The average executive changes jobs about three times in his or her career. With only three changes in a typical career, there is not much opportunity for candidates to get good at dealing with executive search firms or even to understand how the executive search process works. Here are a few tips to help you in learning how best to deal with an executive search firm, whether it’s Perspective Advisors, LLC or another firm.

First, are three important points to understand:

1. There’s a difference between retained executive search firms and contingency executive search firms.

A retained search generally means that the executive search firm is given the assignment exclusively and is paid in full or in part prior to actually completing the search. Searches for higher-paying, more-senior positions are generally retained searches.

A contingency search means that the executive search firm can be one of many firms working on the same assignment. The contingency firm does not know how many other firms are working on the same assignment and does not know the progress any of the other firms are making on the search. Most importantly, the contingency firm does not get paid unless they successfully place the candidate.

In dealing with executive search firms, it is important to know which type of search the firm specializes in and specifically what type of search they are talking to you about.

Perspective Advisors works exclusively on retained searches.

2. Retained executive search firms are not in business to find jobs for people, we’re in business to find people for jobs:

Many candidates naively think that when they contact a retained executive search consultant that the search consultant is going to help them find a job. That’s not how it works. If you’re thinking of making a change or are actively looking for a job, it’s smart to contact retained executive search firms, but please don’t believe that all of your contacts will immediately begin marketing you to clients. Unless the firm has an open assignment for which you are perfectly qualified, or you offer some unique skills for an existing client of the search consultant, your resume will likely just go in the file. Certainly it’s useful to have your resume on file, but it is unlikely that you will hear from them until they have an assignment for which you are qualified.

However, a contingency firm may decide to aggressively market you to their clients, and do so at no charge to you. It is not uncommon for contingency firms to call 30 or 40 companies in an effort to place you. While that may sound good, you need to consider the risk that this potential over-exposure can have. In dealing with a contingency firm, it is important that you control how broadly your resume is circulated.

3. Executive search firms work for, and are paid by, the company who is conducting the search.

There are couple of ramifications to this, particularly with retained firms:

• If a search firm has previously done work for your current employer, you’re untouchable. Any upstanding search firm makes a commitment to their clients that once they have done a search for them, they will not recruit their people. This is not forever but typically lasts at least one year. If a search firm is willing to break this rule, you should be highly suspect of the firm.
• A retained firm will typically not allow you to interview simultaneously for more than one of their assignments. If you are interviewing for one assignment, and become interested in another assignment that the same firm is working on, you will be asked to remove yourself from consideration for the first assignment before you will be allowed to interview for the second assignment.
• The ultimate responsibility and loyalty for a retained executive search firm will always be with the client, not with you.
• While the executive recruiter should be helpful to you, provide useful coaching and help you through the interview process, remember that the recruiter’s ultimate goal is to get the very best candidate for his client, not to find you a job.