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In today's fast-changing highly competitive
business world, proven experienced professionals are in greater demand than
ever. Yet, in almost every industry, a shortage of highly qualified people
has led to unprecedented hiring competition. It's hard to find good people,
hard to attract them, and it's hard to retain them. That's why more and
more companies are turning to Strane & Associates for help. Our success
rate in finding qualified, compatible candidates for our clients is the
reason we are now one of the most successful plastics recruiting firm in
the country.
Recruiting is a specialty
The key to our success in helping our clients is simple: we have great recruiters.
Great recruiters possess a unique set of skills. They have to be highly
motivated individuals, because the work they do is intangible, often difficult
and always challenging. They have excellent problem-solving skills, so they
can quickly process information and choose the right route to a solution.
They are sensitive and outgoing, truly interested in other people and quickly
build rapport. They have good investigative abilities; they know what questions
to ask and how to ask them to uncover subtleties that might affect a candidate's
suitability for a particular situation. Finally, recruiters are achievers,
people who like to succeed by doing their job well, day after day, year
after year.
Not only do Strane & Associates recruiters have these skills, they also
receive the best training in our industry. Even after they become part of
a team of specialists, they continue to participate in weekly training sessions
throughout their career at Strane & Associates.
A productive recruiting environment
Even the best recruiters need a supportive work environment in order to
perform at peak efficiency. Here are some of the reasons your Strane & Associates
recruiters have a performance edge.
Specialization As you will see our recruiters specialize
in the plastics industry. Because they do, they know exactly where to start
looking for qualified candidates. They also understand special terminology,
grasp job requirements quickly, and can better evaluate candidates. Finally,
they know what salary structures are and can help you formulate competitive
offers.
Teamwork Whenever possible, we assign at least two recruiters
to a search, designating one as your primary contact. This provides broader
coverage for the assignment, and there is always a recruiter to answer your
questions.
Professionalism We are sticklers for professionalism because
we act on behalf of our clients, and our actions reflect on them. We will
not risk your reputation (or ours) by misrepresenting you or by being careless
with confidential information.
National and international reach
Because our clients ask us to find professionals with very specific qualifications,
our searches often take us across the country and around the world.
Give us a try
Find out for yourself. When you need a proven performer in plastics, give
us a try. You will be pleased at how quickly we find and present three or
more well-qualified candidates.
We're a recruiting firm--Strane & Associates--and we've put together an
impressive track record of helping companies like yours find good personnel.
Along the way, we've answered a lot of questions about the employment business,
about the hiring process, and about the search for good people. This is
a quick guide to understanding the recruiting process, and some advice on
how to get the most out of your recruiting efforts.
Why should you use a recruiter?
Because the best people aren't looking for a job; they are already working.
They are the proven performers, the top five or ten percent of their profession.
They don't read "help wanted" ads, they don't keep their resumes circulating,
and they don't haunt the employment agencies.
If you want the best people, you have to find them, because
they aren't looking for you. Identifying and approaching these hidden prospects
is not easy, even for the most astute personnel manager, but that's what
trained, experienced recruiters do every day.
What does a recruiter do?
A good recruiting firm helps you define your needs, gives you advice on
manpower matters, and represents your company to the best available candidates.
This requires developing an accurate, detailed job description and compensation
package that will attract the sort of employees you need. Recruiters then
search for and identify those candidates with the skills, experience, personality,
and character that are best suited to your organization. After careful screening
and verification of the candidates' credentials, recruiters will recommend
a candidate to you. Recruiters arrange the interviews, present your offer
and, if you wish, serve as third-party negotiators for the specific terms
and conditions of employment.
When does it make sense to use a recruiter?
When the position you want to fill is important to your company. recruiters
can help you hire people you probably can't find on your own. They can maintain
your anonymity when it is important to do so. They can help you avoid mistakes
in the hiring process by providing objective analysis of a candidate or
by following up on references, and they can save you time by screening candidates
against your agreed-upon requirements.
If the position is limited, short-term, or relatively unimportant to your
company's future, consider using a general employment agency or try placing
your own help-wanted ads. But for mid to top level positions that make an
impact, use a recruiting specialist.
How are recruiters different from employment
agencies and retained search firms?
Recruiters work for you and employment agencies work for job
hunters. Retained search firms are similar to recruiters, but generally
accept only top-level assignments (chief executive officers or other corporate-level
management, for example). Retained search firms might specialize in a particular
industry, but usually they are generalists. Most search firms require a
nonrefundable retainer, plus the placement fee if you hire one of their
candidates.
How much does it cost to use a recruiter?
Nearly all recruiting is done on a contingency basis; if the recruiter doesn't
complete the assignment to your satisfaction, you don't pay.
How Should you choose a recruiter?
Carefully, because the recruiter will be representing your company and because
a poor recruiter can waste a lot of your time. Here's what to look for:
- Experience---How long has the firm been in business? What experience
does it offer in recruiting for your specific needs?
- References---Look for evidence of successful assignments similar
to what you have in mind. A reputable firm will readily provide references,
and you should always take time to check them.
- Compatibility---Can you work well with the recruiter? This
is important because how well you communicate with one another can influence
how well, and how quickly, the recruiter can satisfy your needs.
Ask questions. Ask about their methods. Some recruiting firms routinely
assign a team of recruiters to an assignment to make sure someone is always
available to answer your questions and to ensure that progress continues
if, for example, one recruiter becomes ill. Find out who will handle your
assignment. Ask about their experience in recruiting the position you are
trying to fill.
Why is it important for your recruiter to
have direct experience in recruiting for your field of expertise?
Because it improves your chances of getting good people with the specific
experience you need. If your recruiter can speak the candidate language,
he or she can understand their accomplishments, see through their exaggerations,
and make a better impression, all on your behalf. Specific, direct experience
saves time. An experienced recruiter more readily understands your job description
and what is important to your situation, and has a better knowledge of where
to start looking, or, better yet, of where not to look.
How can you judge a recruiter's performance?
The best standard is the result. Did the recruiter find a good employee
for you? Of course, you don't know that until the assignment is completed,
but the fact remains that results are what count. Now, if you're working
with a recruiter and you're unsure about how well the assignment is developing,
certain factors can give you an early indication.
First, look at who's working on the assignment. Are they professional in
their presentation, in their day-to-day contact with you? If junior personnel
are working on the assignment, is there adequate supervision and participation
by senior recruiters as well? You should get timely, professional service
and, within a reasonable amount of time, you should be seeing good candidates.
The candidates also help you judge the recruiter. Are they well-prepared
for the interview? Do they meet your specifications for experience and skills?
What did the recruiter tell them about the job? About your company? If there
are discrepancies between what you've discussed with the recruiter and what
he/she is telling the candidates, call him and find out why. If after 30
to 40 days you haven't seen any promising resumes or candidates, you should
consider using another recruiter assignment.
Should you use more than one recruiting
firm on an assignment?
Not if you have a good relationship with a good recruiting firm. Here's
what can happen when several recruiters are working to fill the same position:
Before too long, two or more of the recruiters will cross paths. Consider
what this can do to your company. The prospects, the good employees that
you find, will hear about the same job from various sources, and while the
good recruiters may impress them, the not-so-good recruiters may turn them
off. Your company may develop a reputation as a "revolving door," a place
where turnover is a problem, because it will appear that you are always
looking for people. Or your company may become known as one that raids others
for all its personnel.
You also run the risk of scaring away the best prospects. Remember, the
best people aren't looking for work. They're conscientious. They don't want
to take time off to interview for jobs that are being offered (it seems)
to all their peers. There are true stories of telephones ringing one after
another in a given department, with each person being solicited for the
same job by different recruiters. While it's true that no single recruiter
knows how to find every available prospect, it's equally true that
recruiting is like a small town: Everyone talks about everyone else.
Of course, if you want to evaluate a recruiting firm you've never used,
you may want to put them on the same assignment as another recruiter with
whom you're more familiar. But, in general, it's almost always best to establish
a good relationship with your recruiting firm and use them exclusively unless
they develop a poor performance record.
How important is an ongoing relationship
with a recruiter?
As important as a good relationship with your banker, attorney or insurance
agent. A good recruiter is particularly valuable if you have fairly frequent
hiring needs. They will give you faster response because they're already
familiar with your company, its philosophies, and its personalities. They
help you keep up with industry trends in compensation, in employee benefits,
and in manpower planning. And, like any good business people, they're more
likely to give their best clients the best possible service, even on the
smaller assignments.
Are there any hidden risks to using a recruiter?
Not if your dealing with reputable firms. There are no direct financial
risks, since you're paying on a contingency basis. The only real risks are
that your company will be misrepresented, thereby offending good, potential
employees (and their employers), or that poor recruiter will waste your
time or be careless with confidential information.
Why should you consider using Strane &
Associates?
We're specialists in recruiting, so we're able to understand your needs
and satisfy them quickly and reliably. We have experience locating and recruiting
top-level personnel in all key functions for your company.
Strane & Associates is an established recruiting firm with an extensive
network of contacts nationwide. Here are a few facts about us:
- Staff members at Strane & Associates regularly attend national trade
conventions and local chapter meetings.
- We usually operate with three-person teams, designating one recruiter
as the principal contact for you.
- If our firm isn't right for your assignment, we won't accept it.
- We work on a contingency basis, so you don't pay if we don't perform.
We'd be happy to discuss your recruiting needs. For reference and more information
call (888) 464-6423. Thank you for your time and consideration.
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