my consent 3. If you do print or publish an abridged version, please direct readers to a the full version which can be found on my web page @ www.keltongroup.com (as of 12/15/97)

Thanks in advance for your consideration.

Recruiter -- Friend or Foe?

It's 8:45 Monday morning. You've just sat down at your desk with your coffee and a bagel. You dial into the phone system to retrieve your messages: "You have four new messages. . . beep

· Message One: I am a recruiter with . . . I am looking for a person who has . . . Are you interested?
· Message Two: I was networking and came across your name. I was wondering if you might be interested in a position in Alaska, pays great and there's virtually no travel!
· Message Three: I'm looking for someone with five years of PB6.0 (??) experience and I can pay up to $25/hr. Would you like to send me your resume?
· Message Four: I'm not a recruiter, I'm an executive staffing coordinator, and I've got the perfect permanent job for you. It pays great, has excellent benefits including training and you'll be working with leading edge technology!

With over one million search firms in the US and more opening everyday, it's mind boggling trying to figure out what is the best way to find a better job, that pays more money, and that will provide the stability you want/need

Like anything else, recruiters come in all shapes and sizes. Their titles can vary from Recruiter to Human Resource Manager. They may work for contract consulting firms, staffing agencies, permanent placement firms, Big Six consulting firms, or they may "After I turned in my notice, the recruiter called me back to rescind the offer"
"I was told the job would pay $40/hr but the offer was for $28!"
"I thought I was interviewing for a developer position, but what the client really wants is a DBA."
"They said there would be light travel involved, and now I'm traveling 100% of the time."
"I signed a non-compete contract that won't allow me to work for this client, or any subsidiary of this client for the next three years."
"My guaranteed six month contract is ending next week (three months early) and my recruiter won't call me back."
"My permanent salary position actually pays by the hour."
"My recruiter sent my resume without my permission to my boss for the open developer position we're trying to fill!"
And the list goes on . . . . .

But then I've also heard:
"My recruiter negotiated a $9/hr increase for me in my new contract."
"I contracted for three years and my salary tripled!"
"I learned Oracle, PowerBuilder and Visual Basic on my last contract."
"I got laid off from my "permanent" job, but my recruiter already has four interviews lined up for me next week."
"I've got six offers on the table, and can't decide which one to take."
"My recruiter got me an interview with XYZ Co. when no one else could."

The process of working with a recruiter is one of the most intimate, life- impacting decisions you will make. Doing some homework up-front to make sure you are working with a good recruiter, will help you to receive the maximum benefit possible.

Rule #1: Get Acquainted
One of the first priorities of a good recruiter is to get to know you-- your skill set, what you have to offer his/her client, why are you on the market? What motivates you? Likewise, as a candidate, you should make it your business to know the same about

Some questions you might ask are:
How long have you been recruiting?
How long have you been with your present company?
Why did you choose to work for your present company?
How many consultants/placements have you made?
What is the average salary increase for one of your consultants?
What is the company average salary increase?

A good recruiter will not hesitate to answer your questions, openly and honestly. There are a lot of factors that play into a successful placement (marketing, timing, client relationships, internal structure, etc.) so don't place too much em

Generally, you want to work with recruiters who have a minimum of 12 months experience as a recruiter. Recruiting is a tough field; anyone who has experienced the ups and downs over time and still remains in this field does so because he/she enjoys the bu

Rule #2: Building Rapport
Establish a clear understanding of the recruiter with whom you are doing business. What are the goals of the consulting/placement company? What type of business ethics and morals does the recruiter possess? Make a choice to work with firms whose career g

Some questions you might ask are:
How long has your company been in business?
What type of candidate have you had the most success placing in the past?
How many consultants do you have on board at present?
What is the average length of your contract assignments?
What is your conversion policy for contractors?
What is your bench (or beach) policy?
On permanent placements - What is your role in my salary negotiation with the client?
How will you market my resume?

Rule #3: Ask For References
Even the best recruiter will have certain candidates that they simply cannot place. Ask to speak with one of them. Find out about that person's experience with the recruiter.
How long did they work with the recruiter?
Why was the recruiter unable to place you?
Were they able to set up any interviews for you? If so, how many, what happened?
When you're on the market again will you let this recruiter know first?
Did the recruiter offer to refer you to other sources (firms, companies, internet sites) that might help you in your search?

You will also want to speak with a current consultant or placement. From them you will want answers to questions such as:
Were you satisfied with the way that the recruiter represented your background?
Are you happy with the salary and benefits you received?
For consultants - Now that you are "on project" do you still have access to your recruiter?
Did your recruiter or account rep "prep" you for the client interview?
Did they ask for your references?
Would you refer him/her to your most respected colleague?

Rule #4: Ask for the "Face to Face"
Ask to come into the office for a face to face interview. This serves a dual purpose. It helps to distinguish you from the other candidates the recruiter may be working with, giving you the opportunity to explain your background and experience in detail

Rule #5: Control Your Resume
Limit the number of recruiters with whom you work at one time. This is especially true if you are working with specific geographic parameters. Ideally, you will want to form relationships with three (maybe four) recruiters. One who primarily places cont

Only work with recruiters who will notify you before submitting your resume to their client. This will help you eliminate "dual representation" - being submitted by two different companies for the same position. "Pull" or remove your resume and do not wo

Clients typically consider the agency of record to be the first company to submit the resume, and as such will require that you work through whomever submitted the resume first. In cases of serious disputes, clients have been known to disregard the resume

Working with a recruiter, is fast becoming a way of life in corporate America. Both internal (HR) and external recruiters are the new "keepers of the gate". Unlike ten years ago when you had to be related to someone in order to be considered for that dre

Karen Servance, Technical Recruiter
The Kelton Group an Ablest Service Corp. Office
can be reached at Karen_Servance@heist.com or 919-851-4064
visit web site www.keltongroup.com

©1997