When executives who otherwise have excelled

throughout their careers unexpectedly find

themselves out of a job, they often face an

intense period of transition during which they might struggle

to reclaim the financial security and personal identity they have

built around their profession. Naturally, it is quite common that

people are most apt to turn to executive recruiters for support

under such circumstances. However, having a realistic per-

spective about how search consultants work is essential if you

hope to establish relationships that will ultimately lead to a new

position. This article provides guidelines for engaging recruiters

effectively and puts their role in the appropriate context.

THE RolE of THE ExEcuTivE REcRuiTER in YouR Job SEaRcH

Part 2:

At least 70 percent of the work done by

premier executive search firms like Korn/Ferry is at the C-suite,

Managing Director, or Board level. Mid-

level professionals will be referred to other

resources and are encouraged to leverage Internet sites to tap into

opportunities. Korn/Ferry operates a wholly

owned subsidiary, Futurestep, which

focuses on mid-level and outsourced

recruiting.

behind the Scenes: balancing the needs of the client versus the candidate First, it is important to recognize that recruiters at the leading retained search firms work for their clients – the hiring organizations – and not the candidates per se. This is true even in robust economic times, when statistics indicate that these firms receive as many as 5,000 resumes a month1. (Some of the Korn/Ferry consultants interviewed for this article estimate that they personally receive between 20-40 unsolicited contacts from job seekers worldwide each day!)

Such firms do not do outplacement. Occasionally, a consultant will know a company so well and have such an intimate understanding of their needs that they will recommend an executive to a client even if there is no immediate opening, but working on a speculative basis such as this is quite rare. Krzysztof Nowakowski, a senior client partner in Korn/Ferry’s Warsaw office, echoes this view, saying he seldom, if ever, has introduced someone to a potential employer without a high degree of certainty that they are well suited to a particular role. “Experience tells us that we do not know people well unless they have a consistent market reputation and are totally transparent. Rather than take a chance on a new candidate, I try to facilitate networking – for example, putting private equity players in touch with bankers – in a way that is interesting for everyone.”

In the current environment, the need to recruit top-tier leadership talent is more critical than ever, with the competition for executives who have successfully managed in a downturn particularly acute. Ironically, as a result, the vast majority of the executives on recruiters’ radar screens today are those who are gainfully employed. Unlike in the past, these executives also might be less willing to move due to uncertainty about the potential risk of being the “last in and first out” at a new

2 1 Lowstuter, Clyde C. In Search of the Perfect Job. McGraw-Hill Professional, 2007.

“In today’s environment, it really helps if the executive knows what they want to do with their life and can explain how they are screening opportunities by

drivers such as title, geography and compensation.”

Ronald ZeraKorn/Ferry Dallas

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organization, where the short-term rewards might not be enough of a draw. As Ronald Zera, a senior client partner in Korn/Ferry’s Dallas office explains, “The whole economy is in a sort of paralysis. People are unsure where organizations are going.”

Against this backdrop, if you are seeking to connect with a search consultant for the first time, you will stand the best chance if your background and skills directly match an opportunity that he or she is actively working on. As Helen Tantau, a senior client partner in Korn/Ferry’s Bangkok office, observes, “The requirements can be very specific from job to job. Sometimes, it really becomes a matter of compatibility and if you do not fit a role we are working on at the time, unfortunately we cannot make you fit.” A sophisticated approach to getting the attention of and forging the way towards a mutually beneficial and ongoing relationship with a recruiter is therefore required.

Getting noticed: The Do’s and Don’ts of initiating contact with a RecruiterAlthough the majority of executive recruiters are very empathetic and keen to help professionals succeed, it is impossible for them to personally interact with everyone given the vast number of people vying for their attention; there simply are not enough hours in a day. That said, there are ways to increase the chances of getting noticed.

Perhaps the most effective is to be introduced directly to a recruiter by someone they trust and respect, such as a client or well-known industry contact. Never underestimate the power of your professional network and leverage it to be put in touch with a recruiter specializing in your sector, function, or geography. Even then, it is more likely that you initially will get a meeting via phone rather than in person, unless you are very seasoned.

bE WaRY of ouTSiDE RESuME SERvicES liSTS

One caveat to the e-mail approach is the use of outside services lists. It is usually evident when a CV comes through to a recruiter from one of these services due to the “canned” nature of the message and occasionally even the misspelling of the recruiter’s name. A resume presented in this manner will likely be deleted or ignored. Rather, we recommend communicating through the search firm’s online resume builder, such as ekornferry.com.

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In terms of cold-calling a recruiter, e-mail is still preferable to a phone call as a first introduction in spite of the heavy volumes mentioned earlier, since it gives a quick impression of you and allows the recruiter to circulate your credentials amongst their colleagues and enter them into their global databases. The recruiter immediately will look for what is unusual or uniquely differentiating in your resume, including qualitative information such as the size of the jobs you have held, organizations for which you have worked, number of people you have managed, and results/profits for which you have been accountable.

If at this point your background aligns with an open position, you will likely be contacted either by the consultant themselves or by an associate on their team for a phone discussion. As Korn/Ferry’s Tantau notes, “If you make a good impression, people will find you.” Korn/Ferry’s Nowakowski agrees that the quality of recruiting firms’ knowledge management capabilities has become very reliable and sophisticated, enabling recruiters to pinpoint the most appropriate talent with incredible accuracy. “What I tell people is ‘Don’t worry about getting lost. We will certainly find you.’” Importantly, do not interpret not hearing directly from the person you contacted as not having access to them – the research and other support staff are very professional and influential and their impressions of you likewise will be taken into account.

“Some of the best people are resistant to change today because no one knows what will happen tomorrow.”

Krzysztof Nowakowski

Korn/Ferry Warsaw

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aPPRoacHinG REcRuiTERS if You aRE acTivElY looKinG foR a Job

n Send an e-mail with an updated version of your resume accompanied by a quick snapshot of your career drivers: title, geography, compensation and the types of opportunities you are interested in. Avoid “spamming” recruiters with multiple unsolicited e-mails each week or calling them several times in a day, as these efforts may backfire.

n Be transparent without being overly self-promotional during any phone or in-person meeting with a representative from a search firm. Do not make claims out of anxiety that will not stand up to rigorous background and reference checking – the recruiter’s duty of care to their clients necessitates a reasonably thorough investigation of potential employees, and they quickly will discover anything that is fabricated or exaggerated.

n Have a clear vision of what you want and a keen awareness of what you have to offer. Be careful not to view executive recruiters as career counselors – with upwards of 1,500 assignments open at any given time firm wide, the recruiter can give you a snapshot of what is happening in the market at large but cannot necessarily help you focus your job search if you yourself lack clarity.

n Strategically target a single recruiter within a firm. This individual will facilitate connections to others within the firm who might be pertinent to you. It is not necessary to contact multiple individuals within the same firm.

n Assess opportunities proffered by recruiters realistically. Do not feign interest in a job that you are not intending to follow through on simply to get face-time with a recruiter – it will waste their time and not position you as a serious candidate.

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Giving to Get – Stand out by Sharing contacts and Market KnowledgeYour willingness to refer other executives to recruiters can be a powerful way of setting yourself apart. Doing so proves that you know what is happening behind the scenes in your industry and demonstrates your ability to share insights and ideas discretely and appropriately. By being a reliable resource, you will stay in a recruiter’s mind longer and will have a respectful reason to reconnect periodically when you have information that could be meaningful to their work. It is also perfectly acceptable to send along any updated versions of your resume as it evolves (without sending the same version multiple times), or to advise them if you have changed direction or landed a new position. Finally, if you have had phone or in-person contact with a recruiter, ask them if you can follow up in a few months to keep your options open and communications flowing.

While this reciprocity will help you over the long run, attempting to build a personal relationship with a recruiter should not be your goal. In fact, it is something that the recruiter will take great strides to avoid in order to maintain an ethical code of conduct. Here is a short list of what you can reasonably expect from an executive recruiter:

1. Preparing you before an interview. The recruiter will nor-mally provide quite specific guidance before an interview to enable you to be on the same page with the hiring manager as soon as possible in the first few minutes of your meeting.

2. Balancing out the negotiations. The role of the search con-sultant during the negotiations process will be very hands on to make sure that both sides are fairly represented, acting as an impartial sounding board for the candidate to level set on what they can reasonably ask for and to bridge the gap with the hiring organization, helping each to make tough decisions and broker the deal through to completion.

“At the end of the day, we are all sharing information.”

Helen TantauKorn/Ferry Bangkok

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3. Tracking your progress during the first 90 days. After being placed in a new role, you will likely have an ongoing relationship with the search consultant, who will check in to see how things are going and provide support if required to help ensure your success.

Accessing and utilizing retained search firms as you navigate the next phase of your career can be instrumental to your advancement. For more information on how to work with executive recruiters, the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC) provides numerous resources on its web site at www.aesc.org.

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about The Korn/ferry instituteThe Korn/Ferry Institute was founded to serve as a premier global voice on a range of talent management and leadership issues. The Institute commissions, originates and publishes groundbreaking research utilizing Korn/Ferry’s unparalleled expertise in executive recruitment and talent development combined with its preeminent behavioral research library. The Institute is dedicated to improving the state of global human capital for businesses of all sizes around the world.

about Korn/ferry internationalKorn/Ferry International, with more than 90 offices in 40 countries, is a premier global provider of talent management solutions. Based in Los Angeles, the firm delivers an array of solutions that help clients to identify, deploy, develop, retain and reward their talent.

For more information on the Korn/Ferry International family of companies, visit www.kornferry.com.

© Copyright 2009 The Korn/Ferry Institute