Public Finance Blog

What can a niche recruiter do for me as a hiring manager? In a few words: they are to provide intel on the field, players in the market, and the general feel of the marketplace as it directly relates to public finance. A niche recruiter as the name portends knows the industry (the participants and the candidates) extremely well. The one thing I hear from especially new hiring managers is the statement, “We know everyone, so there is no need for a recruiter’s service.” Candidly, that is exactly why you should be using a recruiter, specifically one that is a niche recruiter in your area of expertise.

Knowing The Truth & Saving Time

Let’s unpack this concept. As a hiring manager, you should know everyone in your marketplace like the “rock stars.”  However, knowing people and getting them to join your bank or firm are two completely different things. When you reach out to your prospective candidate they clearly are not going to be completely above board with you. The person who gets the true story is always the recruiter.  Why?  Because there is no vested interest, whether that person gets hired by your firm or a competitor’s firm. When a candidate knows that we only have their true interest at heart, they will and do open up to us – sharing exactly what their needs are. Some may try to sugarcoat their position and their accomplishments, but a niche recruiter will see through that. Your recruiter will only present to you a candidate who is entirely qualified for the role you are willing to fill (or more specifically willing to create) because you have been presented with the right candidate. In essence, your time will not be wasted interviewing unqualified candidates.

Compensation & Avoiding Disasters

Another role that a niche recruiter provides is to ensure that your offered compensation packages are in line with industry standards. You don’t want to court a banker or a bond counsel, make an offer, and later find out that your expected compensation package is poorly received because it is not competitive. Plus, you put so much time and energy into organizing and engaging in interviews, etc. to properly vet the candidate. When you are working with a recruiter, expectations are set. Any disconnect can be either handled proactively or ensure that future meetings be canceled. A niche recruiter can also build teams for you. Once a candidate is identified, a recruiter has the ability to add additional members to a team without worrying about the perception of raiding, or the candidate being subject to legal action (because he or she has violated their previous employment agreement by reaching out to current employees to build a team that is going to leave their current firm and go to the next one).

Your Guide Throughout The Hiring Process

Your recruiter should have the information and ability to manage the entire process for you.  Remember, the hiring manager is instrumental and with a recruiter on your side it almost guarantees that every offer put out by you or your HR team will be accepted.  As a niche recruiter myself, I will not present an offer unless I am 100% confident it will be accepted.  The only way I can perform this feat is to be in constant communication with all parties: hiring manager and candidate.

Conclusion

You don’t need a resume to chat with us! If you would like to discuss your options, please reach out for a confidential conversation at 760-477-1284 or email at harlan@hfriedmansearch.com. He can also be reached on LinkedIn. Harlan publishes a blog every Thursday here. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter here, which is a compilation of our weekly blogs, so you never miss one. 

About Harlan Friedman, JD & Founding Member, H. Friedman Search LLC. Harlan is a thirty-year veteran Public Finance Banker turned recruiter who specializes in the placement of all levels Public Finance Bankers, Healthcare Bankers, Municipal Advisors, Compliance Officers, Issuers, and Bond Counsels.