Why not give freelance recruiters a try?

Outsourcing is an amazing development. The sort of outsourcing I’m most familiar with is using outside sources to provide an administrative service previously done in-house, generally more effectively and often a significant cost advantage while concentrating on core operations.

Executive search has “discovered” outsourcing, too. There is a thriving group of freelancers supporting retainer search firms of all sizes worldwide. These freelance search consultants work on a project/hourly basis, the best and most experienced of them work on retainer basis only.

Interesting development: Many of the best recruiters have migrated to freelance work, because they have discovered they can make a lot more money independently, rather than as an employee of the retainer firm. Most of the “majors” (the biggies of the search biz), don’t pay their recruiters as well as the recruiters can do on their own, so they (the biggies) are perpetually losing their best people to freelance – especially in UK. (Don’t expect many of them to admit this, BTW. Typically, they are not proud of it and don’t even want you to know about it).

Several important uses:

–The freelancer (much less well-known than the famous search firm) gets much less mail (like a handful of letters instead of a bag) every day, so your contact has more impact (less competition),

–Many of the freelancers’ “customers” are smaller, stealthier operators, who do not show up on the lists of headhunters you have (or are published anywhere). These “stealthy” headhunters get plenty of great assignments (use me as an example, if you want. I have three private equity clients with about 100 portfolio companies between them. I have several favorite freelance researchers I use on every assignment), many from clients they developed while working at the major firm. Remember, executive search is a relationship business.

–Because the freelancer turns qualified, interested candidates over to the search consultant for detailed consideration, they might very well be a better contact than the search consultant handling the assignment. (The search consultant wants prospects, not suspects).

–Many of the freelancers have multiple, unrelated search clients, so contacting them is a useful leverage point in your job hunt, as well.

–Many major corporations (who have executive recruiters on staff) have discovered freelance recruiters as well, so contacting the freelancers can be yet another alternate entry point to corporations, as well as exposing you to in-house searches not being conducted by search firms.

Interested in freelancers yet?

Need fast and cost effective recruitment services in ex-CIS countries with one year of full warranty for each placed candidate?

Have questions regarding freelance recruitment or Executive Search assistance? Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or https://drvarenikova.com