In today's highly competitive marketplace, truly exceptional talent is a scarce commodity. As a result, the likelihood of your being courted by a recruiter has increased dramatically in recent
months.
Don't let the seeming awkwardness of that initial call turn you into a reluctant participant. Whether you are gainfully employed and content (even thriving) in your current position, or seriously
contemplating a job change, it will be to your advantage to accept a recruiter's call. View it as an opportunity - not an annoyance. Although the investment may not pay off in the short term, it could
down the road.
Take the Driver's Seat
As the professional being contacted by a search firm, you can serve in a dual capacity - as a potential candidate, and as a source of other possibilities. In most instances, a recruiter will be
calling to inquire whether you are interested in a specific search that he or she is conducting. Some calls may pique your interest and others may not. Just be sure to convey precisely what your career
aspirations are, or aren't. If the opportunity the recruiter is pitching is not for you, don't feel sheepish about declining to pursue that avenue. Instead, leverage your position by serving as a
valuable source of alternative candidates for the recruiter's search.
Keep in mind, each call affords an opportunity for you to take charge of your relationship with the recruiter. Be proactive. Will you wait until the recruiter needs you, or call only when you need the
recruiter? It's wiser to make occasional contact and keep the recruiter apprised of new developments in your career - including possible new interests on your part.
Why Bother?
Many professionals will ask, "Is this process really all that beneficial to me?" Consider some of the perks:
Marketplace value. Conversations with recruiters often are quite revealing about the compensation value/price tag that a profession or function may have. This type of information can be of
tremendous importance to you as you examine your own value to your current employer against peers within your company for the purpose of defending peer equity issues with management, and within both your
specific profession and industry.
Marketplace intelligence and trends. Recruiters are close to the heartbeat of global corporations when it comes to understanding strategies that senior management will be embracing in the
months ahead. We often serve as excellent forecasters and benchmarking resources about industry trends. But we rely on interactions with potential candidates to provide us with much of the rudimentary
knowledge that enables us to counsel our clients on how to frame and redefine their positions/functions.
Career navigation/networking. Executive search professionals are in the business of assisting candidates in rethinking and navigating their career strategies. While your attention may not be
focused on your next career move when we call, keep an open mind. A recruiter may be able to assist you in reshaping your career in ways you never thought possible. Networking and building credible
relationships with executive search professionals can catalyze unusual and interesting transitions.
When to Call a Recruiter
When and how do you recognize that fateful moment when you should make that call? You can wait until you are desperate to leave your current position, or build solid relationships with your
recruitment contacts long before you need them.
Waiting until you are completely dissatisfied with your current job is not a wise move, as it will put you in the compromising position of having to lower your expectations. Don't drag your feet until
layoffs are impending at your company, or a colleague gets the promotion you thought you'd earned, or your department's budget gets slashed by 50%. If you have procrastinated until that point, bide
your time and develop some solid relationships with recruiters before you share the totality of your frustrations. Dumping will not help your professional credibility.
Similarly, throwing yourself into every search that comes your way can hurt your reputation. Shopping around will position you as a professional who is indecisive, and possibly looking to leverage
another company's interest as a means of either validating your own worth, or garnering higher compensation with your current employer.
Who Stands Out
While there is no commonality or consistency from one search firm to another in terms of which candidates qualify for the "radar screen," the best contenders aren't hard to spot. Focus on best
practices in every contribution you make in your current position, in your overall profession and in the counsel you provide to your subordinates, peers and senior management. And be prepared to
substantiate your accomplishments with evidence of successful outcomes.
Smooch Reynolds is president and CEO of The Repovich-Reynolds Group, a national executive search and management consulting firm specializing in investor relations, communications and marketing
functions. 626/585-9455.
*This article excerpted from Navigating Your Career, with permission from John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and Hunt-Scanlon Publishing.