The article screams out at me: “Did you know? We also provide job placement…at no cost to the employer OR future employee!” Wow! It’s free, there’s no cost. How can this be?
Or how about this one: “Low cost executive recruiting doesn’t mean throwing money at risky job adverts.” How about working with “low cost, flat fee recruiters?” Sounds pretty attractive to me.
Perhaps I’m begging to differ too much here, but in my experience you get what you pay for.
- Can you get executive recruiting solutions for your hiring needs?
- Can you save money by saving money on the recruitment fee? Absolutely not.
The Assumptions
Let’s look at several of the assumptions. You have a need to fill a position. It could be a replacement for someone who left or was let go. It could be a new position. It could be you are planning to exit your business and you need someone to come in and replace you. You have a sense of who you need to serve your customers better. You want someone to fit in with your other employees, someone who will stay awhile, and someone who gets excited about coming to work every day.
Sound like a dream? Is it possible that this new hire could fulfill all these assumptions? Sure, but it does depend on how you approach the recruitment process. Let me give some examples:
- Post a job opening on … (list your favorite free job board). Ever wonder why it’s free? Who does pay for the air space anyway? Now back to my example. A person applies and sends you their résumé via email. When you open it what do you see? That’s right. Nothing. A blank screen. If you think there is something hidden in white text try printing it. Yup, a blank piece of paper. Are you saving time and money yet?
- Select long-tail keywords for the online search. Sure, go ahead, you are encouraged to do so, what the heck. And if you list the word “executive” in your keyword, guess what? You will get lots of resumes that have “executive” in the title, or body description. Are you saving time and money yet?
- You hire an executive recruiting firm that follows a detailed process to identify all the experience, skill sets, attitude, behavioral preferences, and motivators you need for the right fit. The firm reviews your product and service offerings, gains an understanding of your customers and clients, and gets a good appreciation of your work environment. The firm then brings you several highly qualified candidates who match what you’ve been looking for, helps you through the interview and selection process, conducts detailed reference checks, and helps you set up a performance plan for the new person you select. And then the firm stays with you a period of time to ensure the new person is the right fit. Are you saving time and money yet?
How Much Time?
- Correct!
- How much time do you have to spend, does your staff have to spend or wait, do your customers and clients have to wait until you have filled that job using executive recruiting solutions for under $ 100.
- Have you determined how much time it is going to take to train that new person (assuming you found the right person the first time)?
- At what point will that new person become a productive, revenue positive member of your team?
- Here’s an example: a client recently asked me to recruit 2 department managers. The positions had been vacant for 18 months.
- Guess who was doing their work? You guessed it – the owner – in addition to trying to do her job.
- She complained she had no time to call her own and company management, sales, and growth suffered.
How Much Money Is Saved?
Have you figured the money you have spent doing the search yourself or using the less expensive alternatives discussed above? Have you gained anything? There are financial formulas to calculate the cost of a hire – and a mis-hire. Is it worth it to gamble on the well-being of your company, your employees, and your customers?
The Choice Is Always Yours
In fairness many companies make great hires. The ones that do well follow a well-defined process and don’t leave matters to chance and the results speak for themselves.
- Working for great companies to help make them greater by finding great talent is rewarding.
- Helping companies that want to become greater by finding great talent is equally rewarding.
- You be the judge.
- If the shoe fits, wear it.