Executive Recruiters Never Read Unsolicited Resumes!
or
“HORSE HOCKEY!”
(As Col. Sherman Potter of M.A.S.H used to say when he meant, “Ridiculous!”)
A true story.
Recently, at a gathering of career professionals in a major eastern city, an eminent Executive Recruiter said in a presentation that, “Executive Recruiters, especially in our firm, NEVER, EVER read unsolicited resumes received in the mail or email. Don't waste your client's money.”
He went on to say that his firm received 20 unsolicited resumes a day and that, on average, 12 of those resumes were for health care people and, “We don't place health care people.” Of the remaining 8 resumes he commented, “Well-established firms like ours are expected to source out our candidates with hard work.”
There it was. From the podium. An informed opinion that what we do doesn't work. And it's a waste of money.
WAIT A MINUTE! WHO'S COUNTING THOSE 20 RESUMES?
HOW DOES HE KNOW THAT 12 OUT OF 20 ARE FOR HEALTHCARE? OR ANYTHING ELSE FOR THAT MATTER!
WHO IS DOING THE ARITHMETIC!!!!!!
Obviously, someone is looking at those unsolicited resumes.
Why? because the fee for a placed candidate is substantial, typically 30% of annual salary. Certainly, many Executive Recruiters read the unsolicited resumes. Perhaps only with a glance, but they do read them. Why wouldn't they? It's free inventory!
We, at Profile Research, have solid proof that recruiters look at those submissions. Our email campaigns have a “counter” on a hot link to the Word Version of the resume. A reader must physically “click here.” And that hot link is buried in the cover letter. Someone needs to read at least 4 paragraphs to find the hot link. Our latest data show that we are getting a 3-9% click rate (see below). We are sure that others read the emails and don't click, but we can't prove the negative.
By the way, the speaker later told me privately that the firm's health care specialist had retired (imagine that!), and “No, they hadn't notified the database producer.” He later informed me that he had a candidate “in the finals” for a job whose first contact with his firm had been an unsolicited resume.
Not read unsolicited resumes? Horse Hockey!
|
Candidate |
Emails |
Hits/Clicks |
% |
|
Global HR |
648 |
26 |
4% |
|
CEO Consumer Products |
946 |
42 |
4% |
|
Finance, M&A, Energy |
1122 |
45 |
4% |
|
Finance |
1198 |
40 |
3% |
|
Software Developer |
608 |
56 |
9% |
|
Market Research |
623 |
33 |
5% |
|
Business Developer |
746 |
58 |
8% |
|
Software Leader |
766 |
48 |
6% |
|
Technical Leader |
1160 |
93 |
8% |
We would like to believe that email campaigns would work for all our clients. They don't. It's a question of timing and credentials and we can't control either of those factors. But when email campaigns are right, they are really right!
Can you imagine playing ice hockey on horseback? Neither could Colonel Potter.
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