Post-9/11 Recruiting

Letter to the Editor, We Must Keep Doors Open For Those Out of Work

Letter to the Editor, Trying to Help By Doing What We Know Best

Letter to the Editor, following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001

Can you keep a secret?

Still Time to Take Action

KO'ing Kooky Candidates

Knowing When to Say 'No'

Focus on Recruiting, Part Two

 One recruiting mistake Systemethods and other successful senior level recruiters avoid is taking each and every assignment that comes along, from a variety of industries.
  Recruiters who conduct business that way tend to end up with a massive amount of searches (makes the recruiter look good), but because of the volume of positions they are searching and their lack of industry focus, they are unable to devote an appropriate amount of time to each search (very bad for the client).
  In some of these situations, the client can wait six to nine months for a suitable candidate - if one is found at all.
  A smart, successful and time-wise recruiter knows what he or she does well - and focuses appropriately.
  There should be a primary area of concentration (executive and senior level, for instance, or middle management or agents, leisure and/or corporate, etc.), and search assignments should be restricted to positions the recruiter has specific and detailed knowledge of (perhaps from applicable employment background in similar positions or extensive interface with various travel industry positions and companies).
  The best recruiters are industry-specific (travel industry, in this case), and their candidate databases should contain people with experience and qualifications in the appropriate environment.
  All of this being in place, the search process normally follows certain critical steps.
  After an initial information-gathering session with the client (to get the specifics of the position), all of the search activities (advertising; search; contact; preliminary phone and subsequent personal interviewing, and reference checking) should be handled by the recruiter.
  Finally, a short list (two to three candidates) is presented to the client for final interview. The travel industry client company should almost always find their qualified and suitable new employee on the first-cut short list presented by a reputable and knowledgeable travel industry recruiter.
  And, finally, an astute executive search firm works on a retainer basis. I know that caught your attention - and you probably aren't happy with that statement. I'm sure you've come across recruiters who will work on a consignment or an "as-placed" basis.
  I talked about them earlier and won't go into the potential delays and disappointments this can entail. Suffice it to say that successful recruiters know what their time is worth and the value they can provide to their clients.
  You would have to fill in your own numbers, but a qualified recruiter who knows your industry, understands the qualifications you are looking for and respects the time frame you are working under to fill a position can save an extensive amount of your (and your senior management's) time - time better spent doing what you (and they) do well.
  You don't use recruiters because of previous bad experiences? You aren't sure what sets a particular executive search firm apart from (and makes it better than) the others?
  Hopefully I've given you some things to consider about today's successful recruiting professionals.
  The next time you need a critical team member who could make a significant contribution to your company's continued growth, why not give one of us travel-industry-focused recruiters the opportunity to help you find this qualified employee?

Karen Rothe Osband is the founder and owner of SYSTEMETHODS, a travel industry consulting and executive search firm located in Littleton, CO. She can be reached at (303) 948-8084 or (877) 802-5584,
and email KROsband@SYSTEMETHODS.com.

Defending Recruiting, Part One

Hiring: Seeing the Potential

Filling a Job: Experience Counts