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Finding
qualified candidates is the definitive task of the recruiter.
Recruiters accomplish this task through a variety of methods:
on the web, at conferences or networking events, in line at the
supermarket, or even at the local coffee shop. Sometimes, however,
a more targeted search is needed. For specialized positions that
call for candidates with niche skills, the expertise of a recruiting
research firm may be required.
Case
in point: a major food-service company is looking for a new chief
procurement officer -- fast. As the company's in-house staff is
relatively inexperienced, the client prefers to recruit outside
the company. The candidate must have existing relationships with
top vendors, thorough knowledge of industry standards, and some
management experience. Placed
in the above situation, the recruiter quickly realizes that candidates
with the required skills aren't just hanging around the unemployment
office. The only acceptable candidates are likely already employed
by the company's competitors.
Faced
with the daunting task of quickly uncovering a cadre of qualified
passive candidates, it may be time to engage the services of a
recruiting research firm. Recruiting
research firms identify candidates through Internet, database
and/or phone research. They are a valuable resource and can deliver
fast, targeted results when used wisely. To get the most out of
a recruiting research firm, ask yourself the following questions:
Where
do you want the firm to search?
What
region, company, division within a company or industry do you
want to focus on? Identifying the area and scope of inquiry
can go far in determining what type of research firm to hire.
For instance, Internet and database researchers are usually
best at doing broad searches across industries. Though these
researchers have developed strategies for identifying passive
candidates, their research is limited to information on the
web. For more targeted searches, phone researchers are
best.
Returning
to our previous example, if our recruiter felt that a broad
search of databases or an Internet search for procurement officers
could find an abundance of candidates, he or she would be best
served by hiring an Internet or database researcher. If, however,
our recruiter determined that the only possible candidates were,
for example, at a competitor's procurement division in Kansas
City, a phone researcher might be more successful at uncovering
names and contact information.
How
involved with the recruiting process should the firm be?
Recruiting
research firms perform several tasks, from simply finding names
and contact numbers, to actually screening applicants. Before
you hire a researcher, determine which of the following functions
you want the research firm to participate in:
- Candidate
Identification:
The research firm identifies potential candidates and delivers
contact information to the recruiter.
- Candidate
Development:
The research firm contacts potential candidates directly to
determine level of interest.
- Candidate
Assessment:
The research firm conducts preliminary interviews with candidates
to determine viability.
Can
this project be accomplished in-house?
Once
the scope of the project has been determined, the normal questions
about outsourcing pertain: Is there someone in-house who has
the skills to perform the job, but is being underutilized? Are
there proprietary resources/techniques that will get the job
done faster in-house? The recruiter will want to be sure that
the answer to both these questions are no before taking on the
added expense of a research firm.
Read
Recruiting Research Part II: Researching
on Your Own
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