How do you determine the search assignment that you should work on? This may seem like an odd question to ask, but it may be the single most important question a recruiter can ask themselves.
Every assignment deserves the question; is this position worth spending my valuable time working on? While this is a basic and general question, there are actually several other questions that must be analyze prior to starting your search efforts:
• What is the probability that I can quickly find candidates?
• Once found, how quickly will the client company interview the candidates?
• What has the client done in an attempt to fill the position prior to requesting my assistance?
• Is my client a desirable employer?
Assignments, including ones with existing and new clients, should be approached with the full intention of asking as many detailed questions as necessary. This will determine if the assignment warrants your time and resources. Competition for a recruiter’s time is fierce. There are many assignments on which a recruiter can dedicate their efforts. The most successful recruiters are the ones who qualify each search in such a detailed manner, that they are almost certain that their efforts will be rewarded with a placement.
Search assignments can fall into one of three categories:
Level 1 (HOT) – Worth a full-scale search effort
Level 2 (MEDIUM) – Worth a “file search”
Level 3 (LOW) – Not worth working
There are many characteristics that qualify an assignment as HOT or MEDIUM. It is critical for the recruiter to qualify each assignment to ensure that it falls into one of these categories. An assignment in the last category is not worth taking and I know many people that would utilize this as a “source company”.
Next week we will dissect the three categories and make sure you are keeping it HOT!
