It is remarkable to me that other recruiters in the staffing industry have a mindset of focusing a candidate’s job search on the salary. They dangle financial incentives to try to lure a candidate away from their employer thinking that tactic is the best.
Of course, salary is very important and a major step in the interviewing process. However, I would argue that a focus on the compensation by our competitors is one of the biggest downfalls and why that mindset doesn’t work long-term.
At Synergy Search we flip the focus around onto what we believe is the most important part in a job search – THE OPPORTUNITY! Opportunity, including culture, growth potential, responsibilities, and the client industry. These are the most important parts of the job search to us. Our belief is that when you genuinely believe in, and focus on the “match” by having a thorough understanding of where a candidate is looking to go in their career, the rest will fall into place nicely. Including where the offer comes in.
When other recruiters focus on the numbers you are simply asking for a candidate to break your clients heart when they take a counter-offer, or don’t even accept an offer in the first place. The role may not be enticing enough to leave the team they love, or the comfort of their current employer. Even for a big raise. Not to mention the relationship between the recruiter and the candidate is way more surface level when you are basing a search around the compensation package. Don’t get me wrong, we love it when a client comes in and offers a candidate a 10% or 20% raise. Who doesn’t! It does happen on a good percentage of our placements. That said, the reason they get that raise is because the client really believes in the fit. At the same time the candidate who took the right opportunity, but did it for a lateral or even a slight pay-cut, is just as happy when they get an offer because the focus is on what sets them up better in their career. Keeping the focus on positions that will allow them to thrive with their experience will pay dividends in the short and long-term. When you love what you do, and are put in a position to do an incredible job, with the right leadership around you everything falls in place nicely.
I can’t tell you how many times a candidate has taken the right opportunity for the right reasons, that the candidate calls me up 6 or 12 months later excited about a recent promotion, or a spot bonus, or large raise. It happened because they focused their search on what opportunities were best for them and where they could thrive. Instead of going after a quick raise with the wrong role they focused on putting their career in the right position, and in the end it wound up better off long-term.
Not to mention, as a recruiter it is way more fulfilling to not only find the right candidate for the right position, but to know what that move can do for the candidate’s career long-term.
On the flip side, when the right candidate interviews for the role, it is easier in the end for us to negotiate a more competitive salary package as the clients see the value.
When focusing on making the right match, rather than making a quick buck on a placement fee, we worry far less about the potential of a counter-offer, or last minute call about a different role, because we know in the end, our client is the ideal next step for our candidate. Our entire process from how detailed we are with job order intake meetings to our first interviews of a candidate, allow us to know which candidate to call and for what opening. We simply do not waste peoples’ time throwing darts at the wall hoping something sticks, or trying to lure a candidate away by over-promising and under-delivering on a massive raise.
Whenever a candidate tells me that money is their biggest motivator in their job search, I tell them to go back and ask their employer for more money. I advise them to come back to me if they don’t receive a favorable response. It saves me and my clients a lot of time and effort! Ultimately when their current employer “randomly” offers that promotion or promises the big raise when they go to resign, if the motives for leaving are the right ones, and the candidate is excited about the new position, things work out in the end. It also avoids the typical call 6 months after a candidate accepts a counter-offer saying nothing really has changed and they again need help finding the right next move.
When people work with us, I want them to think of us more as “career experts.” We take the time to understand the full depth of your experience, your personalities, what makes you excited to go to work. It makes for a long-term relationship that continues to pay dividends for both Synergy Search, our clients, and our candidates.
The proof of the process shows when we get amazing testimonials:
“I’ve had discussions with many recruiters over the past year and had my reservations when Mark and Josh reached out to me. From day one, they were real and transparent with placing me. I openly expressed doubts and that I was currently interviewing at another well respected organization through another recruiter, to which they genuinely listened to my concerns and emphasized exploring that opportunity as well. Each time we spoke, the emphasis was on me finding the right opportunity for me, even if it did not serve the financial gain of Synergy Search. This modest, client centric attitude was a distinct differentiator for me that I have not seen with other search firms. Through the interview process they took a proactive approach in preparing me, providing feedback, and continued transparency the entire time. In just under 2 weeks I had an offer in hand with a fantastic opportunity and salary and benefits in excess of my preliminary goal. Mark and Josh are fantastic people who know what they are doing and will make an incredible impact on the Nashville market.”
