Search Firms | UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School

Search firms or third-party recruiters can be worthwhile tools. They handle a significant proportion of jobs at the executive level. Often called executive search, recruiting firms or headhunters, they are external to the hiring organization, but assist with sourcing candidates.

Third-party recruiters are working for their client companies, not you. In the process of helping a company fill an opening, they can be useful in helping you find a job, but their primary client is the employer.

There are two kinds of firms: retained and contingent. Technically, these are the two kinds of searches they conduct; many handle both.

Retained searches: A company might retain a firm to find someone for a particular job, typically upper-level management and executive positions. It might scour the market for suitable candidates, but also could be much more involved in vetting them through interviews, research and reference/background checks. It receives payment whether or not someone is hired.
Contingency searches: For mid-level management and below, companies tend to use contingency firms, which serve as a broker of sorts, matching candidates to potential employers The employer pays the firm only if they hire the referred person. The search firm might or might not have any previous connection to the employer; the recruiter might have seen the job advertised just as you did. But if the firm presents a candidate who is subsequently hired, they are generally entitled to a fee. Some contingency recruiters have strong ties to local businesses and the employer might alert them when an opening occurs, even though they are not hiring the firm to conduct the search. In a small number of situations, mostly at low levels of responsibility and salary, the search firm might expect the candidate to pay the fee if the employer does not. Since the fee can be quite expensive, steer clear of these situations. If the recruiter asks you to sign anything, be cautious.

Things to Consider About Recruiters

Recruiters might be eager to connect with you if you fit the criteria for a job for which they are recruiting. If not, they could be very difficult to connect with. This is merely a matter of so many people wanting their attention that they cannot respond to everyone who approaches them.
Recruiting firms typically specialize in an industry or function or both. Some firms are generalists, but might have recruiters on staff that specialize.
When recruiters first meet you, they might tell you they will make calls on your behalf to prompt interest in your credentials. And this certainly might generate some activity. But don’t let this lull you into thinking that they will be handling your search overall. They are recruiters, not agents.
Recruiters often aren’t particularly interested in career changers – people pursuing a new function or industry. The reason is you are not the typical candidate, so you will be a bit harder to place. However, whether you are hard to sell or easy, they still get the same fee. This doesn’t mean that you can’t make that a switch on your own. You just might not find third-party recruiters a particularly helpful resource.
Instruct contingency recruiters to not refer you to companies without your permission. This gives you greater control over your search. It also ensures that they do not submit your resume for a job that you already applied to, which can create confusion over the fee.
If the job is openly advertised, you might find that you can present yourself more effectively on your own. This could be especially true if you have good networking contacts who can help you capture the decision-maker’s attention, without the added fee attached to your candidacy.

Sourcing Recruiters

Perhaps the best way to find recruiters is through people you know. Being referred to a recruiter by a mutual contact has two advantages. First, you are more likely to find a good recruiter because someone you trust has recommended them. Second, you are more likely to get a response from the recruiter as a courtesy to the person who referred you. In addition, if your contact has referred other good candidates to the firm, the recruiter might assume that you are a good candidate, too.

You can also leverage LinkedIn by conducting a search for people using key words like “recruiter” or “recruiting” and then narrowing the search to people who are in your network. If you belong to relevant groups on LinkedIn based on your profession, industry or location, you can search the members for recruiters, too. If the recruiter belongs to a group you belong to, it likely means they recruit in that field or industry.

Blue Steps

BlueSteps is the confidential career-management service offered by the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC). As a benefit of UNC Kenan-Flagler’s partnership with BlueSteps, students and alumni receive a 30% discount on lifetime membership plus a complimentary upgrade to Premium Services.

As a Premium Services Member, you’ll have access to elite tools and resources:

The AESC Member Directory which helps you find the right recruiters to build career-long relationships
A BlueSteps profile which makes you visible to over 9,000 AESC executive recruiters who fill 800,000 executive positions worldwide each year
The BlueSteps Opportunity page with 400-600 executive job postings you can filter by industries, functions and geographic markets to find the right roles for you.
Exclusive educational resources curated specifically for you to help you build a career strategy with our 100-plus-page guide series on executive career management and personal branding.

To learn more or to register for your premium membership, visit the BlueSteps website and use the code KenanFlagler.