Frequent Questions

How much does a Direct Sourcing project cost?

If you have not worked with us before, a good estimate would be one-third the cost of a contingent or retained hire for a technical individual contributor.  Fees are based on hours expended, not salaries.  So higher paid individuals, or multiple hires, result in a lower cost per hire.

Who are your competitors?

We develop a close working relationship with our HR partners, who in turn use multiple talent sourcing strategies, including job postings, referral programs, social networks, and search firms.

Why should I choose your firm?

Three characteristics define our team: Quality of work, experience in market, and integrity of process.  Unlike any other search modality your company deploys, you will have a comprehensive understanding of the contacts we have made during the course of your project.

Do you subcontract or employ remote staff?

We have 35 full-time employees located in our Fort Lauderdale headquarters. We do not subcontract any part of our work.

Can we meet in person?

We attend a number of industry forums across the country during the year, and we’d be happy to arrange a visit to your site. Clients also like to visit our Fort Lauderdale office, especially in Winter.

How can this be so inexpensive?

The Direct Sourcing model basically strips out contingent factors for both parties – ourselves and our customers. A good contingency firm has to work three assignment to make one placement – hence the higher fee. Customers tend to choose us when they are committed to making a hire or need specific market intelligence. Our service is essentially unbundled retained search performed for an hourly fee. We’ve deployed business workflows that maximize client ROI.

Do you resell prior work?

No, although we know some our competitors do. To the extent that we have searched similar areas – and we almost certainly have – your project will benefit from resulting efficiencies. But every search we conduct involves a fresh campaign to identify and qualify talent that meets your project specification. Every prospect and candidate is verified as to title, contact information, employment and experience.

Isn't this information on the internet?

Back in the day, directories provided by professional associations provided base level information for recruiting. Classified advertising and then job boards helped too. These tools are now supplemented by social networks. However, in the final analysis, your organization needs to reach out and engage a prospective employee in a conversation about the value proposition of your current opportunity, and you need to do that in an effective and efficient manner. That’s what we do well.

Can I cancel a project once it starts?

Yes you can. Perhaps your opening was canceled or put on hold; perhaps a decision was made to go with an internal hire or a previously moribund candidate from another source; perhaps you don’t like our approach (ouch!). You can stop a project at any time and only be responsible for hours expended as of notification.

Can you provide references from clients in my industry?

Yes we can.

What level assignments do you work on?

Clients use us to find individual skilled contributors up to C-level executives and board members.

Does your staff have experience to represent us well?

Our staff is trained in the art of recruiting so that you can be assured they represent your company and your opportunity professionally.  Teams focus on familiar markets to leverage their experience.  We have quantitative and qualitative systems in place to assure productive outcomes.  Our clients overwhelmingly rate our performance higher than other methods, and the candidates we source often tell our clients how pleased they are with our recruiter’s approach.

Is your reporting technology compatible with ours?

Yes. We use a custom client-server relationship manager to collect and report data. At any point in any project, we can instantly produce a report an send it to you as a project update. This includes pdf files in our descriptive format, spreadsheet files for your use, or exported data files for import into your ATS system. If you can provide access to your company ATS system, we can enter candidate information and resumes directly as they become available.

How do you determine project scope?

We’ll have a conversation about the number of candidates you expect to interview and hire, their relocation and skill parameters, and the selection of companies to recruit from. We then produce a written scope document for review and approval.

Can you help me understand what my hiring manager really wants?

As a corporate recruiter, you may find yourself working on an unfamiliar challenge. We can partner with you to gain the confidence of a hiring manager, and act as an expert consultant to elucidate the true requirements for a successful hire. As an outside resource, we can provide market information during the search that influences your hiring manager to understand the available talent pool.

This requisition has been open for nine months, can you help?

Not a problem. Many times we find that although substantial effort has been applied on these long open requisitions, there is no stored knowledge as to what really transpired. Our process is different in that is is completely transparent as it unfolds and all contacts made during the search are reported.

I need this search done yesterday. Can you do that?

Our projects typically start within three business days of approval. Once started, candidates are presented as we identify them, so the flow is quick and continuous. It’s very common for us to produce candidates faster than our clients can process them.

Who will work on my project?

We establish a team for each project, managed by a Research Director and implemented by one or more Recruiters. Broader oversight is provided, on a consultative basis, by the owner-partner and the VP of Research.

How do I track progress on my project?

We will recommend a weekly telephone meeting to discuss progress while the project is active. It’s beneficial if hiring managers can participate in the first few calls so that their insights can be incorporated into the search. We can provide interim reports at any frequency the client requests.

Do you work outside the US?

A majority of our projects are performed within North America. Since many of our client companies are globally positioned, we routinely conduct searches in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and South America. Searches in those areas may be for local subsidiaries or for relocation to the US.

Faq Mankuta Gallagher