How Job Seekers Can Successfully Work with Agency Recruiters
Employers may hire a recruiting agency to supplement their efforts when hiring for difficult-to-fill positions or openings that they want to keep under the radar. As part of your job search strategy, you may want to engage with an agency recruiter to get access to these opportunities. But how do you go about working with one, especially if you have never done this before?
What Is an Agency Recruiter?
First, let’s get our terminology straight. There are company recruiters and agency recruiters. Company recruiters work for the hiring organization. They focus on bringing in new people or are HR Generalists with recruiting as part of the role. They know the business and hiring teams and are tasked with finding the best talent for the organization.
Agency recruiters, or third-party recruiters, do not work for the organization. They work for separate businesses that focus on helping organizations with their staffing. You may have heard the term “headhunter,” which would apply to recruiters working at agencies. Organizations contract with agencies to source and vet candidates that meet the requirements needed in the role. An agency recruiter can be a solopreneur or an employee of an organization. In addition to finding candidates, an agency recruiter may also be involved with business development activities.
Temporary staffing agencies generally focus on temporary staffing or temp-to-perm roles. They may also have staff that focuses on permanent placement.
Would an Agency Recruiter Be Interested in You?
Many job seekers could be a fit to work with an agency recruiter, but not all. Assess your situation to know if working with an agency recruiter might be right for you.
You are at a senior level in your profession. Because an organization may have specific and unique needs for its senior leaders, it may want to work with an agency to help with these searches.
You make over $100k. Since agencies often are paid a percentage of the salary when one of their candidates is hired, agencies will want to work with those making more money.
You are in a profession or industry that is new or hot. The harder it is to fill a position, the more agencies might be involved in sourcing candidates. That means that working with an agency can open up opportunities with many different types of organizations.
If you do not fall into any of these categories, it doesn’t mean working with an agency recruiter is out of the question. If they have an opportunity where you would be a fit, they will want to speak with you. Just know those opportunities may be fewer in number than with other candidates.
Contingent Versus Retained Searches
There are two ways that agencies get paid. Be aware of the difference because knowing this will help you understand why an agency may not be as interested in you as you would hope.
Retained
The employer pays retained search firms a fee to conduct the sourcing and vetting for a job opening. They are the sole agency that is used on the search. The agency will get paid a set fee for the work when it finds a slate of qualified candidates. Retained search firms often will be engaged for C-Suite or Board of Director openings.
Contingency
Contingency search firms get paid when the employer hires a candidate found by that firm. If a candidate they have discovered is not selected, they get nothing. Employers may have multiple agencies working on one opening, so there is a competition between them to see who can get qualified candidates first to the employer. In this model, the agency gets paid a percentage of the first year’s compensation.
Whichever business model an agency follows, they will not get paid unless they are engaged by an employer that has a need. Some people are under the mistaken impression that these agencies are there to find them a job. Instead, they are in business to find staff for an employer.
How Do You Find the Right Agency Recruiter?
You want to find an agency recruiter specializing in either the industry you are in, the type of role(s) you seek, or your desired geographic areas. Most agencies have specialty areas, and you want to find those that work with someone like you. Because they are specialists, they usually will have deep connections with employers that hire people with your skills, so they will potentially have more opportunities that will be of interest to you. Also, they understand the current market for someone with your skills, knowledge, and experience, which is information that is very helpful to you.
So how do you find agency recruiters? There are several ways to do this.
Get referrals from family, friends, or colleagues. Make sure that the referral is from someone in the same industry, profession, or geographic region, so you have a higher chance that you will be a match for the agency’s specialty. It makes no sense to approach a recruiter for an agency specializing in supply chain and logistics, for example, if you are looking for a job in marketing.
You can do an internet search and put in the search term “Recruiter” and industry, profession, or area (in quotation marks). When you review the search listings, make sure you are looking for those that do not work for a company but an agency. On LinkedIn, you can also put in the term “contingent searches” or “retained searches” to see if those words show up in a profile. That would likely indicate an agency recruiter.
Jack Kelley has a recruiter director on his site, Wecruitr. Other directories include Online Recruiters Directory, i-recruiter, and HeadHunters Directory.
Best Ways to Reach Out to Agency Recruiters
Once you have found a name and contact information, you will want to contact the individual. There are better ways to do this. Here are some suggestions to help you be more successful with your outreach.
Like with any networking, it is always better if you can have someone make an introduction. If you found the agency recruiter by asking your network, try to get that person to make an introduction.
Don't send a generic email if you have to do cold outreach. No one likes that, including agency recruiters. Look up the person on LinkedIn, and personalize the message as best you can. Do you have anything in common? Mention it. If the individual has something noteworthy in their background, mention it. A little flattery never hurts.
Keep your email message brief. Introduce yourself and provide information about what you do and want for your next step. You may also add a few short bullet points about what you offer that is unique or especially valuable. Make your message concise and compelling. Adding metrics wiil help.
Include a current resume and an executive biography if you have one.
Offer to provide some help in return. For example, if you see a position that a friend or colleague may be interested in that is posted on their website, offer to let your network know about the opportunity.
Information You Need to Know About an Agency Recruiter
Once you have started a conversation with an agency recruiter, they will be looking if you are someone that they might be able to place. You, in turn, want to find out if you can work with this individual.
You will want to find out the following:
What is their specialty? They may say that they specialize in aerospace on their website, but they haven’t placed anyone in the industry for several years. You should be able to get information on the types of clients they work with and the positions they place.
Ask the person about their role with the agency. Depending on your level and position desired, it may be better to focus on speaking with the junior members of the team. Partners in the firm may focus on business development or high-level searches, and junior recruiters may be doing a lot of the research and speaking with candidates.
How often have they worked with candidates like yourself, and have they placed people like you? Anyone can call themselves a recruiter, but you want to work with those that can demonstrate results.
Then you can tell if the agency recruiter can help you find opportunities or if your time is better spent working with someone else.
Keep This In Mind About Agency Recruiter/Candidate Relationships
Many people have never worked with an agency recruiter, so they do not know what to expect from this relationship. It is important to keep the following in mind not to be disappointed with the experience.
Many agencies will have a portal where you can add your information. Go ahead and do this, even if you have sent your resume to a recruiter. This database is where agency recruiters will first look to see who might be a fit when they get a new requisition from a client. Make sure you update your information if there are any changes, and let the recruiter know of your update.
Recruiters are busy. They may not get back to you right away. It is okay to send a follow-up email.
Agency recruiters do not like to play games with candidates. Be honest about your compensation needs. It is helpful to tell them your ideal number and your minimum. Unlike corporate recruiters, agency recruiters that work on a contingency basis get paid more when you make more, so it is in their interest to help you get the best compensation package.
Don’t think that an agency recruiter should be contacted only when you are looking for a job. Building a relationship with them builds trust even when you are not looking for a new position. Remember, their reputation is on the line every time they present a candidate to a client. The more they know about you, the more they can be assured you are a good fit and can do the job well. Having successful placements is the value that agency recruiters bring to a client. One’s reputation is critical in this industry.
How to Have an Agency Recruiter Find You
Third-party recruitment agencies may have an opening to fill and are looking for someone with your skills, knowledge, and experience. So how do you get on their radar? By making yourself visible to them!
Have a social media presence. Many agency recruiters (and corporate recruiters) will be searching social media, like LinkedIn, to find someone like you. They may have purchased the LinkedIn recruiter software, in which they can put in search terms and scour all of LinkedIn to find someone that meets their needs. Even if they have chosen not to use that software, they may do an internet search using important search terms. Your social media profiles may appear in the search if you have used those terms in your narrative. That is why it is vital to complete all social media profiles thoroughly, especially on LinkedIn.
Show your knowledge by writing posts, blogs, newsletters, publishing videos or podcasts, and having a website. Thought leadership in your area of expertise can help you stand out from your competition and bring opportunities your way.
Have your network help you to get the word out. Agency recruiters, just like their corporate counterparts, love referrals. Even if you are not directly contacted about an opportunity, a friend or colleague who is can refer you as a potential candidate. This is why it is essential to engage your trusted network in your job search.
Hang out where the recruiters hang out. On LinkedIn, when you check out an agency recruiter's profile, you can see the groups in which they belong. Check them out. If you have value to add to the discussions, participate in the conversation. It is a way to get visibility.
Agency recruiters often have fields of specialties. They may belong to professional organizations in those areas. Attending meetings or events of those organizations is an excellent way to meet recruiters who specialize in placing people in your field. For example, when I was in HR, many agency recruiters attended the monthly chapter meetings of the local SHRM chapter.
Remember, Clients Drive Their Business
One thing job seekers have to remember when working with an agency recruiter is that since their client pays them, their goal is to satisfy that client's needs. This means their focus is on filling the role for the employer, NOT on finding you a job. If you do not fit an immediate need, you may not get a lot of attention from the agency recruiter. They may not want to have a long conversation with you. Don’t take it personally.
If you are not an immediate fit for a role, make sure you follow up with the recruiter periodically. Let them know of any changes in your work and what would be an ideal role for you. Building a strong relationship is a long-term strategy that can help you now and in the future.
Conclusion
Reaching out to agency recruiters may be an important part of your overall job search strategy. Agency recruiters may have access to opportunities that are not otherwise advertised on job boards or even on the company website. Knowing how to best work with agency recruiters can help them do their job effectively and help you to get intelligence about the job market and information about opportunities now and in the future.
Shelley Piedmont is a job search coach. She wants to help job seekers put their best foot forward by providing the tools for a successful job search. If you need career coaching, resume preparation, interview skills assessment, or LinkedIn profile assistance, she can help. Schedule a 15-minute no-obligation consultation.