Recruiters & Headhunters in YYC

[RemyD]

Hey Everyone

Usually just a reader but wanted to ask my fellow CP'ers if they have any suggestions or recommendations on a good headhunter or recruiting company in YYC?

There's so many, and hard to know which are any good. I've never used one before so not sure where to start.

Any advice would be great. Thanks a bunch.

[Slava]

I know some guys in that business, but it depends on what field? I think most of them are fairly specialized.

[RemyD]

Thanks Slava.

Marketing/Writing/Communications/Advertising areas.

[GP_Matt]

I haven't really heard of any that help people find jobs. Rather, the ones I know help companies find employees.

They want contact info for employees and will send job postings their way but I don't think they actively try to place specific individuals.

In my industry they charge $25000 to find applicants for a position so I suppose if you put up the same they would find positions for an applicant.

[RemyD]

Oh. I was under the impression that an individual could pass along their CV to a recruiter and they would assist in pairing them with an appropriate job opportunity should it arise?

[Calgary14]

I think in general recruiters match potential employees with employers. If you have a skill, certification or designation they want they will call you. In my experience they'll accept resumes and are a good resource for job hunting because they are unbiased and see so many potential employees (and employers). The only ones I know of are in my industry (finance)

[Cheese]

Originally Posted by RemyD

Oh. I was under the impression that an individual could pass along their CV to a recruiter and they would assist in pairing them with an appropriate job opportunity should it arise?

They will. If your experience and/or talent is what they need they will help you.

[Kjesse]

Careful using a headhunter. They are paid for by the company who hires you and that by itself could make you an undesirable hire. If a headhunter presents you and the company also has a load of qualified resumes where they don't have to pay $30k up front just to hire you, you may not be considered.

Head hunters are used most often where there is a perceived labour shortage, where specialized expertise is needed, or where some companies want help to attract the best of the bunch or a particular sort of person.

I can't say I've heard of headhunters in the marketing industry other than at the executive level. Part of the reason is the qualifications needed are all over the place.

[RemyD]

Thanks for the info all. Does anyone have any positive direct or secondhand experience with any particular company here in YYC?

[CaramonLS]

Do yourself a favor - don't limit yourself to just one method of finding a job. Visit a couple of staffing agencies and apply like Randstad and Mark's Staffing. But also keep applying normally.

Lots of recruiters don't bother using staffing agencies because of cost. So limiting yourself to an agency won't get you a shot at the majority of jobs.

We use Mark's, but our needs with them are very few and far between. Usually very specialized positions.

[Regular_John]

My experience in the marketing/advertising industry in this town is that it's mostly direct hires, don't ever recall anyone being hired through a head hunter or external recruiter.

Most of bigger companies (eg: tech, O&G) looking for internal people will have their own HR/recruiters.

[northcrunk]

Just a tip, they don't like being called headhunters. It's good to make connections with a lot of different recruiters because they will call when they have a job that comes accross their desk and if you have a good relationship you will probably get 2-3 calls per month for positions. I'm not sure of any though that specialize in marketing.

[squiggs96]

Originally Posted by GP_Matt

I haven't really heard of any that help people find jobs. Rather, the ones I know help companies find employees.

They want contact info for employees and will send job postings their way but I don't think they actively try to place specific individuals.

In my industry they charge $25000 to find applicants for a position so I suppose if you put up the same they would find positions for an applicant.

What? This makes little to no sense.

I have used recruiters to help me hire employees and I have used recruiters to help me get a job. When you are looking to be hired, they work in three main ways. Either they have a job already, and they contact you asking if you are interested in it. They have a job and you apply for it through them or you go to a recruiter and say you are looking for a certain type of job. In the last version, they start calling/emailing businesses asking if they'd like to hire a person with your qualifications. Recruiters are always out to companies asking if they need to hire anyone. The jackpot for them is when they hire someone away from Company A to Company B. Then they call up Company A and ask if they can provide candidates for the now vacant position.

[GP_Matt]

Originally Posted by squiggs96

What? This makes little to no sense.

I have used recruiters to help me hire employees and I have used recruiters to help me get a job. When you are looking to be hired, they work in three main ways. Either they have a job already, and they contact you asking if you are interested in it. They have a job and you apply for it through them or you go to a recruiter and say you are looking for a certain type of job. In the last version, they start calling/emailing businesses asking if they'd like to hire a person with your qualifications. Recruiters are always out to companies asking if they need to hire anyone. The jackpot for them is when they hire someone away from Company A to Company B. Then they call up Company A and ask if they can provide candidates for the now vacant position.

My impression was that they only want to know people who have a job already. Perhaps that is cynical of me, but in your third version who pays them if they find you a job they weren't already hired to fill.

If you give them a resume and they start shopping you around are they calling prospective employers and saying I have a great candidate for you. Give me $25k and I will tell you his name and contact info?

I know they will keep your name on file in case something comes up but I was thinking about someone who is unemployed and looking to work right away.

[La Flames Fan]

BluEra - I know all of them personally, great bunch of people.

http://www.bluera.ca

[Locke]

I have a buddy at Odgers Berndson. Its a lucrative gig.

[Kybosh]

Originally Posted by Locke

I have a buddy at Odgers Berndson. Its a lucrative gig.

I think Odgers Berndson Calgary is now in with Boyden actually. Happened not too long ago.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Kybosh

I think Odgers Berndson Calgary is now in with Boyden actually. Happened not too long ago.

Could be. I'm not hip on all of that high-falutin Big City mergers and acquisitions.

[killer_carlson]

Just to be clear, it is forbidden under the Fair Trade Act for a recruiter to charge fees to an employee for the introduction to an employer. The fees are only to be charged to the employer.

Anyone who even approaches that line should be ignored.

[squiggs96]

Originally Posted by GP_Matt

My impression was that they only want to know people who have a job already. Perhaps that is cynical of me, but in your third version who pays them if they find you a job they weren't already hired to fill.

If you give them a resume and they start shopping you around are they calling prospective employers and saying I have a great candidate for you. Give me $25k and I will tell you his name and contact info?

I know they will keep your name on file in case something comes up but I was thinking about someone who is unemployed and looking to work right away.

The company always pays. As killer pointed out, it's illegal to charge the candidate.

The recruiter will call a company and if the company is interested, they end up meeting the candidate. Prior to this an agreement is signed between the recruiter and the company, that basically says if you hire anyone we send you, then you will pay us a commission based on the fee schedule. I get one of these calls or emails about once per week.

Last week I got one, and it included a portion of the resume, with the name and companies changed to be generic. After looking through the resume, I knew who it was. I had tried hiring her a few months ago when I was looking for a Controller. She said she was happy where she was, so I hired someone else. Now she changed her mind.

When I moved cities I went to a recruiter and she went and found me a job. It was a job that was being advertised, so she didn't create one for me. They are similar to realtors.