The world of search is a people business; relationships matter. Here at Kerwin, our passion for fostering and maintaining relationships is evident in everything we do. We conduct business with the highest level of integrity. We pride ourselves on our ability to connect with clients and candidates in a personal, friendly and collaborative manner. While our relationships with our candidates are of the utmost importance, our relationships with our clients are what drive our business forward. Our top priority is to deliver exemplary service to our clients by finding candidates who fit their specific job criteria. Below we have outlined the top 5 “must-knows” to help candidates better understand how search firms operate.

1. As executive search consultants, we are hired by companies to find stellar candidates who fit our clients’ needs.  Different from other types of recruiting where the recruiter works directly for the candidate, Kerwin has a fiduciary responsibility to our clients and is in a client services business. We have deep connections with our candidates and truly want to help them, however, our candidates do not always fit our clients’ needs.
   
2. Kerwin works on an exclusive basis.  Kerwin conducts all of our searches on an exclusive basis. This means Kerwin is the sole search firm recruiting for the client’s open position. This is our preferred method of search because it allows for a close search firm and client relationship. It also ensures complete ownership of the pipeline of candidates, allowing us to use our client’s name freely and be transparent to candidates about where they are in the process.
   
3. Kerwin does our best to respond to all inquiries. We receive a constant influx of resumes. While we always take the time to review each resume we receive, we don’t always have the perfect job for each individual. While our ultimate goal is to talk to every candidate that is sent our way, we cannot. We always will keep your background in mind for a possible opportunity in the future. In that case, we will reach out to you directly and will never send your resume out of our office without authorization.
   
4. If you are partnering with a search firm, let them present your resume. Generally, if our firm is handling a search, we have a close business relationship with the client. Companies use a search firm because they trust us to assess and manage the pipeline of candidates. When a candidate applies directly or forwards their resume directly to our clients after we share an available job opportunity, this person’s resume will be sent back to the search firm to assess. Some hiring managers see it as unprofessional and it often does not make the candidate look good. 

5. Transparency and open communication are essential in the recruiting business. As recruiters, we do our best to communicate openly with candidates. We are open and honest about what we’re learning from our clients on a weekly basis and do our best to update candidates on the search process. If you’re not a fit, we do our best to let you know. You shouldn’t be “ghosted” by a recruiter! Subsequently, if you’re not interested in a position, we’d love to know why. It helps us reach out to you on relevant future jobs as well. If you don’t want to commute to the company’s location, be upfront. If the quoted compensation is below your threshold, please give us feedback. Being honest about your situation and future goals helps establish a meaningful and trusting relationship with the recruiter. Subsequently, if you’re not a fit for a particular opportunity, we will do our best to let you know why you’re not a fit. 

Feel free to reach out to Kerwin anytime. We love to build relationships!