Tips For Working With Contingency vs. Retained Headhunters
As a job seeker or employer, there are certain benefits and downfalls that come with working both with retained and contingency recruiting firms. While there are many benefits and hindrances, here are just a few:
Retained Recruiters
Retained recruiters tend to work directly with their clients – mostly on basis where they are they only executive search firm working on that particular position.
Major Benefit: More personalized communication with job seekers as retained search firms tend to work on less jobs.
Major Hindrance: Less jobs to choose from via the applicant’s side. Contingency recruiters will take on many accounts and may have a more wide array of open positions.
Contingency Recruiters
Major Benefit: As mentioned above, contingency recruiters will have a good amount of open jobs and tend to get in positions more frequently than retained search firms.
Major Hindrance: Contingency recruiters (not as a whole, but some) tend to be a little “chop-shopy” (if that’s a word). Not to say that all retained recruiters are great, but there is a general rule that more personalization can come from retained search experts.
In closing, you must look at each individual staffing agency as its own entity, but the above information should give any job seeker or employer a bit of information as to how to make the best educated guess.
Ken Sundheim is the CEO of an executive search firm by the name of KAS Placement.
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