Relocation, Compensation, Corp. Culture, Education, Client Question and Multiple Offers are discussed in the Candidate section.

Two very important things really sum up what your recruiter needs and expects from you.

(1) Honesty is all important.
(2) Recruiters do not like surprises.

Let's talk about honesty first. Although the recruiter is the intermediary
between the Client Company and you, the Candidate, the recruiter is retained
by the client. Therefore, it is imperative to develop an honest dialogue
with your recruiter and avoid any misrepresentations of your profile.
Fabrication or "white lies" can ultimately destroy a candidate's relationship
with their recruiter as well as their chances for employment with the company
that has received false information.

Remember to be candid about your impressions and desires. You will not hurt a recruiter’s feelings if you say early in the process that a particular position is not right for you.

Surprises come in all shapes and sizes. If it’s your birthday, surprises are great. But in the world of retained search where thoroughness is fundamental, surprises are never good for anyone. You’ll see references on how not to surprise your recruiter all thru this section of the site. The main thing is, be thorough, be open, be honest and be complete about your background, experience, likes and dislikes.

The Relocation Question:
Before you answer a question about whether you are willing to relocate, you should have thought about it hard. You should have talked with your spouse and family about it.

Some people are just unable or unwilling to relocate for any opportunity. Some are only willing to relocate for what they perceive to be a superior opportunity. Some are very open to relocation almost anywhere for the right position, and some have a whole list of where they would like to go and where they would not go.

This is a “quality of life” issue, and it’s totally understandable that you will be very definite about your likes and dislikes, your willingness or unwillingness. Just be honest!

Your recruiter would rather hear the truth in the beginning than to go down the path with you thinking that all is well and then find out after you get the offer that you are not willing to move! Remember, recruiters do not like surprises.

If you are talking to a recruiter about a position that’s in Boston and you live in Houston, you know you’re going to have to relocate. You should consider that and talk candidly with your family about that at the beginning of the process so you can decide if you really want to pursue the opportunity. It is astounding how many people will say that relocation is not a problem at the beginning of the process and then, when offered a position, say that they are meeting resistance from the family regarding the move.

This is never a topic that should be dealt with lightly. Sit your family down and explain that it will be necessary to move and invite them to share any problems or concerns with you. High school age children especially, are reluctant to leave friends prior to graduation. You need to address their concerns.

Obviously, because this issue can prevent you from taking a position that is offered, you should be quite sure of your ability to relocate and your preferences (if any) as to regions of the country before time, energy and expense are invested in interviewing.

At the same time, you must understand that the limitations you put on your flexibility to relocate can affect the opportunities available to you. Obviously, since this is a “quality of life” issue, only you and your family can decide what is most important to you.

The Compensation Question:
A recruiter must know what you are currently earning so that he/she doesn’t waste your time, his/her time or their client’s time. Often the recruiter is not at liberty (per the client’s direction) to tell you what the compensation may be for the position.

When you tell your recruiter your compensation, he’ll/she’ll tell you whether you’re too high for the position in question, or if it makes sense for you to pursue it. His/her job is to know the client and what they are willing (and able) to pay for the position. If he/she tells you that you are too high, respect that — no matter how much you think you would like the job, or would like to get into that particular company/industry.

If your total compensation now is $150K and the most you could possibly get to start in this position is $120K, don’t assume that once you interview with the client, they will be so impressed with you that they’ll be willing to pay you $160K just to get you. It’s probably not going to happen and the client will question the recruiter’s judgment (and yours).

And, if the recruiter says he/she can’t discuss the compensation, he/she can’t. But, the recruiter should give you an honest answer as to whether it is worth your while to pursue the opportunity from a financial standpoint. If he/she says yes, you need to have some trust in him/her and proceed from there.

In addition, trying to “play the game” of finding out what the job offers before you tell what you’re making is a bad strategy. In circumstances where your recruiter cannot share that information with you, you will end up in a standoff since the recruiter cannot submit you to his/her client without knowing your compensation.

Even if you were to know the compensation of the new position, you cannot state that your current compensation is higher than it is just to try to increase any offer you may get. Virtually all companies today require proof of present income (check stub, W-2, etc.) prior to your starting with them. Think of how embarrassing it would be (and job threatening) if the W-2 indicates a lower compensation than you stated you earn. That’s another one of those surprises we don’t want to happen!

The Culture Question:
You can be technically qualified for a position while not being a match from a corporate culture standpoint.

Various studies report that well over 80% of the people who leave jobs, leave for cultural reasons. For example, if you’re a hard driving individual and the company you work for has a “laid back” culture that could be a formula for frustration. If you’re a “nine to fiver” and you’re in a high energy “seven to eight” company, you’re really not going to do well there.

One of your recruiter’s jobs is to make sure that the candidate and the client match culturally. That’s the only way you will be happy in the new job and the only way the client will be satisfied.

At Heritage Recruiting Group, we spend a great deal of time, probing the cultural issues to ensure that we have a proper match.

Your recruiter wants this to be win-win situation for everyone involved.

The Education Question:
Be honest about your academic qualifications when asked.

If you do not have a degree, say so.

If you only have college credits, say so.

If you are currently in school, tell your recruiter that and give an estimated graduation date, if possible.

Don’t ever make it look like you have a degree if you don’t. Most companies generally require verification of degrees. Finding out that Yale never heard of you when you state your BA is from there, is another one of those surprises your recruiter could live without!

The Client Question:
In many retained searches, the client’s name may not be disclosed to you in the early stages of the process.

If the client has asked that it be given to candidates — and some do because they feel that knowing their name will increase candidates’ interest — then you may know it early.

Otherwise, you could conceivably go through two interviews with recruiters before knowing who the client is. However, the recruiter will give you enough information — type of business, sales revenue, location—that an astute candidate can often figure it out.

There are generally two reasons why the client name may be withheld at first.

First, one of the reasons that the client hired a search firm to begin with is so that the interviewing process is manageable. They prefer to have candidates screened by the search firm rather than “going direct”. On occasion, overzealous candidates decide to contact the client directly thinking that it will enhance their chances. It certainly doesn’t and clients wish to avoid this.

Second, many people have their sites set on a particular company. Because Heritage represents so many excellent companies, people will say they have interest in any job as long as it would get them into that company. That is not a good situation. It is important that the individual position is the right one; not just that the company is one that you want to work for.

We explore the fit for the position first; then, if it’s a good one, the company name is revealed. In most cases the candidates are quite pleased.

Please understand that however this situation is handled, the recruiter is acting on the client’s wishes and must conform to them.

The Multiple Offer Situation:
If you are in a serious job search, it’s quite possible that more than one company might be interested in you at the same time. Since retained recruiters don’t “shop candidates” to various clients, you may be working with two or more recruiters. Be honest with all of them!

If you have another opportunity that you are more interested in, say so. Your recruiter will appreciate your candidness.

Don’t make an offer you are hoping to get sound like one you already have in hand.

Don’t make an offer you are hoping to get sound like one that is imminent if it’s not.

Don’t inflate an offer for a job you are not as interested in — in the hope of pushing up the offer for the job you really want.

Don’t suddenly become “unavailable” or “unreachable” to your recruiter when you and another recruiter are in offer negotiation mode with a client. Recruiters are usually very astute. They will almost always assume (providing you have been reachable before this) that you are playing a game. You are avoiding one recruiter (and therefore his client) while you and another recruiter are negotiating an offer from another company. You want to see what Company Y offers you even though you’d rather work for Company X.

No one wins in this situation. Tell your recruiter(s) what is going on and trust that they will work with you to move forward as expeditiously as possible on the job that you really want.

Becoming unavailable during this important interviewing/negotiating period usually creates a raft of questions in the recruiter’s and client’s minds regarding judgment, reliability and dependability. Stay in touch at all times.

In summary, your recruiter expects the same consideration from you that you do from him/her. Common sense, common courtesy and professionalism are the watchwords. Do your best not to engage in the activities listed below and the process should be a smooth one:

Expressing an interest in a position and then never forwarding your resume so that you can be considered for it

Setting up an appointment for a phone interview with the recruiter and then not being there to receive the call

Answering your “call waiting”, conversing with others in the room, or engaging in any other distracting activity during a phone interview with the recruiter

Wanting to do a phone interview on your cellular phone while you are driving

Misrepresenting anything about your education, your experience, your compensation, your citizenship status, etc.

Telling a client during an interview something negative about yourself that you didn’t tell your recruiter

Showing disrespect to a client

Being late for your client interview

Not showing up for your client interview

Refusing to give your compensation information to your recruiter

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