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This article was published in the Employment Section
of the October, 2004 issue of the Technology First Magazine.
Dayton, OH
October 13, 2004 -
By Jena Roytman, Director of Business
Development, Roytman Information Services, Inc.
 Browsing
the net, I came across the “ABSc Of Small Business”
website, and the “Funny” page caught my attention.
Jokes about different professions were presented in the horoscope
format: “What IS Your Business Sign?”
“Headhunter- As a person that profits from the success
of others, you are disdained by most people who actually work
for a living. Paid on commission and susceptible to alcoholism,
your ulcers and frequent heart attacks correspond directly
with fluctuations in the stock market.”
My first reaction was: “This is just awful! That is
not what we are or what our company is about!” Throughout
my 10 year long career as a dedicated company owner and business
developer for an IT Consulting and Recruiting Firm, I had
to overcome many obstacles. One of the biggest ones was a
bad reputation that often precedes recruiters.
Like in many other professions, the recruiting industry has
its picks and valleys. Finding a Programmer or a Software
Engineer, whose qualifications match perfectly the requirements
and wishes of a client company can be doubly satisfying. Any
dedicated staffing specialist gets an adrenaline rush when
an ideal candidate is placed. The great professional satisfaction
does not only come from a client, who provides monetary compensation
for your efforts, but the effect a recruiter can have on a
life of an individual by finding a new highly desirable employment
opportunity is very rewarding.
So why is the common knowledge that working with headhunters
can be tricky? From stretching the truth to outright lying
is the behavior frequently associated with staffing professionals.
Working in an office environment I have often seen folks look
at their caller ID, declare aloud “damn Headhunter again”
and ignore the phone call. Being in the industry, I have heard
the stories about recruiters who misrepresent employment opportunities,
or pull the wool over hiring manager’s eyes overstating
applicant’s qualifications.
Earning The Bad Reputation …
There are enough examples on both sides to make a point that
a special guideline is required. I am not advocating a Constitutional
Amendment or even a Recruiting License, but rather a self-enforced
set of principles. One of our Senior Software Consultants
have recently told me a story that the Recruiter who placed
him at his previous job, has contacted him within one week
after receiving the placement fee inviting him to be considered
for a position with another company. It is not illegal. The
recruiting agencies are often not bound by contractual obligations
to not hire employees of its client companies. However, such
actions are highly unethical. It is simply wrong!
The Roadmap to Success
The reality, however, is that the most successful recruiters
are decent, fair people with best interests of both clients
and candidates in mind. And by all statistical measures many
more potential employees lie on their resumes (some estimate
that up to 50% of resumes include fabricated facts) and more
companies lie about job openings (so called “collecting
resumes” technique advertised as actual opportunities)
than recruiters’ misrepresentation of information. Knowing
what to expect from a good recruiter and knowing the warning
signs of a not so conscientious headhunter can make the experience
of working with one more rewarding, regardless of whether
you are a potential client or a candidate. The question is:
who determines the boundaries of ethical business practices
in the field of employment placement. “Unlike the medical
or legal profession, there are no generally accepted values
or ethical guidelines for recruiters. Some organizations have
established their own guidelines and may even publish those
on their websites. Written guidelines may help us do the right
thing, but even without them there are some behaviors that
we would call more ethical than others,” – says
Kevin Wheeler of Global Learning Resources.
This was especially evident in the late 1990s in the field
of Information Technology when locating top-notch professionals
was a tough order even with exuberant growth of salaries.
It was no surprise that many headhunters (as well as companies
and job-seekers) cut corners to achieve results, which only
contributed to the IT economic breakdown. In the long run,
those who stayed within the boundaries of principled business
practices had better opportunity for continuing success.
Recruiting Ethics 101
Obviously any legal or contractual obligations must be complied
without any pretext. Reading these unscrupulous examples,
one might think what a dirty business this is. But it does
not have to be. Our company’s main Recruiting Ethics
101 rule comes from one of the oldest teachings of humanity:
“Treat others as you want to be treated!” Not
only it feels good to do good, it also makes for a superior
business practice. As Christine Hirsch from RecruitersWorld.com
points out: “The benefits of ethical practices during
each step of the hiring process are numerous. Recruiters often
build their client bases through referrals. Both clients and
candidates will refer business to reliable, high-quality recruiters.
Upon placement, candidates have no loyalty to recruiters and
poor practices may quickly become public knowledge.”
The Lesson Learned
My advice to both Hiring Managers and Technical Professionals
seeking new opportunities: follow your instincts and select
recruiters by deeds and accomplishments, and not by loud promises
and name value. My experience as both a job seeker in the
past and a recruiter in the present is that many smaller,
more dedicated agencies will pay more attention to your professional
interests and possess equivalent resources for a candidate
search assignment while larger companies lack personal approach
and enthusiasm. By no means, this is a guaranteed rule. I
have met devoted, attentive headhunters working for larger
corporations as well. Thus, your personal judgment and good
referrals must prevail.
My advice to Recruiters will be borrowed from Kevin Wheeler
again, who states, “acting ethically is the only way
to build and maintain your reputation and integrity which
are central ingredients to long-term success.” This
job should not be about immediate rewards, but rather about
the process. If the process is set for success, which undoubtedly
must include a set of business ethical rules, the rewards
will come.
Jena Roytman is a Director, Buisiness Development of
Roytman Information Services, Inc., a Dayton, Ohio-based provider
of Career Placement and Consulting Solutions in Information
Technology, Management and Engineering. Established in 1995
by Mikhail and Jena Roytman, the company has been growing
consistently in a highly competitive industry. For additional
information please visit http://www.roytmanIS.com
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