What would you do?
Posted by Mitch on 7th April 2014
You take a role from a client who you’ve successfully recruited for previously several times and who now always calls you first and gives you a few days head start on other agencies.
As a result of this, the client has negotiated you down from your normal 20% to 17.5%.
You source candidates and find two that are good enough to submit.
The client likes one of the candidates. A lot.
The client talks about not bothering to see any more candidates. They even talk about accelerating the process in order to get this person onboard as quickly as possible.
A few days later another (new) client phones-in with a role they need filling and this same candidate seems like a really good match. This client is prepared to pay 25% for the right person.
Do you talk to the candidate about this new role?
Comments
By Colin Dunn on Monday, 07 April 2014Yes, definitely.
Not only is it the professional thing to do but it also doubles your chances of successfully placing the candidate.
By Shaun WIndram on Monday, 07 April 2014
Yes, on the basis there’s no offer made or accepted by your first client. For the avoidance of doubt the rates are irrelevant to me.
By Mitch on Monday, 07 April 2014
OK, thanks gents.
By Mitch on Monday, 07 April 2014
By the way, this question is purely hypothetical.
Didn’t want you thinking I was being tossed on any horns of dilemma or anything.
:)
By Shaun WIndram on Monday, 07 April 2014
What’s a dilemma? ;)
Additional thought here. What happens if you don’t and someone else, does?
By Mitch on Monday, 07 April 2014
Shaun, you can’t place the candidate with both companies.
Can you?
By Shaun WIndram on Monday, 07 April 2014
Correct but you said the second company is a new client.
If they engage with more that one agency and the other agency finds and secures the candidate, you lose both jobs.
...Unless you retain both vacancies.
By Mitch on Monday, 07 April 2014
True.
Are you saying then that you’d not show the candidate to the 2nd company if the first one had paid some money upfront?
By Shaun WIndram on Monday, 07 April 2014
Bear in mind I don’t know the ethics/etiquette on retained assignments, yes I’d still let company two see the candidate so long as the initial payment was simply to take on the search, and nothing to do with the presence of the candidate.
Same principle would apply, no offer or acceptance exists.
Also, I’d argue that you’re actually benefiting company one by submitting the candidate to company two as you retain 100% control (maybe too strong a word) but you have perfect information i.e. no external influence threatening the existence of your candidate.
I’d make it clear though that come salary offer time there would be no playing one company off of the other for more salary.
So, what would you do?
By Mitch on Monday, 07 April 2014
I asked this question simply to get a ‘straw poll’ on agency attitudes to what is a very grey area.
The other responses I’ve had have been similar to yours, Shaun.
I won’t explain what I would do here - partly because it would take too long to type out. I’d rather explain over the phone.
I’ll give you a call tomorrow.
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