“I Know Everyone”
I want to explore the reason for hiring a reliable recruiter in a very specific, niche field like public finance. And it’s not what you think the reason is. It’s to manage the entire process. The phrase, “I know everyone,” is exactly the way most hiring managers in a specific market respond, and you should know everyone in your market.
Have Someone In Mind…?
So if it’s not to suggest candidates and submit resumes to the hiring managers, what is the benefit of using a recruiter? Before I answer, let me share what happened this week. We were being interviewed for the opportunity to work for a new firm. I personally have never had the experience of working with the hiring manager but I’ve known of their career for many years. As they were telling me of their perfect hire, I paused the discussion and shared, “You know exactly who you want to hire.” After a stunned positive response, I shared that most managers do know their ideal person but need a reliable recruiter to manage the process of getting them hired.
The Process Whisperer AKA Your Reliable Recruiter
The process is the key to what a good, reliable recruiter does, not just identifying the candidate. There are transactional recruiters that just resume shuffle, present their candidates, and step back. Then there are recruiters that work with both the candidate and the hiring manager to ensure a candidate will accept an offer and start with the new firm. A relationship recruiter knows exactly where both parties stand throughout the hiring process. Most importantly, these recruiters understand the “triangle rule of recruiting.” I coined this rule because it is the key to good hires.
The Triangle Rule Of Recruiting
Imagine all three sides of a triangle. The base is where the process starts, both parties then represent each side of the equilateral triangle. As the interview process begins both candidate and client are equally interested. The candidate represents one leg of the triangle, whereas the client or hiring manager represents the other leg. During the process, one of the legs gets ahead or behind, no longer making an equilateral triangle as they progress towards the apex of the triangle. For example, the hiring manager may want to present an offer, but the candidate is not there yet. On the converse, the candidate may be ready and willing to accept an offer, and the hiring manager is not prepared to present. A reliable recruiter handles this anomaly by slowing down the process until both parties are going to accept their equal role in forming the sides of the triangle. Then, and only then, is an offer suggested and accepted. Managing the process is the important activity, not the identification of a candidate. Because as I started this blog… you probably do know everyone. The question is: can you hire them?
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 [email protected]. 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. We have also been mentioned in Forbes, click HERE to read for yourself.
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.