I’m a HR pro. If you follow me over at the HR Capitalist, you probably get that. I’m also a recruiter, because I think a huge part of any HR generalist’s job needs to be Talent Acquisition. My opinion is that if you can’t recruit, you’re an administrator. And administrators are pretty easy to replace – with outsourcing or with someone who will do it cheaper than you will.
Or maybe being an administrator is boring to me. In any event, I recruit.
So, for any pure recruiters that read this blog (and we want ALL recruiters to read since this is a mashup
of recruiting, HR and consulting – surely after three months we’ll all get together and sing "We are the World"….), here’s the way it works inside the head of this HR guy. I want to fill as many of my open slots as I can by myself. Two reasons for that. First, I take pride in seeing a manageable time to fill and cost per hire. That’s a big part of my job, and we’ve made great improvements, since I landed at my current company, with no drop in quality.
So, that’s the first reason. And having outlined this, most recruiters would probably agree with the take of Jason Davis, of The Fordyce Letter, as to the wisdom of including people like me upfront, as recruiters try to get involved within companies. From TFL and Davis:
"I was having an interesting conversation with a recruiter in Dallas last week about including HR instead (sic) trying to avoid it like the plague when working a deal.
His view was that his success is based on including HR and not trying to work around them. He feels that the recruiters who avoid HR end up having to include them anyways so why not reach out right from the beginning.
His opinion was that when HR realizes there is a recruiter who is clearly doing everything they can do in order to avoid them, it sets the stage for a play doomed to failure whereas when the recruiter starts off by involving HR in the process, things work out for the better.
I think most recruiters would disagree with the above."
As an HR pro, I’m not shocked or dismayed by that take. It’s not show friends, it’s show business (thus the Bob Sugar picture with this post). Maybe it’s even the right take to deal with the HR gate keepers of the world.
But I’m not command and control as a HR pro. Reason number two for why I want to fill as many of the spots by myself as I can? Because out of the hundreds of jobs a year, when I am in a pinch for a specialized fill that I can’t do on my own, I want to be able to reach out to that special recruiter and say, "fill it for me, please – you’re exclusive for 45 days. Just get it done."
The fact that I have filled everything else, on my own internally, means reduced push-back from a fiscal perspective within my company.
So, I like to fill them on my own. That’s a pretty good reason to work around me. But develop a relationship with me, and when I need it, it’s yours. Would you take one billing a year (15K a year) from me and feel good that I would call you first every time I have that need? Or do you want to run yourself ragged by trying to track down hiring managers and sell in that way?
I understand either approach. But it’s worth the time to point out the other way, if you are dealing with a progressive HR person who wants to be more than a gatekeeper.
PS – The Fordyce Letter is a pretty good read for anyone who recruits – even for HR folks like me. Hat Tip to Harry Joiner for tipping me off to the resource….
I pity the staffing agency that goes around me instead of TO me to get to hiring managers. I can be your best friend or your worst enemy – your choice.
Hmmm, as a dev expert/recruiter, I am shocked at this post. When I first came into recruiting I could not believe all the horror stories I heard about HR. So, like any smart marketing gal worth her salt, I put together a sweet program, a 10% discount with all kinds of easy to use functions and open communication designed specifically for HR pros. What did I get? ZILCH. For eight months. We marketed the dickens out of HR Advantage and nuthin’. My company continues to go through HR, because it is the right thing to do. . . not because anyone has picked up the best friend line. . .
Maren -
What are you shocked about? My take? Jason’s take? The other guy…?
Let me know. I get the fact you marketed long and hard to HR and got nothing. Can’t say I’m suprised. I also am not sure you keep going through them because it’s simply the right thing to do. There’s got to be some return, or the avoidance of negative stuff that can happen…
More please?
Kris, if every HR Pro was like you the world would be my oyster. They aren’t even all like HR Wench. I hear my innocent self in Jason Davis (but seriously? he’s JASON DAVIS, which is like Gene Simmons in this world so I’m pretty sure his calls are getting returned). Your take has some empathy and like I said if everyone would pick UP THE PHONE and say “Nope, I like to fill these myself but if you take the time to meet with me, learn about my firm, school yourself on ABCXYZ Co. then I can say you’ll get a shot when the time comes.” GREAT! But most don’t do that. Most treat you like dirt on the bottom of their shoe. They do not respond, they do not call, they do not give you a shot, they do not use even the commonest of courtesy when replying (IF they reply). And the doozy of it all is, the candidate thinks I’m dragging MY feet. I get that HR Peeps get like 20 calls a day from recruiters but if I can see the same open job every day, if I have someone who would be great, if you have 45 reqs you’re trying to fill and no time to return my call then let me help!
Like HR Wench says “I can be your best friend or your worst enemy”. How many calls until I go over your head? How many visits, emails, how about after we sign the contracts? How about when I have a spectacular candidate? The kicker is I actually DON’T decide. The HR Pro decides and sometimes. . .
PS It’s the avoidance of the negative stuff.
Maren – I was referring to staffing agencies I already have an established relationship with. You know, as in, we will use you but here is the way we want to work: you deal with me and me only, you do not call my hiring managers. Then they go and call my *&$#ing hiring managers. Not all, but plenty do this. Ticks me right off and I no longer trust them. Many have righted their behavior after I confront them. Some have not. Bye bye to them.
P.S. I totes agree that if a relationship is established and the HR pro ignores you that is way unprofessional. I treat my vendors well because I want good service from them. But it is a two way street and if as the customer I am not happy, ain’t nobody happy.
P.P.S. I always tell agencies to send me their info and I keep it in a file for the future should I need a new vendor. But if I tell them not to call me, I will call YOU and then they keep calling I do get ticked off at them and let them know they just moved their info out of the “use in the future” file.
Maren -
Good clarification, I get it now. One way you can help me (can’t speak for others) is using a variety of contact methods. I’m one of those guys that will return calls, but you qet a lot quicker pop with me via email. Plus, if you can write, you can make the same impression and probably get a much more meaningful phone experience when we do get on the phone.
So, on the 20 calls a day, get yourself out of the pack by shooting me a note as well….
Good thouhts…
Oh, this one is a hot topic!
As a fellow third party recruiter, I can relate to the frustrations Maren has pointed out. It is not uncommon for me to be dealing with HR reps who often do not know all (or, sometimes, any) of the information required for me to conduct a proper search, never respond and provide the much needed feedback regarding presented candidates, and, at times, only seem to add to the e-mail string, as their main role appears to be receiving resumes and forwarding them on to the hiring manager.
However, all that said, I argue that most of the issues recruiters have with HR actually have more to do with the relationship between HR and the hiring manager rather than HR and third party recruiters. Often, hiring managers do not provide HR with the necessary information, which results in HR feeling left out of the process. Therefore, it is not very surprising when HR gets quite upset at recruiters who attempt to circumvent the process and go straight to the hiring manager.