Why Employers Use Executive Recruiters

One employer explains why he retains recruiters to find job candidates.

March 12, 2009

By Elizabeth Bennett

 

“Recruiters are the first line of attack — almost a gatekeeper,” said Arthur Mandell, who has worked with executive recruiters to fill hundreds of positions during his 25-plus years in the commercial lending and equipment-leasing industry.

Mandell said he tends to play a very active role in the recruiting process. He also leans on recruiters when evaluating job candidates. “I would ask them to find out more about certain points [in their job history], how they would benefit the business, or about things in their background I don’t understand,” explained Mandell, whose most recent post was as executive vice president and managing director of Equilease, a privately held equipment leasing and financing company.

Like many employers, Mandell’s main concern when hiring is that the candidate be able to execute ideas and bring results. To that end, he has frequently called on his recruiting partners to plumb the depths of a candidate’s work history. “I would say, ‘Do you know this guy? Were they successful or not at their last position?’ You try to get as much information as you can.”

Having also spent time as a job seeker, Mandell is sympathetic to candidates who resent recruiters who seem unwilling to espouse their application when their background isn’t an obvious fit. “Most recruiters are advocates for employers, so if an employer has said they want someone with 15 years of experience and someone comes along with the right experience over a different number of years, they’re not necessarily going to fight that battle.” And these days, he observed, with so many people in the applicant pool, companies are in the position to be even more choosy than in the past.

Mandell is currently working with recruiters on his own employment search, and his years of experience on the other end of the process have provided some useful insights. “Job seekers can blame recruiters for not being able to communicate the position requirements, but the burden is with the employer’s senior hiring manager and the degree to which he has shared his vision with the recruiter,” Mandell told TheLadders. “Sometimes the recruiter is just the messenger.”

Why hire an Executive Search Firm to help with your next search?

If you are running a company with executive positions that need to be filled, then you would benefit from the assistance of people who are dedicated to finding the right person for the right job. Executive Search firms specialize in finding great executives to fit perfectly into your business. Not only is this move practical for you because of faster job placement, but surprisingly it is also quite cost effective, especially if the vacant positions are critical to the development and growth of your company.

Commitment – You get a high-level of commitment from your executive recruiter. Search firms utilize many techniques in finding prospective employees for your company; there is a greater chance for you to get only the best candidates. Your recruiter focuses exclusively on searching for the best people to fill the job, usually producing results faster than if you were to search on your own.

Experience – In many cases you are paying for 30 plus years of professional experience when hiring an executive recruiter. Your  recruiter has established relationships to find talent in the shortest time possible. Because of their contacts, as well as different databases specifically designed for their work, you will have experts dedicated to searching for prospective employees for your company. They do the job with integrity, honesty, and your best interests in mind.

Caliber – You will only get top caliber talent from your executive recruiter. Because of the resources they have on hand, they are more likely to find the best qualified candidates. This is especially true when looking for very specific skills sets.

Value – The value of your search goes beyond finding the right resume to send to you. Your search can include background checks, extensive candidate screenings, pre-interviews and assessments, and surveys on expected compensation and benefits. This will result in saving time and resources and that is always of value.

These reasons may help you to decide on hiring an executive recruiter for your next search. If you have questions about how to start your search or if TriStaff is the right firm for you please do not hesitate to call. We are always happy to help!