How's the market? Hear from an in-house executive recruiter

Hi everyone, 

In-house recruiter vs. external search consultant. My book, Search in Plain Sight, describes what each does, how we work together, and why that matters to executive job seekers. So far we've been sharing viewpoints from colleagues at search firms. Now it's time to see the market through the lens of inside a Fortune 100 company, which will bring different insight.

Last week we heard from Kara Ruskin at Korn Ferry (if you missed it, read her thoughts here), and asked her who we should reach out to for the next newsletter. It wasn't a surprise that she recommended Rosalie Campbell, an in-house executive recruiter at Google. Kara and I worked with Rosalie and I can attest that she's one of the best out there. She's just so good at what she does and an all around wonderful person. There were many times that I'd chat with a candidate after Rosalie and they'd proactively sing her praises. We're proud to feature Rosalie in our newsletter, where she explains what she is seeing in the market and provides some tips for working with an in-house recruiter. Here is what she had to say:

Rosalie, what are candidates telling you about their job search experience?

The market moves fast. Most of the time, finalist candidates have at least one competing offer. This is definitely the case with candidates who are actively looking for a new role, and also for candidates who are passively looking.

For many passive candidates, once they open the door to an exploratory conversation, it’s not uncommon for that person to start taking other calls to get a sense for what else is out there and in turn they end up with multiple processes moving forward at once.

Any advice for folks who are looking in this market?

Be opportunistic. Take the call. Even if a role doesn’t seem right up your alley at first glance, often times it's just the tip of the iceberg. There is likely a lot more there than is communicated in the initial email or in a job description. If the role doesn’t sound spot on after talking to the recruiter but they offer to connect you with the hiring manager to learn more, take them up on it. Getting face time with executives in a company that you’re interested in is a great way to get and stay on the company’s radar.

Build your network. Another reason to take a call from an executive recruiter is to keep the door open for future opportunities. Even if the role they have isn't a fit, they likely work on a team that covers roles that would be interesting. Use that conversation as an opportunity to share the kinds of roles that would be interesting to you. If you see a position at the company that you're more interested in, you can share it with the recruiter you talked to and they can introduce you to the appropriate people within the company. It’s another way to build your network.

How are things trending compared to last month/quarter? How are hiring managers acting these days?

The fourth quarter sprint. The summer is a somewhat slow time for executive recruiting. Candidates, hiring managers, and key stakeholders often take vacation and wrangling schedules is harder than usual. The weeks between Labor Day and Thanksgiving are a sprint. Hiring managers want to get their leadership teams onboarded so that new hires can participate in end of year strategy planning. Hiring teams are also aware that with the end of the year comes the promise of bonus season for many candidates which can discourage them from leaving their current roles. Your recruiter is a great asset to help you navigate these situations.

"The opinions stated here are my own, not those of my company.”

More on Rosalie Campbell

Looking for more executive search insight? Check out Search in Plain Sight, Demystifying Executive Search on Amazon. Thank you for the reviews so far. We're getting closer to my goal of 50. Every one matters, and I'll be featuring them on LinkedIn (with your permission of course).

Thanks all. Let us know what you're seeing out there!

- Somer