Q: “Somer, It seems that the HR leader of the company wants to deal with me directly - in short the offer letter and next steps in communication will not go through the search firm. Is that the normal course of events as I await a document?”
A:
Sometimes. It depends on the dynamics between the HR executive and the search consultant. As long as their communication is in sync, it’s a great thing.
I view my role as 1) preventing surprises and 2) setting expectations, so as long as that’s done, I’m happy for my HR partner to speak with candidates directly regarding offer details, and they often do.
It's interesting to reflect on. Growing up as a recruiter I was taught to avoid HR/recruiters and talk only directly to hiring managers. I remember going to CTPartners and stopping in my tracks. “Wait, what, HR is leading the client call??” I came to realize how valuable those relationships are and that I couldn't do my job without them. I can't begin to tell you how much I've learned and honed my craft from my internal recruiting partners.
We each have different perspectives, access, and strengths. When we’re a well-oiled machine, searches go so smoothly.
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