Headhunters assist organization in their executive level & above recruitment needs. The interesting thing is, often time, hunters themselves also get hunted themselves.
3 plus week ago, I got a call from, lets just call this company ”the big red”, out of their SG office. It is not uncommon for me to receive calls like this. But this call certainly didnt help their reputation especially when I have heard quite bit of them about how their consultants handle candidate, their approach with clients, the level of playing field they are at and their internal environment. And how they approach this call with me had me shaking my head.
1st up, in response to his qualifying question “if I am open to explore oppotunities?”, I asked what’s the specific position & role he is considering exploring with me. To this simple but deciding question, he was not able to provide precise answer. Best of all, he knows my profile & background experience. Instead he said, he will submit my profile to his mgmt team and see what position & role they think I am suitable for. :S. (MINUS POINTS !!) Well, shouldn’t you have determined that before you even call, especially when you have the full knowledge of my background experience ? And submission of profile for selection is really your internal thing, nothing to do with me. Nvm, I take it as different people has different approach to qualifying. The very next morning, I got another call from the same guy. This time, it’s about arranging me for an interview with his mgmt people who is coming into town in the next two days. But he still unable to tell specifically for what role. (MINUS POINTS !! AGAIN)
In executive search, you ought to have it very clear in mind what the one position, or 2 max, that you want to explore with the individual. This is expecially true in the case of senior & mgmt level positions. I told him if he were to put me down to meet his mgmt team, then he has to give me the specific role with the job details as well as who are the mgmt team people I am to meet with their respective designation before 4pm that day. I believe there are homework to be done before every meet. Well, 4pm came & went. Nothing. (MINUS POINTS !! AGAIN) 5pm, I called up their local office, got his details & shot him an email. By 6pm, yes, I got an email with an attachment file named GM. Content of the document is nothing more than the common company intro which anyone can find from the internet. (MINUS POINTS !! AGAIN)There is no details of position scope claiming the position is sensative, will only share during the meet. Fine!
While sitting in their office, I can’t help but notice there’s a row of lockers at the entrance to the office portion. Lockers in professional office ? I can only think this is for staff to deposit their bags before going into the office. If this is really the case, I can see there is a major trust issue with this company. (BIG BIG MINUS POINTS !!)
Most search consultants are experience industry professionals who has a good 8-2o years of working exprience. If this company is in search, I doubt they can retain these kind of quality expereince professional. This affirmed what I heard from the market, they are in the low level recruitment.
Although I was told I will be meeting 3 mgmt people, in the end, it was just one Singaporen who has spent umpteen years with the company. That explain her ill search skill as her exposure was just recruitement. She led me to the room, pressumably a manager room, approximately 4.5 x 6 feet. (Gasp !!) Without initial rapport building but went straight into my profile. She is obviously not interested in relationship building. An important factor in Search. (MINUS POINTS!! AGAIN) Her approached was like interviewing a junior officer position, going though what was already in the profile. It speaks volume to me about them.
1 hr 45min, there were no pitching of the company, the company direction or the specific position, except the emphasis of “we are one of the fortune 500 companies”, and all she is interested was what would I like to “cheong” next. Yes! she used the word “cheong”! So Singaporean! In the end, she made a comment, “you are very close up”.
If she is experience in search, she should know relationshiop is foremost in all hunt. Rapport is priority to gain another expereince professional’s trust to share his/her personal story including career aspiration, passion & goal. This clearly shows she is most certainly not a search person but simply a lower level recruitment, hiring between fresh & RM48000/pa type.
Well, so much for the big red, the known reputation of pushy & rude consultants, the practice of throwing CVs, and now the short of growing ideas that you need to resort to using interview with potential talent to fish business strategy/idea. You claimed to be one of the fortune 500 company but you are shamefully short of that professionalism & standard.
Now I am safely affirmed of what I have heard of the big red from my candidates & clients and will certainly warn them of the black sheep.
