Hurry, hurry, step right up: how recruiters woo high-demand candidates - includes related article on employee retention

HR Magazine, Dec, 1998 by Robert J. Grossman

The threshold question for outside recruiters is whether people really want to jump, and if they do, will they stick long enough - usually three to six months - for the recruiter to earn the fee. "You've got to find people who are really motivated to leave," says Anne deRosset, director of recruiting at Acuity Technology in Vienna, Va. "If people tell you they're always keeping their eyes open for new opportunities, that's not enough. You've got to dig deeper. It's a lot of listening and hearing the signals."

To ferret out a person's motivation, recruiters at Acuity conduct preliminary phone screenings, then meet candidates face-to-face. "Other firms eventually meet the candidate, but they do most of the screening on the phone," deRosset says. "We talk to you a bit on the phone, but then we'll meet with you one or two times in person before you go out to meet the client. We talk about you, what you want to be, your skill sets, why you're leaving, and we look for your hot buttons."

Stalled career growth, lack of support and recognition, too much travel, personality clashes with management and more money are all reasons people give for leaving. But those just looking for money tend to be poor risks, deRosset adds. "If it's the only reason you want to leave, your present company will probably come up with more money when you tell them you're leaving."

"Just more money is probably a red flag," agrees Robert Half's Paul McDonald. "We coach our client companies to look for good hard reasons like, 'The company I'm with has not promoted anyone out of my position in the last five years,' or 'they bring talent in from the outside at a level ahead of me.' If it's just monetary reasons, employers are savvy enough to know the person is not a long-term player." Companies can then use those factors to persuade the candidate to work for them.

Julie Sanches was recruited by Acuity to leave Teleglobe, a Canadian telecommunications company, for her current position as a marketing consultant at MCI International in Vienna, Va. Her compensation package is comparable, but money wasn't the issue. "I was looking for a situation where I wouldn't be bored, where I could have real responsibilities, independence and an opportunity for growth," she says. "Even though my title had me as a decision maker, and I had a staff, no decision could be made without seven people agreeing. And they take you for granted. They hired people from the outside and paid them more than me. Deep down, employees want to know that the company backs them and believes them. You prove it by the responsibilities you give and the compensation."

REELING 'EM IN

Among recruiters, the competition is intense as they struggle to woo too few candidates for too many jobs. "It's very much sales," says Maggie Harris, a technical recruiter at EDP Contract Services in Orlando, Fla., whose recruits earn hourly rates from $12 to $200. "The personal touch means a lot. What I'm selling is a human being." The key, Harris says, is identifying why the move will appeal to the candidate. More often than not, she says, money is not the issue.