How to Interview a Recruiter

How to Interview a Recruiter Recruiters, agencies, job shops, brokers — they all purport to make your life easier by finding you work.

Beware of the recruiter who does not understand what you can do or what their client companies need. The sad truth is, the world is full of recruiters who are basically telemarketers with little respect for your career or interest in treating you fairly. We have heard (and lived) many tales of exploitation. We believe that until technical communicators understand how best to work with these 'staffing professionals', they'll continue to be exploited and compromised by many recruiters' ignorance and lack of integrity.

In the interests of improving your prospects and reducing your liability, here are some questions we strongly recommend that you ask of any recruiter you are working with — including Synergistech!

Questions to Ask Your Recruiter

How can you help me find work?
Will you call me with suitable opportunities?
How long will my resume stay active?
What do you expect from me?
What kinds of jobs do you find for your candidates?
How do you get paid, and by whom?
What's your commission?
Will you pay me on a 1099 basis? ¬ illegal arrangement, unless you're incorporated — Very dangerous!!

Contractor-specific Questions

How do you work with Independent Contractors?
Can you work with both 1099 and W-2 contractors?
If you act as a payroll service and I am your W-2 employee, how long must I wait before I get paid?
Do you provide your W-2 employees with benefits such as direct deposit, a 401(k) plan, flexible spending account, health care, paid vacation, etc?
What kinds of insurance do you carry for your W-2 contractors — errors and omissions, owned & hired automobile, general liability, workers' compensation, short- and long-term disability, employment practices liability?
What percentage commission do you take?
Do you take your commission for the entire length of the contract, or do you stop taking it after a certain point?
Do you make your contractors sign exclusivity clauses (so they can't work for that client except through you)?
Do you make your contractors sign non-compete clauses (so they can't work for your clients' competition for a certain length of time)?
Will you pay me even though the client may not yet have paid you?
If I introduce my friends and colleagues to my/our client, must they work through you?

About Synergistech

Synergistech is a San Francisco Bay Area career coaching and technical communications recruiting company created to meet your need for an informed, respectful, reliable ally in your job search. You'll find that we do business differently - with integrity, dignity, and fairness. We keep our commission very competitive, pay you within a week of the end of the pay period, make you eligible immediately for our comprehensive medical and 401(k) plans, and don't make you sell your soul (through exclusivity and non-compete clauses) for the privilege of doing business with us. Furthermore, we pay referral fees for all candidates placed and all job/contract opportunities filled. We handle staff employee placements and, for temporary workers, 1099 (true independent contractor), and W-2-based relationships. Please email us for answers to any of the above questions and request an online brochure describing our process, the opportunities we offer, and what we need from you in order to optimize your success. Or go to our web page describing who we are and how we work. Synergistech's Other Service — Career Coaching If you would like more information about our personal career-coaching service for aspiring or transitioning technology professionals, please give us a call.

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