Split Placements

Whether you have a long track record of success or are new to the concept, here are some ideas to help you be a more effective split placement partner.

If you have the job order (“importer” in NPAworldwide lingo):

• Supply your split placement partner with a few screening questions. If there are critical areas that need to be confirmed prior to an interview, consider supplying those screening questions to your partner. These could be as simple as “What size budget did you manage?” or “How many years have you been programming in Ruby on Rails?” The point here is that you’re helping your partner screen more specifically to your client’s needs. Your partner will be able to have better conversations with potential candidates and you’ll get the value-added detail you’re expecting.
• Know your audience! The job description that you (or your client) wrote is FOR THE CANDIDATE. It is NOT for your split-placement partner. The language used is likely marketing-oriented with lots of sizzle. This does not give your partner good information for searching. Tell your partner specifically what machines are being used, what size the facility is, how many direct reports and at what levels, what kind of technology is in use. The more granular the detail, the better your partner will be able to target the right candidates.

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As we are officially in the second half of the year, I thought it would be interesting to review our split placements data for the first six months of the year. Global split activity is up a solid 22% over the same time frame last year. Members in the northeastern US have seen placements increase by 34% so far this year. Elsewhere, split placements have more than doubled in Australia/New Zealand as well as in Asia compared to last year. Perhaps not coincidentally, employment in Australia more than tripled the estimated June numbers, and our membership in the region has also increased by 22% compared to last year. Read the rest of this entry »

There are many different split placement models and options for recruiters to consider. Over time, I’ve learned that there are also different ways to define or describe split placements. At its simplest level, we define a traditional split placement as a placement that involves two separate recruiters, from two separate recruitment firms. One recruiter represents the candidate and the other recruiter represents the client company.  The two recruiters work together to fill the open role and share the fee that the client company pays. A 50-50 split of the commission is the most common arrangement, but certainly not the only option. In our network, we further require that each partner has a direct relationship with the entity they are representing. Read the rest of this entry »

Today’s guest blogger is Bill Benson with WilliamCharles Search Group located in Grand Rapids, MI. WilliamCharles is an executive search and professional recruiting firm specialized in finding managerial and executive talent in finance, HR, operations, sales/marketing as well as president/CEO roles. They have a concentration of clients in Michigan but they also work across the US. Bill is the chairman-elect of the NPAworldwide Board of Directors.

One of my bosses in the 80s (dating myself) would always say ours is a simple business, “It takes a job order and a candidate,” and, “If you’re on the phone, you’re making money – let’s not overcomplicate it.” Hard to dismiss entirely because he is now CEO of Robert Half International. In those days, not being on the phone meant a quick path to the door. Read the rest of this entry »

There is a saying in recruitment that time kills all deals. When it comes to successful split placements, I believe poor communication kills deals. Whether you’re committed to splits on your own, with an informal group of partners, or as part of a network, strong communication … maybe even “over-communication” … is the key to success. Here are a few examples: Read the rest of this entry »

While there are plenty of recruiters who are open to making split placements, there are just as many who are reluctant. They don’t see the value to their businesses, they’d rather keep the whole fee, or they worry about a rogue partner who doesn’t pay them. Since it’s nearing the end of the year, and it’s time to start planning for next year, I’d like to offer up three reasons why all recruiters should be saying yes to split placements. Read the rest of this entry »