5 myths of working with recruiters or recruitment consultants

Despite people saying of possible economic or job market turmoils, companies are hiring. Surprisingly, they are finding it difficult to find just the right people for positions that they need to fill. Recruiters are often called "headhunters".

Working with a recruiter can be a great benefit in your job hunt, but only if you understand their role in the hiring process. Unfortunately, too many people have misconceptions about what they do, and how to motivate them to be your advocate. It's time to clear the air and bust some of the myths.

1. MYTH: The Recruiter's Job is to Help a Job Hunter Find Employment

FACT: Recruiters work for employers, not job hunters. Their job is to find the best talent for the position the employer is seeking to fill, bearing in mind all of the employer's "must haves," "should haves," and "shouldn't haves." They aren't paid to help people to transition to new fields, but rather to find talented individuals who have done the job already in a different context, or people ready to move up to the next level in their same career path. To be sure, they help individuals whom they are able to place, but their primary responsibility is not to be a career counselor or coach for job seekers.

2. MYTH: All Recruiters Are Paid the Same Way

FACT: There are essentially two types of recruiters for full-time permanent jobs:

Contingency recruiting companies aren't paid unless their client company hires a candidate they submit. Competition among firms is intense. For individual contributor-type positions, employers will frequently offer multiple recruiters the opportunity to work on the same job posting, and only pay a fee to the recruiter who actually finds the right talent.

That said, many contingency recruiters form networks or alliances to cooperate with each other and do "splits" where they share job listings with one side, taking 50 percent of the commission for getting the listing and another side taking 50 percent for finding the successful candidate. This is much akin to realtors sharing commissions for the sale of a home. If a recruiter advertises a search for "my client," but doesn't include the name of the client, it is likely a contingency search.

Retained search firms are paid by a company to take on an exclusive role in a given search, with the understanding that they will receive a higher level of service and more complete candidate vetting than is typically the case with contingency firms. These firms are most often utilized for executive level searches. Fees earned for retained searches are generally much higher than for contingency searches, and are paid out at specific points in the search process.

3. MYTH: Recruiters Are Rude and Unresponsive

FACT: Recruiters, like anyone else with very limited time, prioritize who that time is worth speaking with, and for how long. They are likely to be very responsive to clients or potential clients who have job orders for them to fill, and people who they see as strong (potential) candidates for those job orders. They are likely to be much less responsive to individuals who approach them out of a sense of desperation, with a career change in mind, or who are not perceived as "A" class workers.

Most recruiters simply don't have the time to respond to the hundreds of unsolicited resumes or phone calls that they receive virtually every week. And it simply is not their role to coach people who aren't a close fit for the kinds of positions with which they work. It is common for a recruiter to make 50 to 100 phone calls each day, and with that kind of volume they simply don't have the time to deal with extraneous conversations.

4. MYTH: Recruiters Aren't Out to Get Job Hunters the Best Possible Compensation

FACT: In almost every situation, recruiting fees are pegged as a percentage of the new hire's first year base salary. The more you earn, the more they earn. Often they have inside information about what the company is willing to pay, and are able to obtain a higher salary than what a job hunter initially thought they could get. Companies do not take the recruiter's commission out of the new hire's compensation. Much more often they understand that they must pay a premium for candidates sourced through recruiters.

5. MYTH: Recruiters Don't Care About Creating Long-Term Relationships

FACT: Recruiters are essentially in a relationship-building business. The successful ones know that their long-term success is based on building their network of relationships. They remember who helps them on one search, and will be likely to want to aid that person later on. They appreciate when a job hunter isn't a good fit for a current job, but goes out of their way to introduce them to someone who will be. They love the repeat business that comes from gaining multiple job orders from the same company. One surefire way to get a recruiter's attention and build a long-term relationship with them is to offer to provide the names of people who are strong connectors to others, thought leaders, and high performers in their specialized field.

Not every job hunter will find success working with a headhunter, but if you are accomplished in your field and committed to staying in it, building relationships with recruiters who specialize in your skill set and industry will be a great asset in your job hunt.

Happy hunting!

5 tips to starting your own business - by Richard Branson

1. Listen more than you talk

We have two ears and one mouth, using them in proportion is not a bad idea! To be a good leader you have to be a great listener. Brilliant ideas can spring from the most unlikely places, so you should always keep your ears open for some shrewd advice. This can mean following online comments as closely as board meeting notes, or asking the frontline staff for their opinions as often as the CEOs. Get out there, listen to people, draw people out and learn from them.

2. Keep it simple

You have to do something radically different to stand out in business. But nobody ever said different has to be complex. There are thousands of simple business solutions to problems out there, just waiting to be solved by the next big thing in business. Maintain a focus upon innovation, but don’t try to reinvent the wheel. A simple change for the better is far more effective than five complicated changes for the worse.

3. Take pride in your work

Last week I enjoyed my favourite night of the year, the Virgin Stars of the Year Awards, where we celebrated some of those people who have gone the extra mile for us around the Virgin world. With so many different companies, nationalities and personalities represented under one roof, it was interesting to see what qualities they all have in common. One was pride in their work, and in the company they represent. Remember your staff are your biggest brand advocates, and focusing on helping them take pride will shine through in how they treat your customers.

4. Have fun, success will follow

If you aren’t having fun, you are doing it wrong. If you feel like getting up in the morning to work on your business is a chore, then it's time to try something else. If you are having a good time, there is a far greater chance a positive, innovative atmosphere will be nurtured and your business will fluorish. A smile and a joke can go a long way, so be quick to see the lighter side of life.

5. Rip it up and start again

If you are an entrepreneur and your first venture isn’t a success, welcome to the club! Every successful businessperson has experienced a few failures along the way – the important thing is how you learn from them. Don’t allow yourself to get disheartened by a setback or two, instead dust yourself off and work out what went wrong. Then you can find the positives, analyse where you can improve, rip it up and start again.

After few mths of waiting! Finally it's out!

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Prepare Your Journey for 2014

Year 2014 is already coming to the end of the 1st quarter in about 1.5 months time and for those who have achieved great in 2013 and looking to better and greener pastures in 2014, you have nothing to worry about! 

How about those who don't? No worries! Make use of 2014 to start building up your achievements and accomplishments; especially in these uncertain and challenging markets and times.

Many candidates in a challenging job market settle in their job and do not even consider changing jobs. They may choose to believe that jobs are scarce so why bother. That can lead to complacency.

Are you in that mindset? Are you playing your “A Game” or just laying low and meeting company standards?

I am here to say, “Wake up! In any job market, especially a challenging market, you must bring it!” You don’t know when the next lay-off announcement will come. On the flip side, you don’t know the big opportunities that you are missing in your company and beyond.

Let’s talk about how you can accomplish more at work, how you can go beyond your job description, and how you can prepare yourself for your next job. We will start working on your 2014 resume, today!

1.) Come to work every day with the intention of being the best you can be. Treat each customer – internal or external – like gold. They are gold as they are responsible for your paycheck and your future promotions. This is the attitude of a successful person.

2.) Perform a skill and knowledge check. Go to online boards and check your skills with those required in the marketplace. Ask your manager if she or he recommends any additional training, certifications, or work experience to elevate your performance. Integrate these target skills into your written personal goal statement, including a firm timeline for achievement.

3.) Does your company or your industry associations present awards or hold annual contests? Take advantage of those opportunities.

4.) Are there active task forces within your company? Or, perhaps your company has a quality board? Get involved in these ongoing improvement committees. They are a great way to work on corporate or department-wide efforts in which you can build relationships and accomplishments.

5.) Volunteer for new assignments. Perhaps you are not ready to lead a large project. However, volunteer to be a key contributor or to lead a portion of a project. Don’t wait to be asked. Talk to your manager privately about ways you can take on new assignments or lead efforts. Your manager may not be aware of your desire to reach beyond your daily functions.

This may seem like a daunting list to tackle. Break it down into manageable goals that you can attain on a quarterly basis. By end of 2014, you will have gained considerable skills and experience. As you accomplish new things, update your resume. Be bold and commit yourself to excellence!