If you wonder why you rarely hear back from recruiters you submit your resume to, or get very few interviews through them, it is most often because your experience and qualifications simply do not ideally match the needs of their client; and their client is the employer who has either paid or will pay them for filling the position you applied to, not you. For the most part, a recruiter is beneficial to you if you match the specific needs of a paying client.
When dealing with third party recruiters (a.k.a. employment agencies, staffing agencies, search firms, headhunters) you must understand the reality of how they operate and appreciate that their primary job, is not to assist you in finding a job.
To hire for a permanent position through a recruiter the company pays a fee, a fee which is normally based on the starting salary for the job. The higher the starting salary, the higher the fee. The percentage charged will depend on the fee schedule used by the agency the recruiter works for and can vary widely from one to another. For example, the fee for a job with a starting salary of only $25,000 per year can be anywhere from 10% to 25% or $2,500 to $6,250, and the fee for a job with a starting salary of $50,000 per year can range from 10% to 40% or $5,000 to $20,000.
In all cases, you see that it can be relatively costly for a company to use the services of third party recruiters on a regular basis; and it's for this reason that many companies actually do not use them, and that those that do only use them to fill a relatively small portion of their jobs. When you look at the fees employers pay and add to this the fact that in most cases, all or the majority of what a recruiter earns is based on filling the job, you can easily understand how selective an employer will be when they hire through a recruiter, and how careful the recruiter must be about who he or she sends, for fear of losing the employer, or losing out to another recruiter.
What makes this even more challenging for recruiters, and thus for you as the candidate, is that there are hundreds of agencies and search firms and thousands of recruiters who work for them; and in many cases they are competing with other recruiters, sometimes even at their own firms, to fill the same jobs. You should now be able to understand why employment agencies focus on finding employers who are willing to pay, and why their recruiters focus on finding and referring multiple candidates in hopes of filling the jobs they get, and not specifically on trying to help Job Seekers.
As I stated before, a recruiter will be beneficial to you if you match the needs one of their paying clients. Your best strategy as a candidate is to register with multiple recruiters that deal with your industry or discipline, to ensure that you have a chance at being considered for the relatively small portion of the job market that is accessible through the industry; regardless of what any one recruiter may tell you about working on your behalf and promises made to place you in a job.
Now I hope this does not appear to be an article against recruiters, or that they should not be a part of your job search strategy, because they absolutely should. Recruiters have access to jobs you do not, and after all, it does not cost you anything, except the time it takes to register or send your resume, which is something you are doing anyway. What I am saying, is that you need to appreciate that the job of a recruiter is not to help you to find a job, it is to help the employer; so you should never rely on recruiters as your only means, or even your primary means of finding work.
If you want someone to work on your behalf and focus on finding you a job, consider using a Job Search Specialist (a.k.a. Job Developer, Job Search Coach, Career Coach, Outplacement Consultant)
When dealing with third party recruiters (a.k.a. employment agencies, staffing agencies, search firms, headhunters) you must understand the reality of how they operate and appreciate that their primary job, is not to assist you in finding a job.
To hire for a permanent position through a recruiter the company pays a fee, a fee which is normally based on the starting salary for the job. The higher the starting salary, the higher the fee. The percentage charged will depend on the fee schedule used by the agency the recruiter works for and can vary widely from one to another. For example, the fee for a job with a starting salary of only $25,000 per year can be anywhere from 10% to 25% or $2,500 to $6,250, and the fee for a job with a starting salary of $50,000 per year can range from 10% to 40% or $5,000 to $20,000.
In all cases, you see that it can be relatively costly for a company to use the services of third party recruiters on a regular basis; and it's for this reason that many companies actually do not use them, and that those that do only use them to fill a relatively small portion of their jobs. When you look at the fees employers pay and add to this the fact that in most cases, all or the majority of what a recruiter earns is based on filling the job, you can easily understand how selective an employer will be when they hire through a recruiter, and how careful the recruiter must be about who he or she sends, for fear of losing the employer, or losing out to another recruiter.
What makes this even more challenging for recruiters, and thus for you as the candidate, is that there are hundreds of agencies and search firms and thousands of recruiters who work for them; and in many cases they are competing with other recruiters, sometimes even at their own firms, to fill the same jobs. You should now be able to understand why employment agencies focus on finding employers who are willing to pay, and why their recruiters focus on finding and referring multiple candidates in hopes of filling the jobs they get, and not specifically on trying to help Job Seekers.
As I stated before, a recruiter will be beneficial to you if you match the needs one of their paying clients. Your best strategy as a candidate is to register with multiple recruiters that deal with your industry or discipline, to ensure that you have a chance at being considered for the relatively small portion of the job market that is accessible through the industry; regardless of what any one recruiter may tell you about working on your behalf and promises made to place you in a job.
Now I hope this does not appear to be an article against recruiters, or that they should not be a part of your job search strategy, because they absolutely should. Recruiters have access to jobs you do not, and after all, it does not cost you anything, except the time it takes to register or send your resume, which is something you are doing anyway. What I am saying, is that you need to appreciate that the job of a recruiter is not to help you to find a job, it is to help the employer; so you should never rely on recruiters as your only means, or even your primary means of finding work.
If you want someone to work on your behalf and focus on finding you a job, consider using a Job Search Specialist (a.k.a. Job Developer, Job Search Coach, Career Coach, Outplacement Consultant)
Job Search Specialists are on the other end of the spectrum from recruiters in that their primary obligation is to work with/for the candidate. The obvious major difference is that the fees for their services are paid either by you, the downsizing employer you are being laid off from, or through a government program or service provided by a non-profit that may be available to you. The main advantage is that these professionals typically have a much more extensive network of contacts and greater access to job and career opportunities as there is no fee to the employer to work with and hire through them.
Whatever you choose to do, remember that recruiters are paid to fill jobs and would love nothing more than for you to be the candidate their client needs when they review your resume. It is their skill, expertise and opinion the employer is paying for to help them fill the position. It is their livelihood at stake if they send the wrong candidate.
Whatever you choose to do, remember that recruiters are paid to fill jobs and would love nothing more than for you to be the candidate their client needs when they review your resume. It is their skill, expertise and opinion the employer is paying for to help them fill the position. It is their livelihood at stake if they send the wrong candidate.
In the end, a recruiter or employment agency might not be able to help you to find a job, but if you sign on with them so they can find you when they have a job to fill, they just might.
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Ready for a new job? Whether you use recruiters/agencies, do it yourself, or hire a job developer or career coach, effective Job Search Marketing IS the key to a successful job search. If you or someone you know is looking for a new opportunity, explore CFM solutions online or contact us by phone at 1-800-379-5926 or 1-416-628-5953 or Skype nigel.corneal
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