Recruiting firms have two primary ways of functioning: on a contingency basis or on a retainer basis. Which one is best for your needs? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each.

Retainer

In a retainer situation, the hiring company pays the recruiter an initial fee before recruiting begins. Once the initial retainer has been paid and the recruiting agreement is signed, the recruiter begins work. Usually, the retainer is paid in three installments, with the second and third retainer payments tied to specific performance outcomes or timelines. The recruiter may be working on that particular assignment exclusively, and their responsibility is to provide qualified candidates for the open position for the client (the hiring company).

When a company establishes a retainer relationship with a recruiter, it's on more of a trusted partner basis. The recruiter is being hired and paid as an outside extension of a client’s internal team. With this type of arrangement, recruiters ise a dedicated search process to find the right candidate. The focus is on quality and appropriateness for the position.

With a retained search, recruiters are protected from competition from other recruiters because they usually have an exclusive working relationship with their clients.

Contingency

In a contingency search arrangement, the recruiter only receives payment if they fill the position. And it 's not unheard of for the same assignment to be farmed out to a number of recruiters.

Contingency search can be non-exclusive or exclusive. In a non-exclusive contingency search, there is no mutual commitment, and candidates can be presented to multiple clients. This approach is frequently used on low-priority positions. An exclusive contingency is a signed exclusive agreement between the client and recruiter, and typically includes a specific timeline, commonly 30 to 90 days, in which the recruiter must deliver results.

A contingency arrangement is more of a client-vendor relationship. A client may have several recruiters that are attempting to fill a position. While a client may assume that having multiple recruiters to find a candidate is advantageous– and it can be – there are definitely some drawbacks.

When recruiters know they're competing with others on a search, there's a tendency to rush the process and be the first one to present a good candidate.

Some recruiters in a contingency situation may have the attitude: “Well, it’s not a perfect fit, but I'll submit this candidate to see what the client thinks.” In this scenario, the recruiter may think a candidate is a long shot—and now that long shot has to be examined and vetted by the client.

In addition, contingency searches involving more recruiters can mean more work for the client. There tends to be more people to interview with this approach. If they're the right people, that’s wonderful. But if multiple candidates miss the mark, the contingency process can take up valuable time that many clients don't have.

So which route should you go? It depends. Contingent recruiter relationships might be best in the following circumstances:

• There are many high-quality candidates available.
• The need is less mission-critical and less urgent.
• You have more time to interview and vet candidates that might not seem like the best fit.

Retainer recruiter relationships might be the best if:

• The need is urgent and critical to the company’s mission.
• You're looking for a recruiter who is accountable to you and will provide extensive documentation to recommend a candidate.
• You're willing to pay an expert recruiter for their time and expertise to seek out the best candidates.

The decision of the best approach should reflect the priority of the client in filling the position. The client and recruiter should discuss the appropriate priority in filling each opening. Once that's established, the recruiter and client can decide whether a contingency or retainer would achieve the best results.

Recruiting has gotten to be so technical between the Internet, email, databases, ATS and mobile channels, that sometimes we forget one of the best ways to find good candidates is to reach out to people.

Sure, it's tempting to just get on the computer and compile a list of 100 skilled candidates without ever picking up the phone, but good recruiting is about establishing strong relationships with a personal touch.

Go Right to the (Human) Source

Many candidates can be found simply by checking with the hiring manager on each search assignment. Start by asking:

• Have you interviewed anyone in the past that might develop into a candidate for this job or into a source of referrals?

• Have you met anyone in the recent past (at a trade show, industry meeting, etc.) that might be able to help me in the search?

• Can you tell me where the people on your staff worked prior to working for you? And may I speak to them, to see if they have any contacts at their old companies that I might call?

Next, start working through your own list of contacts. If you call 5 contacts, and they give you 5 names, then those 5 give you several more names… you see where this is going.

Presentation is Everything

Now it's time to start calling. How can you increase the number of referrals you get?

Think about your presentation. In a first-call situation, you have very little time to connect with the other person, so you have to stimulate interest quickly. If you sound like you're just reading a job posting ("My client is a Fortune 500 company, looking for a degreed engineer with three years’ experience in automotive gears, knowledgeable in CAD/CAM, blah, blah, blah..."), you'll probably won't engage the candidate. Instead, use a technique called storyboarding:

1. Set up your presentation. Explain who you are, why you're calling and what you hope to accomplish.
2. Describe the dilemma: Tell a compelling story, using vivid language, about the relevancy of a particular search. The more you engage someone in your client's problem, the more the person will want to help you solve it.
3. Suggest a happy ending. Describe the hoped-for outcome that would solve the problem and benefit the client.
4. Ask for the prospect's help. This is where you hope your efforts will be rewarded—in the form of a direct referral, a suggestion of where to look or a declaration of interest on the prospect's part.

Storyboarding helps you engage the prospect, increasing your chances to build a relationship and earn the right to ask for referrals.

Want more tips on how to reach out and talk to candidates? Or would you like Donaldson & James to tap into our extensive network for you? Let's talk – contact us today!

There are loads of mobile and tablet apps for Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, iPad, and Windows devices that help you enhance your resume, find jobs on the go, and network with the right people. Here's how you can join the 77 percent of job seekers who use mobile apps during their job hunt.

1.  Business Card Reader: Go to a networking event, collect a bunch of business cards, then download this nifty app. To avoid misplacing important contacts, you can take a picture of a business card with your phone’s camera, and the app will import the contact information directly to your address book.

Cost: Varies based on platform

Available for: iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile

2.  Documents To Go: Based on the version you download, you’ll be able to view and/or create and edit Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files. The premium version offers viewing, editing and syncing of cloud files, along with the ability to view PDF, iWork, Text and .RTF files.

Cost: Varies based on version and platform

Available for: iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Maemo

3.  Jobs by CareerBuilder: The CareerBuilder app allows you to search its database of nearly 2 million jobs by keyword, location, company and employment type. You can use your phone’s GPS to identify jobs near you, apply for jobs and receive personalized job recommendations.

Cost: Free

Available for: iPhone, Android

4.  LunchMeet: This app is like “It’s Just Lunch” for professional networking instead of dating. By signing in via your LinkedIn account, you tell the app when and where you’re available to meet someone for networking. It’ll match you up with other networkers in your area, and from there you can invite them to meet for lunch, drinks or whatever suits your networking fancy.

Cost: Free

Available for: iPhone

5.  Résumé App: If you’re away from your computer and need to quickly apply for a job, this app will come in handy. With Résumé App, you can build, design and generate a customizable PDF résumé. Once created, you can distribute it directly from your phone. Sure, it doesn’t (or shouldn’t) replace your résumé completely, but it’s good for when you’re in a pinch.

Cost: $2.99

Available for: iPhone

6. LinkUp

LinkUp is job search on the go. It searches jobs only found on company sites, unlike job boards that only show those that have been submitted directly to them. LinkUp searches through 22,000 company sites for job listings, which it updates each night. You can search jobs and save them for later, and get alerts when jobs in your category come in.

Cost: Free

Available for: Android, iPad, iPhone

7. Pocket Resume

Pocket Resume makes it easy to customize your resume for each job by using modules for each of its sections. No more Word templates! The app pulls info from your LinkedIn profile to create an updated resume, and it’s easy to export to PDF or send to DropBox. You can also reorder your resume’s sections, depending on the job for which you’re applying.

Cost: $2.99

Available for: iPad, iPhone

You've probably heard by now, the hottest trend in hiring is to go after passive candidates: the top people who aren't actively looking for another job. If you’re interested in trying the passive candidate recruiting game, you'll have to learn a new approach. Here's an introduction:

The Recruiting Process: The process when you're sourcing and hiring active candidates is fundamentally different than what’s required to hire passive candidates. Passive candidates go slower, take more time to decide whether to become a candidate and won’t follow traditional approaches.

Most companies use a “surplus of candidates” model to plan their workflow—meaning their hiring processes are designed to get lots of people to apply, with the hope that a good person emerges. If you want to hire passive candidates, you have to use a "talent scarcity" model—designed around the concept that great talent is much more discriminating and a career opportunity discussion/decision dominates every step, from first contact to the final close.

Making Contact: When you're dealing with passive candidates, the criteria for engaging in a discussion are different than the criteria to accept an offer. Upon first contact, passive candidates usually want to know the job title, the company, the location and the compensation for your position. However, before they accept an offer, passive candidates will ask about the career opportunity, the importance of the work, the hiring manager and team, the compensation and total rewards package, work/life balance, and the company mission and culture. If you can bridge this gap on first contact, it can make the difference between hiring great people and wasting your time.

Adjust Your Pace: For top passive candidates, the decision to change jobs is a strategic decision, and it takes extra time. As a recruiter, you'll have to use consultative selling every step of the way, fashioning a career move for the candidate as part of the process. In this situation, being results-oriented is more about advancing the process along the path and hiring the best vs. getting positions filled quickly.

Want more advice on reaching passive candidates? Contact Donaldson & James today.

Have you ever hired someone who seemed great on paper, convinced you in the interview that they were the right person for the job, then turned out to be the monkey wrench in the smooth workings of your team?

Most positions you're trying to fill require teamwork, or at least interaction with peers. Since applicants put their best foot forward in a job interview, it can be a bit difficult to spot a loner who prefers to work in a vacuum—but they're the ones that can really wreak havoc on an otherwise high-functioning team.

So how can you weed out the non-team players?

1. First, trust your instincts. You get feelings about someone when you're talking to them that go beyond the spoken words. Even if you don't notice any arrogant body language or poor eye contact, pay close attention to an interviewee's words. Are you hearing “I, I, I” or “We”? Does she mention working with colleagues, or does she present herself as a superstar soloist? If you sense that this person is a lone wolf and not a team player, pay attention. If you hire the wrong person, your team will be getting the same feeling—and worse—40 hours a week.

2. If you're still unsure, try personality testing. Personality profile tests can reveal a lot about a candidate that may get glossed over or miscommunicated in an interview.  Reliable tests are available online from many reputable companies and can be given to all applicants you're seriously considering. By showing you which candidates aren't likely to work well with others, you can save yourself time and money by crossing them off the hiring list.

3. Another way to protect against hiring the anti-social type is by thoroughly checking references. Go beyond the perfunctory questions. For example, ask a former employer to give you 5 words that describe the applicant and pay close attention to the responses.

• Good communicator, cooperative, flexible? Team player.
• Keeps to himself, gets along well with superiors, independent worker? Dig deeper.

Ask how the candidate gets along with peers. Does independent mean needs little supervision or demands to be left alone?

4. And, of course, you can always ask specific questions during the interview to get at the heart of the matter:

• Do you feel decisions are best made on your own or as part of a group process?
• Do you get along with your coworkers?
• Tell me about a time you had to handle conflict with another peer or supervisor.
• Do you prefer to work alone?
• Have you ever been a team leader?

This direct approach may be all you need to cull the lone wolves from the pack.

Anti-social employees can cost your company a great deal in lowered morale, poorly executed projects, wasted training dollars and unhappy customers. You can avoid these expensive mistakes by following these tips, or with some help from Donaldson & James. We pre-screen candidates for you and so much more. Contact us today to see how we can help!

It's 2012, and with the new year hopefully comes a new attitude: a revitalized spirit, gusto and determination to make this the year you make a change. With the evolution of job hunting over the past few years, it's good to think about what will make the biggest impact in landing a job this year.

The job market is still tough. But with the right tools, you can improve your search, broaden your networking opportunities and align yourself with a career that fits your skills.

Tip #1: It’s all about social media.

Job hunting has become all about leveraging social media channels to find your next position. More than 18 million Americans can thank Facebook for helping them land their current job; eight million credit Twitter and 10.2 million used LinkedIn. Clearly, social media sites are THE places to look for employment these days.

• Make sure you have a basic understanding of the target audiences for each social media channel.

• While Facebook may primarily serve as your place to engage with friends, the BranchOut app shows your professional face to your connections.

• Twitter allows you to broadcast to a large number of people, but most information is publicly available.

• LinkedIn is for communicating with professional contacts you’ve made through your career, people you may not be comfortable adding on Facebook.

• Follow companies that interest you, as this will keep you in the loop on their activities and also give you a chance to directly interact with them.

TIp #2: A favorable online identity will be key to employment success.

With social networking playing an increasingly important role in the employment process, it’s important not only to clearly identify which networks you want to participate in, but to mold your online identities accordingly. More than 90 percent of recruiters check social networks before hiring a candidate, which means that your online persona should properly represent who you are offline and show that you’re the right person for the job.

• Activate the correct privacy settings, especially on Facebook, and hide images or comments that you don’t want a future employer to see.

• Your public identity is an extension of your resume. Therefore, keep your public posts as professional as possible.

Tip #3: Go mobile.

The explosion of mobile usage is only going to grow in 2012, causing a shift in the way people exchange information. The ever-increasing use of smartphones means people are foregoing traditional networking avenues in favor of connecting digitally. More than 75 percent of jobseekers are already incorporating mobile apps into their searches, and this figure will undoubtedly rise in the coming year.

• Use QR (quick response) codes to quickly share your personal information and link to your social networks.

• Download apps on your mobile device that allow you to instantly exchange contact information with new people. Four good ones to try are  Bump, Google Goggles, Pocket Resume and Resume Bear.

Happy New Year and good luck on your job search!

When you're interviewing for jobs, you try to prepare as best you can by reviewing your resume, thinking about what questions might be asked and how you’ll answer them, and practicing your responses. Then you walk in and realize the interviewer wants to ask you situational interview questions.

What’s a situational interview question?

• There are two types: past experience questions and circumstantial questions.
• For past experience questions, you'll be asked to provide a negative situation from your professional experience, and detail how you successfully resolved it.
• For circumstantial questions, you'll be given a specific set of circumstances or challenges and asked how you would create a positive outcome from them.

How do you prepare for these types of questions?

Interviewers use past experience questions because they believe your past behavior makes a good indicator of your future behavior on the job. The interviewer wants to know how you’ve tackled previous challenges.

They’ll ask you to tell them about a difficult situation you’ve faced in your past work history – one that is relevant to the question being asked – that you resolved successfully.

Think of some examples before the interview, review those situations, and analyze them. What steps did you take? What words did you use? Become so familiar with your actions, and those of the others involved, that you can give the interviewer very specific details and demonstrate your knowledge of what it takes to create a positive outcome.

Part of the reason employers use circumstantial questions is to gauge your ability to think on your feet. For these questions, the interviewer will create a challenge for you to solve. It may be a situation you actually have faced in your work history, or you may be required to respond to a hypothetical scenario.

This can be difficult if you’ve never dealt with such challenges before, but use the same structure: specific actions leading to specific results, all handled in a smooth, professional way.

It’s impossible to anticipate in advance what specific situational interview questions will be asked, which makes it hard to prepare your answers. However, it’s fairly safe to expect the interviewer to investigate the following broad areas:

• organizational skills/time management skills
• leadership skills
• communication skills
• interpersonal skills/conflict resolution

In addition to the above examples, an interviewer may formulate more technical or focused situational questions pertaining specifically to your field or area of expertise.

Here are some common situational interview questions that you may encounter:

You have a deadline approaching and fear you will be unable to meet it. What do you do?

Describe a situation where you were in disagreement with a coworker and explain how you handled it.

A coworker frequently leaves early when the boss is not around, and asks you to cover for him. What would you do?

Please describe a project that you led from start to finish and describe your strategy for seeing it through.

While situational interviews may be drastically different from your past interview experiences, they're not impossible to conquer. It's a chance for you to show how you handle real work situations, your problem-solving style and what your personality is really like.

Whether you’re preparing a resume for your first job search, or because you're trying to find a new full-time job in a tight employment market, it’s time to look at your resume in a new light. Are you highlighting all of your marketable skills? Or just presenting a list of work responsibilities? Employers don't want to know what you did as much as what you can do.

Marketable job skills may be "hidden" in those everyday tasks you performed. If you can uncover them, they can be important additions to your resume and can help you land your next job.

The first step is to identify those skills. Take a look at your resume and distinguish your duties from your skills. Duties are the activities you perform on the job, such as generating reports, helping coordinate an industry conference, providing desktop support. Skills are the tools and techniques you use to accomplish these tasks: knowledge of certain software, communication abilities, leadership.

When you list the skills and abilities that were necessary to accomplish each of your duties, don't limit yourself to full-time jobs. Also include part-time work and volunteer positions. Say you served as the president of your homeowners association. Didn’t you accumulate leadership skills, negotiation abilities and a knowledge of budgeting processes? When you look at your resume this way, chances are you'll uncover a number of talents you hadn't considered.

For example, if you've worked as an administrative assistant, your duties probably included arranging meetings, drafting correspondence and answering the phone. The skills you developed as a result most likely included strong planning skills to ensure meetings went smoothly, strong communication abilities to accurately convey your manager's messages to staff and solid customer service skills to successfully interact with internal and external clients. Don’t forget technical skills, such as typing speed, research abilities and knowledge of Microsoft Office. These are the things that employers like to know.

Here are the top 5 “hidden” job skills you’re most likely to find when you look:

1. Planning: Scheduling meetings, writing letters, handling calls -- all involve planning.
2. Communication: Dealing with various departments and unique personalities to get work done.
3. Leadership: Stepping up and helping lead a plan to completion
4. Problem-solving: Identifying the root causes of problems, and coming up with solutions
5. Resource management: Getting done what you need to get done with the resources at hand

Being aware of your marketable skills will make you more competitive in the job market. Employers want people who have what it takes to perform well on the job, so make sure you make yourself stand out from other applicants. If you take the time to identify your true skills, you will realize just how valuable of an employee you are -- and employers should, too!

Are you thinking about putting your job search on hold during the holidays? If so, think again. Contrary to popular opinion, this is a great time of year to find a job. Employers don't stop hiring just because it's the holidays. The holiday season is a terrific time of year to network. And, there is often less competition for available jobs because many job seekers drop out of the job market at this time of year, at least temporarily.

So use the holiday season to your advantage and make the most out of the opportunities you’ll have to connect with family, colleagues, friends and acquaintances. Also make the most of the job opportunities you come across during the holidays, and don’t hesitate to apply for open positions. For businesses, the needs that drive hiring throughout the year don't change just because the paid holidays are bunched up on the last pages of the calendar.

Here are a few tips to keep your job search active and healthy during the holidays:

Keep Looking

Job search engines like Indeed.com and LinkUp.com are a good way to find job listings fast. Apply as soon as you find jobs that you are qualified for so you won’t miss out on what could be an excellent opportunity.

Be Flexible

Companies often want to get a new hire in place before the first of the year. The more flexible you are, the more opportunities you’ll have to interview. Be willing to juggle your schedule to arrange an interview time that’s convenient for the hiring manager.

(Don’t worry about the new job conflicting with your holiday plans. Secure a job offer, and after you have an offer in hand you can negotiate a starting date that’s convenient for both you and your future employer.)

Connect With Your Online Contacts

Take the time to update and optimize your online profiles. Every job seeker should have a presence on LinkedIn and Facebook. Make sure your profile is fully completed with employment, education, and other relevant information, and ask your LinkedIn connections for references.

Check to see who you know that you aren’t connected with and add them to your lists of contacts. The more contacts you have, the more people you have who can provide career advice and job search help.

Also, touch base with your LinkedIn connections and your Facebook friends.   This is a perfect time of year to say hello, send a holiday greeting and inform your contacts that you’re seeking work or looking for a career change.

Make the Most of Networking Opportunities

The holiday season is full of opportunities to network. Look at every event you attend as a chance to meet someone who can help with your job search. Holiday parties, family gatherings, community activities and other special events can all enhance your employment opportunities. You never know who you might meet.

Bring some business cards printed with your name, phone number, email address and the URL of your LinkedIn profile. Pass them out to contacts, and they will serve as a reminder that you’re job searching, as well as providing an easy way for people to get in touch with you.

Send a Holiday or New Year’s Card

Make a positive impression the old-fashioned way. Buy a couple of boxes of holiday greeting cards a and take the time to hand-write and mail thank-you notes to those people who have assisted with your job search or helped you achieve your career goals.

Everyone likes to be thanked and the holiday season is a perfect opportunity to say thank you to colleagues, recruiters or those who have interviewed you.

Take Some Time for Yourself

Dedicate time to your job search, but be sure to enjoy some personal time, even if you don’t feel much like celebrating.  Taking a break and a bit of time off can help you keep a healthy focus on your job search.

Getting a job offer is exciting, but if you’re not interested in the job, it can be intimidating. How do you handle this situation?  When you know a job isn't right for you, you can reject the offer while still maintaining a positive working relationship with the employer. In an era where very few can afford to burn any professional bridges, you need to handle this situation professionally.

Your priority is to contact the hiring manager as soon as possible, but before you do, take a moment to decide if you’re not interested in the particulars of this job offer, or if you’re not interested in the position, or if it’s the company that’s the issue. Making this decision will help guide you as you move forward.

Next, you need to call the hiring manager. Declining a job offer by phone is more professional and respectful, which allows you to maintain a positive relationship with the employer and within the business community. Let the contact know that you are grateful for the offer, you carefully considered the offer and you appreciate the time he took with you.

If you aren't interested in the offer they made but would like to negotiate, tell them what you would be willing to agree to. If you aren't interested at all, hold your ground.

You’re not obligated to give a reason for declining the job, especially if it’s because you felt the company seemed like a negative work environment or a bad career risk. If you do choose to discuss your decision, give honest, reasonable explanations. Maybe it's bad timing, a family-related factor, a counter-offer from your current employer, location concerns or simply that the offered position doesn't align with your future career goals. Try to avoid discussing money; if it comes up, and the other salary is less than $10,000 higher, try to emphasize a secondary reason, such as stability or a clearer promotional path.

At any rate, contact the company making the offer as soon as you can, so the company can contact their second choice candidate or restart their search. If you know of anyone who would be a good fit for the position you are turning down, share their contact information (with that person’s permission, of course).

Once you’ve made the call, follow up with a formal written letter. Of course email is the most popular business communication tool these days, but to keep your rejection as professional as possible, send out some good old-fashioned snail mail. Keep your letter polite, professional and short, and leave the door open for future possibilities of working for the company.

When you resign a position you don’t want to burn any bridges on your way out the door, and the same is true when you decide to decline a job offer. Preserve your reputation by being as polite and professional as possible.