By Averyl Hill         JobsInME.com

Part III of a Three Part Series:  Recruiters 

Recruit the Recruiters!

Whether they're called Employment Agencies, Staffing or Recruiting Firms, recruiters can be an excellent addition to your high-powered job search. The majority of these firms are free to job seekers since their fees are paid by companies to locate candidates or temporary workers.  Some firms do charge fees before introducing you to companies; always ask up them front if they will require you to pay for their services. 

To facilitate your success, some firms will offer free advice on job search strategies, interview techniques and compensation issues. They can also give you feedback regarding your marketability and discuss the options available to you. Another advantage is that they have screened the companies where they are sending you; therefore they should be able to tell you about each company and answer questions you may have to “prep” you for your interviews.

Some job seekers choose to use a recruiter who can also harness the power of the Internet. Gary Auger, a Senior IT Search Consultant for Pro Search, recommends interviewing several recruiters before deciding with whom to work. He adds: “Traits of an effective recruiter include their familiarity with your desired industry, their connections with hiring managers and companies within the geographic area where you'd like to work, and the promise that they will not send out your resume without your prior knowledge and approval.” Auger routinely places candidates from Maine and outside the state, and he uses the Internet on a regular basis to find candidates.

Types of Recruiters:

Temporary Staffing Firms

Temporary staffing firms provide companies with people for a wide variety of project related work. The workers are paid on an hourly basis by the staffing company, who in turn charges their client company an hourly rate for that worker’s time. Some firms offer benefits to their employees. The employee's skills are evaluated against current assignments; when there is a match, the staffing company contacts the employee with the details of the project. These firms normally focus on entry and support level job openings.

Contingency Search Firms

Contingency Search firms are used by companies to recruit, evaluate and deliver candidates for a wide range of positions. These firms charge their client companies a fee only if their client hires one of the candidates presented by the firm, thus the term contingency. Most firms handle staff level to senior management positions. A majority of these firms also specialize in certain functional areas or in a particular industry. Contingency search firms maintain candidate databases and encourage unsolicited resumes from professionals that have experience matching the firm’s specialty.

Retained Search Firms

Retained Search Firms charge client companies to locate senior management talent. As the name implies, these firms charge their client’s an up front, non-refundable fee to begin the research and recruiting work necessary to identify and evaluate qualified candidates.

Types of Opportunities:

“Temp- Part or Full Time”

These assignments can last anywhere from a few hours to months; some are project oriented with a specific start and end date; others are ongoing that allow for flexibility in how long you stay.

“Temp-to-Hire”

The company wants to make sure you are a good fit before they seal the deal. They may decide they like what you do and hire you, or they may call your agency and ask for another candidate. In this scenario, the client may have a position that they need to fill and see the benefit of trying out perspective employees by having them “temp” for a certain period of time. YOU also have the benefit of deciding if the company is a good fit for you. The temporary staffing firm may charge the client company a conversion fee if you are hired on board directly by the client.  

“Direct Hire”

You will be screened very carefully, because the client company will pay a fee to the agency if they hire you. Companies may hire a search firm because they do not have time or resources to prescreen candidates.

Some of Maine’s largest staffing and recruiting firms regularly post jobs on JobsInME.com and also search the applicant database. By posting your resume, you are expanding your options by allowing yourself to be found. Of course, this is only one tool in your power search. By using all of your resources, resumes, and recruiting the help you need, you are definitely powering up your online search!