Ethics in Executive Recruiting, David Magy

Over the past 25 years,  David Magy – Principal at Abeln, Magy & Underberg and a member of the IACPR’s  Small Search Firm Planning Committee --has earned the reputation as “expert” in the field of retained search, corporate recruitment and workforce consulting. He has worked extensively with human resource staffing system design from both the corporate and consulting perspectives. His firm is recognized as a respected partner in recruiting key talent within a large array of businesses. Here he takes a look at ethics – a topic of critical importance to IACPR members.  

The search person says to the HR person: I want to lead a discussion on Ethics in the Search Field.

The HR person responds: Well that won’t take long!

Sad, but all too true – and these past weeks have given me reason to (at least partially) agree. I am an HR person by background and still consider myself to be in that broadly-defined field. HR as a function should strive to be a business partner; that said, they should also make sure certain tenets are followed. I have found myself responding as an HR person to a few items – and then I started worrying about the search field.

We should know better!

Two different HR leaders . . . .  two different stories . . . .

• An HR leader was asked directly by a respected search consultant (in the Twin Cities) for the year they graduated high school. (The HR leader was shocked but politely answered the question. We can argue the merits of that later.) I give up . . . .  under what circumstance is that pertinent information? How would one use it? I can think of only one reason for asking the question. You can determine the candidate’s age within one year. Is the search person discriminating? Were they asked to discriminate? (NOTE – the search person is an extension of the employer – and I know [or at least hope] that no employer would ‘directly’ ask.)
• It was suggested by a search consultant (in the Twin Cities) that an HR person (a different person than referenced above) change the date that their employment ended. It’s January 2012. The HR person’s employment ended in December of 2011. The search person said to use 2012 as the date on the resume. The search person’s concern was that using 2011 could imply that employment ended as early as January of 2011 – a full year ago. Using 2012 keeps the timeframe more recent in the reader’s mind. (I know there are other ways this situation can be handled.)

What is our obligation to our client (the employer)? What is our obligation to our profession?

There are certain employment legalities that we all, of course,  must adhere to when recruiting a new hire, whatever the level. But the ethics of the profession must go beyond just meeting the law. As recruiters – either in a corporate environment or as a search firm – we have an obligation to interface with both candidates and clients in a highly ethical fashion.

What does that mean? The International Association for Corporate & Professional Recruitment (IACPR) and the AESC both have ethical guidelines for their members. I know for a fact that the IACPR and the AESC enforce these strictly.

However, as with anything, there is the same subjectivity that pervades our every day personal and business dealings. But if it feels wrong, chances are it is. If it any way compromises the candidate, then you have crossed the line. If you have to "adjust" the facts about a candidate, you have crossed another line.  If your client is asking you to "pretty up" the facts about the position or the company's future, don't.

Senior Talent Acquisition Professionals: Where To Find The Right Skill Sets, Jeremy Eskenazi

Jeremy M. Eskenazi is Co-Vice President of IACPR’s National Membership and Managing Principal of Riviera Advisors, the premier global human resources consulting firm specializing in helping organizations develop stronger internal recruiting and staffing capabilities. Working with organizations across virtually every industry, from start ups to Fortune 500s, Riviera Advisors blends an unparalleled and real-world depth of experience with specific expertise in the critical area of talent management. The blog below is taken from his latest book, RecruitConsult Leadership, The Corporate Talent Acquisition Leader’s Field Book, a guide to building a successful corporate recruitment function. Readers of this blog and IACPR members can receive a special 30% discount by going to Leader's Fieldbook Discount and using discount code 5WGTJTTZ.

 I’m a big believer that if you focus on a core set of skills necessary to

do a job, any number of people with varying backgrounds can fill the role (of course you’ll have to determine if they can fit your culture). Recruiters in the 1990s needed great relationship, communication, sourcing, searching and technology skills. Now to this, add in project management, social networking, teamwork and political savvy skills. 

So where do you find the talent acquisition professionals who will make a big difference to your recruiting efforts?  

There’s the traditional path, one that we all think of first. 

Recruiting in Other Environments. This includes third-party recruiting vendors (like retained search firms), human resource departments/internal recruiting and staffing teams and recruitment outsourcing firms. But make sure that the job you’re offering is one in which a recruiter gets to recruit. They really don’t want to deal with “administrivia”—coordinating candidate travel and interviews, running reports, dealing with applicant tracking issues and so on. Plus, structure the position so that the recruiting professional will deal directly with the end client and be a strategic partner. Before, they have invariably had to go through at least one other party (such as an HR generalist). Offer the catnip of direct interface. 

But what about bringing in new blood? In that case, try looking in unexpected places.  

Project Management. Purchasing, logistics or operations planning areas (even if the company has nothing to do with construction or architecture!) --these professionals have great initiative, as well as relationship management.

Sales and Marketing. They’re self-starters with strong relationship and project management skills. But if you recruit from within your own company, you don’t want to take out the best sales people – and you certainly don’t need a failed sales person.

Operations. The real advantage to having operations professionals as recruiters is they typically recruit in their area of expertise. Engineers recruit engineers, technology experts recruit technology experts. It’s built-in credibility with hiring managers.

Management Trainee Programs.  Many “academy” companies (such as consumer packaged goods, hospitality, retail, etc.) bring in college grads with promises of someday running the world. However, many of these promises remain unfulfilled – and the employee may have realized they don’t even want to be in that particular industry. Could they fit into your world?

Professional Service Pros (Legal, Accounting, Management Consulting). People from these disciplines understand a service/strategic orientation, have solid communications skills and are good project managers.

Stockbrokers/Real Estate Professionals. If they have struggled in a competitive market or the market suddenly cools, they could still have what it takes to be a great recruiter.

Journalists (Freelance and Staff Writers). Here you have great communicators, with strong sourcing and research skills, people who are innovative self-starters. And the better compensation could lure them.

Technical Education Teachers. Consider those from a community college or business or technical institute. What they may lack in business experience they make up for in communication, project management and creativity/innovation skills.

Political Campaign Workers. They are the ultimate project-managers, with savvy, great sourcing capabilities and great relationship skills.

College Admissions Professionals. They read a lot of backgrounds, they meet a lot of people and they have lots of projects.  

The key to identifying and hiring outstanding team members is to think outside the box. Technical skills can be taught. What you cannot change is attitude. If you aren’t genuinely interested in people—their hopes and dreams and vision of the future—you need to be in another line of business.