How to Hire A-Players: Finding the Top People for Your Team - Even If You Don't Have a Recruiting Department

Chapter 8. Using Recruiters Wisely

A company that I do work for does a terrific job of finding and hiring A-players. It follows the steps in this book, has a strong farm team, and consistently hires A-players. Yet when the time came to find a new vice president of sales, the president of this company used an outside recruiting firm that specialized in sales and sales management. The president had several people on his farm team who were contenders for the role, but he wanted to conduct an exhaustive search that guaranteed the company hired the best person available. He was willing to pay a recruiting fee of 25 to 30 percent of first year starting salary. The recruiter conducted a thorough process, winnowed the candidates down to a final list—and the company hired its top choice.

Several years later, this new vice president of sales has been instrumental in taking this business to the next level of success. She is a great leader and is committed to creating a team of A-players. The recruiting fee this company incurred to find her has paid for itself many times over.

Ironically, it is often the companies that are effective at finding A-players on their own that turn to outside recruiters to fill leadership roles and key technical positions. Because these companies are so committed to creating an A-player team, they are willing to invest in recruiters' fees when necessary. No company wants to pay a recruiter 20 to 30 percent of first-year salary, but sometimes doing so is the right decision. ...