Q. Why should I use your service? How much does your service cost?
A. With our proven system, we provide our clients with the best-matched recruiting firm(s) for their specific industry and hiring needs. We help our clients get the best rates because of our great relationships with the recruiting firms. Our service is FREE; we are paid by the recruiting firms in our directory, which allows us to focus directly on each client. We have hundreds of recruiting firms in our directory-each one specializing in a specific industry, location, or type of search. In addition, we rate the recruiting firms based on our clients' previous experiences with them-so we are confident that the recruiting firm(s) we refer to a client will be top-notch.
Q. Why use an executive search firm?
A. Executive search firms are dedicated to targeting and recruiting candidates who meet your organization's specific criteria. They utilize their databases, social networking, job boards, and old-fashioned "headhunting". Oftentimes, organizations will utilize the services of an executive search firm because they are too busy to dedicate the resources needed to conduct the search-or they don't have the network to locate these types of candidates.
Q. How much does the recruiter charge?
A. The fees can vary based on the level of the position, location, difficulty, etc. Typical fees range from 20%-33% of the first year's annual salary, with the average fee being 25%. In some cases, recruiting firms will agree to working on a prearranged flat-fee basis.
Q. What options do I have when choosing an executive search firm?
A. There are three search options: Contingency, Retained, and Engagement. These different searches give you options as to the level of service you receive. Contingency is more of a success-based search, whereas the Retained search option is a more aggressive "headhunting" search.
Q. If I go with a contingent search, how many recruiters should I work with at a time?
A. We suggest working with 1-2 search firms at a time, then if after 2-3 weeks, you don't have the quality of candidate(s) you are seeking, add another firm to the search. There are many reasons why you should not work with multiple firms at the same time, the most important being that recruiters could end up contacting the same candidates over and over again—which could make your organization less appealing. In addition, working with multiple search firms can lead to an organization having to pay two recruiting firms for the same candidate.
Q. Do recruiters conduct background checks?
A. Typically, a recruiter can assist you with the reference checks, but for the background checks they can suggest reliable companies to use.
Q. What if I don't the know the salary range of the candidate I'm looking for?
A. Executive recruiters can assist you in finding out what salary range you should be paying and what the competitors are paying.
Q. What type of guarantees are there?
A. Contingency search firms usually offer a 60-day or a 90-day replacement guarantee, whereas Retained search firms will offer a longer guarantee of 6 months to 1 year, depending on the search.