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From: tsp@hadron.UUCP (T. Scott Pyne)
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: Re: headhunter etiquette
Message-ID: <438@hadron.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 19-Jun-86 23:48:08 EDT
Article-I.D.: hadron.438
Posted: Thu Jun 19 23:48:08 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 22-Jun-86 03:00:24 EDT
References: <419@opus.nbires.UUCP>
Reply-To: tsp@hadron.UUCP (T. Scott Pyne)
Followup-To: net.misc
Organization: Hadron, Inc., Fairfax, VA
Lines: 47
Keywords: headhunters have references too
Summary: Dick Dunn is right

In article <419@opus.nbires.UUCP> rcd@nbires.UUCP (Dick Dunn) writes
a good deal of wisdom concerning dealing with recruiters.  I will
not waste net bandwidth confirming everything he said, though it is
all true.

I am regularly approached by recruiters over the phone at work, with
about a 50/50 split between "let me find you a job" and "please hire
these people".  Many of them are indeed only a small step above pond scum.
When I finally decided to deal with one in seeking a new position, however,
it was because he impressed me with his professionalism and honesty.
He called me in January; I said "I'm not interested now, call me in April."
Wonder of wonders, he called me back in April, and not before.  I then
told him, "so many headhunters are slime, I want 3 references from *you*
of people you have placed recently."  Two days later he was back on the
phone with names and phone numbers, and sure enough he checked out.
Then and only then did we move forward, and I am pleased with the results.

The moral?  Dick's most telling comment is:

> To employees and job-seekers:  At the outset you should establish the
> relationship with a recruiter as a business arrangement.  You are not
> asking favors; you shouldn't feel a need to coddle or berate the recruiter.
> There is work to be done (a job found or a position filled, depending on
> which side of the fence) and the recruiter is a person paid to do that job.

Treat a recruiter in the same manner you would treat anyone proposing
to do work for you.  Get references, check them out, etc.  You weed out
the slime real fast that way, and the ones that do survive might turn out
to be professionals themselves.  I am very pleased with my headhunter, even
though I will probably take a position I found on my own; the odds are
good that he will place me (and earn several kilo$) *sometime* over the next
few years.  The good ones operate with that kind of long-term relationship
in mind.

						Scott
===============
T. Scott Pyne
Hadron, Inc.
...!seismo!hadron!tsp

"In the old days, the universe was a wonderful place to be.  Men were real
men, women were real women, and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri
were real small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri.  Nowadays, however,
many men are real women, many women are real men, and most small furry
creatures from Alpha Centauri are captured, ruthlessly (now where *did*
Ruth go off to?) slaughtered, stuffed, and given away as favors at
computer trade shows."