Headhunter employment agencies...your take

[maverickeastwood]

How many CP'ers out there have dealt with a headhunter? I've dealt with one that reminded me of a used car salesman...and the job wasn't what I had applied for. Didn't even interview as I turned it down. Ideas, thoughts, words of wisdom.

[Commonruin]

i have used a head hunter a few times, and it has been really good, helped alot. In the forest industry, not a lot of jobs go out into the paper, net, etc. so it helps to use their contacts. But saying that i have had them push jobs at me that i told them i am not interested in. Maybe it just who you use.

[LIP MAN]

Common, I think you are confusing a placement agency with a headhunter.

I recently got contacted with what I believe was a decent type of headhunting agency. A while ago M1 Marketing or something tried to headhunt me once. I looked at their site, it was sketchy. So I never went. I actually hung up when they called me, as I forgot that I had an interview.

[maverickeastwood]

Originally Posted by LIP MAN

Common, I think you are confusing a placement agency with a headhunter.

I recently got contacted with what I believe was a decent type of headhunting agency. A while ago M1 Marketing or something tried to headhunt me once. I looked at their site, it was sketchy. So I never went. I actually hung up when they called me, as I forgot that I had an interview.

Just to clarify, by headhunter I mean an agency that a company goes to to find suitable candidates for interviews. Thats what I know them as, if I am wrong, I stand corrected. Thanks in advance.

I had applied for a trades job in another province 6 months ago. I saw this ad on the internet with TSE services, if memory serves me right. They called me back, we talked for a bit and I had asked "which plant is looking exactly"? I know the area very well and I had started rattling of the names of the possibility's as he wouldn't elaborate. Than, the lie come out. "No, it's not in this city, it's in that town for the same company" I was already in talks with another potential employer in Calgary and was told "tell them to wait 2 days" by TSE. Having being lied to and now being told to tell a possible good paycheque to wait was enough. It doesn't end there though, as the company originally looking contacted me directly and wanted to interview me. I said "thanks, but I already accepted an offer" and also told them about the "car saleman". They agreed with me that his tactics were unscrupulous and said they would have another agency do the looking for them as they are short of ppl. No fault to the company, they were trying to fill spots. I said I'd keep them in mind in the future and that was that.

I wonder what these guys get paid to find ppl for a position?

[Flames89]

My gf just got a sweet job here in TO thanks to a bilingual headhunter that SHE sought out.

Generally, if you have strong experience - then they can be great. If you are somewhat new to the workforce or have little experience - I would be cautious...

[CaptainCrunch]

Having worked for an agency that does both placement and headhunting, I can tell you that some are very good, and some can be really dangerous.

The good ones do whats called skills marketing, in that they bring you in, test you, make sure that they understand what you want and how much you want to make, and then proactively market you to their client base if they don't have a active roll for you.

The bad ones will jam you into a roll and hope that it works out and you don't quit in the first three months so the client doesn't invoke his warranty clause.

But its more up to you to be thorough, its unlikely that they're going to let you know who they're recruiting for until your well into the process so that you don't go around behind their back, they're also their to negotiate for their client, and not you, so be suspicious of any office that comes to you from the head hunter or placement agency.

[AaronSJ]

Originally Posted by maverickeastwood

I wonder what these guys get paid to find ppl for a position?

It varies widely depending on the position being filled -- however it's not uncommon for the headhunter to earn a % of the annual salary of the position being filled... 25% to 50% seems to be the norm.

[Eric Vail]

If headhunters make 25% to 50% of the annual salary of the people they place into jobs, I am in the wrong line of work. This means for each worker they place earning $80,000/year, then they would earn $20,000 to $40,000 for themselves?

I wonder if the employers just raised the wages, if that would be enough to attract the new workers.

I wonder if the % commission proposed is a bit high.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Eric Vail

If headhunters make 25% to 50% of the annual salary of the people they place into jobs, I am in the wrong line of work. This means for each worker they place earning $80,000/year, then they would earn $20,000 to $40,000 for themselves?

I wonder if the employers just raised the wages, if that would be enough to attract the new workers.

I wonder if the % commission proposed is a bit high.

because of the employee shortage and the offered 90 day guaranted on any hire the 25% + fee is the usual standard. When I was doing it I cut my rate for organizations that used me consistantly or for people that I gave me common hires. But I think the lowest I went was about 15%. Remember when your talking about $20,000 to $40,000 a lot of the dollars are eaten up by advertising testing, and interview time etc. Now some agencies have gone to a 25% fee plus expenses plus advertising and allow the client to set an advertising budget.

It is relatively expensive for organizations to hire on their own, and if they have a bad hiring process that leads to failures then your costs can double and triple in no time.

[tvp2003]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

The bad ones will jam you into a roll and hope that it works out and you don't quit in the first three months so the client doesn't invoke his warranty clause.

Ouch... sounds painful

[Muta]

Robert Walters was the headhunting / recruitment firm that I used in New Zealand. They are an international firm.

What a class organization they were. I will definitely be using them when I go travel internationally again. Fantastic firm, I highly recommend them. They sure know how to take care of their client base.

[maverickeastwood]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

But its more up to you to be thorough, its unlikely that they're going to let you know who they're recruiting for until your well into the process so that you don't go around behind their back, they're also their to negotiate for their client, and not you, so be suspicious of any office that comes to you from the head hunter or placement agency.

If I already have an idea what company it's for...I'll just keep my mouth shut next time and wait for the company interview to roll around. Seems many companies are contracting the pre-screening process out to other companies now.

[Hindmarch's Knees]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

Ouch... sounds painful

Classic...best laugh all day.

[FlamesInYourEyes]

The 25%, does that come from my end as the employee, or does the company I work for pay an extra 25%? I will find my own job if it is going to cost me 25% of my salary.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by FlamesInYourEyes

The 25%, does that come from my end as the employee, or does the company I work for pay an extra 25%? I will find my own job if it is going to cost me 25% of my salary.

The fee goes to the company that is trying to find an employee. There are companies that charge the searcher, but they're pretty rare, and for the most part they're training you on how to find a job, they don't find you a job.

.

[McG]

a couple of things. i have been hired through headhunters twice. the first time, i went to them to see what was happening with their client base...they found a role that fit. my most recent position...the headhunter came to me and "headhunted" me in the traditional sense.

in my roles, i have used headhunters/recruitment agencies extensively for hiring people.

i have my trusted recruiters that i use wherever I go, and whatever firm they work for.

a good headhunter knows what you want, and can help place that person. i use them to find people that have skills, at the right price point. i have had one that was horrendously wrong because the candidate lied through their teeth and i found out, which was bad for everyone. and i have had 25% where the people found were absolutely outstanding. the balance? ok to good.

for me, the headhunter screens the bad resumes and people that misspell on their resumes so that i don't have to. they check references, and on some occasions help with negotiations. I have also partnered with headhunter firms on deals where we needed a certain number of skills and i don't have them.

the best advice that i can give you is to find a headhunter that you trust. most commission based people will try to make a sale...but the good ones know that a bad sale contaminates everyone. that's not good. if you get a company that trusts a headhunter, and the person looking for work trusts the headhunter, you usually get a good match for both people.

the goal is to get the person in the right job at the right time at the right price for everyone. not always easy, especially some hard to find skills.

most firms are outsourcing recruiting because this element of HR is a cost centre, and can be done cheaper by an outside agency.