Planning to reach out to recruiters – but you’re not sure how to find recruiting firms that seek candidates at your level?
With a simple search, you can locate and build relationships with executive recruiters – as long as you understand how recruiters work.
Recruiters are tasked with finding an optimum candidate, based on career history, specialized knowledge, industry experience, education, and other factors as specified by the HIRING company. They are paid by the client company – so their loyalty to you is limited to how well you fit their client requirements.
You can ask trusted colleagues for recommendations on a recruitment firm in your industry or city, and access public lists such as CEO World’s Top 100 Best Executive Search Firms.
It’s also a good idea to expand your recruiter search beyond these top lists, using these methods:
1 – Locate Recruiters Using LinkedIn.
Executive recruiters are easily found on LinkedIn with a few simple search techniques.
First of all, get familiar with the site’s Search function (which will make your life easier throughout your job search).
From any page in LinkedIn, use the top search bar to enter a search string (use quotes, such as “Recruiter CFO” or “Executive recruiter”), hit Enter, and you’ll see a long list of results. Select People in the menu options at the top.
Click on the recruiter’s profile, where you will see options to Connect or Message them, depending on your connection level. You can further sift through these results by clicking Actively Hiring at the top. LinkedIn automatically sorts People results based on your connection level.
It goes without saying that you should read the recruiter’s LinkedIn Profile as a first step before starting a conversation.
2 – Access Recruiter Lists using AI or Online Search.
Ask your favorite AI bot to provide information on executive recruiters; be sure to tailor this query to identify the right type of firm or recruiting consultant for your situation.
Use criteria such as your industry or job title, as well as any location parameters (keeping in mind that many recruiting firms will source candidates globally).
For example, “Find at least 10 recruiting companies who source candidates for CEO or COO roles in healthcare throughout the southern US states” yields Biffkin / Baker, Cowen Partners, Scion Executive search, and other credible executive search companies. As you can see, it’s best to narrow your list to a reasonable number of contacts by describing your target roles and industry preferences.
Whlie you can also search online, the typical results from a Google recruiter search can produce millions of entries. You may need additional filters to screen more intensively for the specific type of firms you want to approach. For example, “COO recruiter (manufacturing OR production) -simplyhired.com -indeed.com” will show recruiters who source COO jobs and candidates in manufacturing and production settings, while removing results shown on simplyhired.com and indeed.com.
An online search for recruiters can also produce an AI summary of recruiting firms; be sure to vet the resulting entries to ensure they fit your requirements.
3 – Find & Use Executive Recruiter Referral Lists.
Professional groups in your area of specialty will often list preferred recruiting partners or credible companies in your field.
For example, the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) shows Korn Ferry, MH Healthsearch, and B.E. Smith in a group of specialized healthcare recruiters.
You can also use i-Recruit.com to find groups of recruiters by industry and position type.
Some executive professional associations or groups will also provide lists of preferred recruiters who understand your area of specialty.
No matter how you find a recruiter, it’s best to provide a short introduction via social media, email, or the recruitment firm’s website, such as:
“I see that you recruit for healthcare executives; I’m a hospital administrator at CommonSpirit Health, looking for my next move as COO or CMO. Please let me know if we could talk about a potential fit with your your client requirements.“
Some companies may also expect you to forward a resume during your initial contact.
Sending a specific inquiry is often appreciated by recruiters, who are typically swamped. It’s best to approach the task of locating and contacting a recruiter with realistic expectations and diligent research.
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