Does Anyone Care What the Recruiter Thinks? Part III
Executive Suite
Does Anyone Care What the Recruiter Thinks? Part III
By Steve Margalit, FPC Recruitment Training Consultant
The recruiting industry has continued to evolve in a number of ways since its creation in the post-World War II era. Advancements in technology including artificial intelligence have changed the landscape and have forced both companies and Executive Recruiters to frequently adapt on the fly. In Part III of our new series entitled “Does Anyone Care What the Recruiter Thinks?” FPC had the chance to sit down with another industry expert who gave us her perspective on the state of the recruiting industry and some thoughts on how the specialists in her company have been able to thrive and remain relevant. After 20 years of industry experience in Pulp and Paper, Gilly Hitchcock has been the Owner/President of FPC of Bangor (Maine) for the past 20 years. Gilly has leveraged her industry knowledge to become a trusted advisor to both her candidates and clients.
Below are some excerpts from our interview:
What types of clients have you been most successful with?
“Steve, we can afford to be a little choosy these days about who to work with and my choice always goes to the collaborative partners. I want to work with companies who value my service and utilize my expertise. Not only in sourcing the best candidates but in all aspects of the hire. I want to be part of the team and help advise on offers, assist with on-boarding, and maintain lasting relationships to help with succession planning. This is a relationship business and I want to be a valued partner.”
What frustrates you most about working with certain companies?
“Companies who utilize our services strictly as candidate sourcing frustrates me. Typically they have HR Recruiters that many times have never even been in the plant. They don’t want us to work directly with the Hiring Managers or even talk with them. These companies get the very least benefit of our services and they are low on my list of people I choose to work with. The other frustration I have in this candidate short market are companies who do not act quickly. After losing one or two candidates because of lack of response these companies also are low on my priority list. Another frustration has been when companies have huge on-line databases of candidates who have applied at some point in the past and they tell us those candidates are off limits to us even though they are unable to identify them from this huge database. I have been able to get some companies to honor our “but-for” rule but otherwise I recognize these companies are not working with us and they are low on my priority list.”
What attributes do you look for when searching for candidates?
“When it comes to search, Steve, we are constantly looking for the stand-out leadership skills. The candidates who are able to manage and lead people. The positive-can-do attitudes and the willingness to do what needs to be done. I look for people who want to be part of the solution not part of the problem.”
In your opinion, what is the future of executive recruiting?
“Recently I have been asked to participate in a relationship with a company who is investing money in buying multiple mill sites. They have asked if I would consider an exclusive recruiting relationship to the extent that we would represent them at certain school and job fairs and interview candidates at mill sites, etc.. They are asking for us to be an extension of their HR group and help them find and secure the talent they need in moving forward. I don’t know where that will go Steve, but my point is executive recruiting is highly valued as a profession and recognized as an integral part of the solution. This is a great time to be in this business!”
Thank you Gilly for continuing the discussion in this third installment of our four part series on hiring through the eyes of an Executive Recruiter. Your insights on the industry are appreciated. Best of luck to you on a strong 2nd half of the year. Look for the final part in the series in the coming months. For more information, or to find out how we can help, feel free to reach out at smargalit@fpcnational.com.
Missed Part I or Part II? Does Anyone Care What the Recruiter Thinks? Part I , features Jeff Herzog, President of FPC, discussing the importance of talent acquisition and placing a premium on hiring the right talent. You can also gain more recruiting insight from Ben Gidwani, President of FPC Orlando, regarding the time and effort devoted to thoroughly understanding the culture, personality, and unique needs of the client company in order to present qualified candidates who will fit smoothly and comfortably into the company in Does Anyone Care What the Recruiter Thinks? Part II.
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