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Agents for Your Life Decisions

I’d like to pose the question, “What do real estate agents and agency recruiters/talent agents have mostin common?”—aside from the obvious that both communicate with people and provide a needed service. They both help people navigate one of the biggest life decisions, a home and a career, respectively. There are newly developed real-estate-in-a-box agency offerings, but why make such a critical decision using a box, especially when agents are supposed to earn their income from their involvement? My guess is that most real estate agents can’t compete with a reputable and successful agent by using a box offering.

I would think that when buying or selling a home people would not want to turn away industry knowledge and analysis, assistance with legal language, and honest advice—because all of that ultimately saves time and lessens the stress of an already complicated life decision. For that very same reason, why not turn to an agency recruiter when contemplating the life decision of a career change? This decision can affect your life even more than a new home can. You can remodel a home using some wood or paint, but how do you remodel a career? You don’t—at least not quickly. Change can be difficult and slow for employers, so having a sneak peek into them is invaluable. Working with an agency recruiter allows people to receive current job market knowledge, such as the culture and management style of potential employers. Agency recruiters don’t just work with one employer, they work with many, broadening their market knowledge and strengthening your ability to get what you deserve. Some agency recruiters, like those at Vector Talent, develop specialties in business disciplines such as technology, marketing, operations, or human resources. Of course, not all agency recruiters are alike. Everyone is different—we’ve all heard stories of agents who can be aggressive or misleading. These stories are unfortunate, but that is why selecting the right agency recruiter is important.

Things to look for include whether the recruiter–

  • • Has their values displayed and demonstrated
  • • Seeks to learn about you before presenting whatever they have available at the time
  • • Helps unpack your career story, such as your role in teams, business units, and companies overall, including the impact of your work there
  • • Looks to understand your compensation history, total rewards, and achievements
  • • Pulls out those talents that you simply underestimated
  • • Or simply asks, “What do you really want to do?”

If these aren’t the first topics of business during your conversation with a recruiter, then that recruiter is likely not a good choice. Also keep in mind that your willingness to take the time and share the information is key. The more your agency recruiter knows, the better service can be provided to you. If you are considering a career transition or know someone who is, let Vector know—our talent agents do care and can help.

 

Written by Michelle Businger, Vice President of Talent Services at Vector Talent Resources. For more information about how Vector can help with your next career move, contact Michelle at michelle@vectortalent.com.

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