The Undercover Recruiter
Photo by Christina Campisi
If you have been working in PR long enough, surely you have been on the receiving end of a recruiting call or two. But have you ever been scouted out by a headhunter at your company holiday party posing as waitstaff with a $500 check promised to your preferred charity in return for taking a meeting? Or maybe you've been stalked out during the weekend on a biking trail or the ski slopes by that recruiter whose calls you have managed to ignore for the past four weeks?
No? Well, it happens. The Wall Street Journal recently published an article, Snack Vendor -- or Undercover Recruiter, profiling some of these crazy tactics by executive recruiters.
Personally, I don't subscribe to this method of recruiting. I've found other methods that work best for my business and my style, but it did get me thinking about how easy companies sometimes think we recruiters have it.
My company recently placed a PR Manager with a technology company who I approached for business, knowing there was a position open and I knew the perfect candidate for the job. Within two weeks, the deal was signed and closed. When the client called to give me the final details on the offer, she added "I know this one must have been easy for you, so good for you!"
Easy? It wasn't as easy as it appeared. It was a relationship years in the making and if she only knew the entire history behind finding that candidate and what it took to get there! For the next post...
Date: September 23rd, 2008 / Author: Lindsay
Posted in Recruiting / Tags: headhunters, recruiters
2 Comments - Add yours!
Margie Newman (September 23rd, 2008)
When you are good at your job it usually does appear easy! It does always come back to relationships, doesn’t it. I love that.
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This blog is to share my recruiting experiences and discuss thoughts on the job market, PR industry and technology.
Alison Kenney is an independent PR practitioner with more than 15 years of PR consulting experience.
JR Moreau (September 23rd, 2008)
Wow, I’d sure like to pick the brains of those individuals who are so sought after! I’ve never been kidnapped in an unmarked black van for a job interview… EVER!!!