We’re Not the Enemy
It’s not unusual or infrequent, unfortunately, that people in my business are received poorly by corporate human resource and talent acquisition professionals. Some of this…I get. There are lots of schmuck recruiters out there. That’s unfortunate as well. But, this is reality.
One of my Search Consultants recently connected with a business executive who is also a friend. The executive agreed to put one of his senior HR people in touch with my Search Consultant so that they could get acquainted and explore the possibility of our two companies working together.
When the call happened, my Search Consultant was treated as an enemy combatant. The HR exec was not only rude, but downright unprofessional. “Who are you? “I’ve never heard of you or your firm.” “Are you a customer of our organization?” It was an impolite interrogation. Needless to say, the conversation went nowhere fast. Keep in mind, this wasn’t a cold call. This was a warm call that was teed up by this person’s boss. (Who, upon learning of this, was none too pleased.)
There are lots of reasons that HR professionals don’t like recruiters. I get it. But there’s also a cloud of insecurity that some HR pros are reluctant to face: Fear that using a search firm exposes them as having failed. “What will our leaders think?” “If we pay a fee, then what am I here for?”
This organization currently has approximately 90 job openings. Relationships with good recruiting firms might make some sense here. Especially considering that we are in the most competitive employment market that we’ve seen in at least a decade. We understand you have budgets. We understand our fees aren’t cheap. But sometimes, you just need an expert. We’re not the enemy. And if you choose your search firm partner wisely, we can make you look like a star.
