Whether you’re a job, you’ve likely considered working with a recruiter. But, maybe you’ve heard rumors, and you’re not sure if you want to get into the executive search consulting game. So, before you make your decision, make sure you don’t get deceived by the biggest myths surrounding recruiters.

Myth: Only You Care About Your Results

This is perhaps the number one myth, but it’s simply not true. Recruiters care passionately about finding the right placements for job hunters, and good fits for hiring managers. After all, if they didn’t treat their clients with respect, and consistently make excellent placements, they’d be out of the executive search consulting business entirely. In short: it’s a cutthroat world, and recruiters who have staying power have staying power because they care about doing a good job. 

Myth: Working Alone Is Easier

If you’re the hiring manager, you might feel like best course of action is to take sole control of the process. You might feel that search consulting services are more hassle than they’re worth. After all, there’s the old saying that too many cooks spoil the broth. However, a good recruiter can help you on any job, large or small, and will still take directives from you. In other words, you’re not ceding control when you choose to work with an executive search firm – you’re just adding reinforcements.

Myth: You Know What You Want

Many job seekers come to a recruiter seeking one type of job, but after some in-depth discussions and a close reading of their resume, a recruiter is able to suggest an additional pathway. Other times, hiring managers arrive asking for executive search consulting, and are surprised by several new suggestions on where to find great executives. In short, you don’t know everything – and a good recruiting service will dialog with you and make sure that what you think you want is what you really need.

Myth: You’re the Only Expert

Particularly if you’re a hiring manager for a high stakes executive position, you may feel that because you have such deep knowledge of your profession, and because you know the intricacies of your company, you’re the best-equipped individual to find your company’s new executive. However, there’s another specialist in this realm: executive recruiting firms. They are experts in what they do. They work daily with a breadth of companies and candidates, and know your industry’s hiring needs inside and out with the ability to find the best candidates for your needs.

In the end, the decision of whether you work with a recruiter is up to you. However, once the myths are dispelled, it’s likely that you’ll decide that executive search consulting is well worth your time – it can be the perfect way to land the perfect job, or find the perfect candidate.