Making an executive recruiter want you.

Want an executive recruiter to help you find your next job? Two seasoned pros agree: You have to act now, and you have to help the recruiter first.

You must always be ready for the executive recruiter's call. And the call itself is the product of groundwork--laid long before you're pursuing that next job. So say Robert A. MacDicken, CAE, and Don J. DeBolt, CAE. MacDicken is ASAE's vice president for human resources and executive employment. DeBolt is publisher and founder of CEO Job Opportunities Update; in a joint venture with ASAE, he also produces ASAE Career Opps. ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT asked DeBolt and MacDicken to share their insights about successful job searches.

ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT: How--and when--can an association executive use an executive recruitment firm to find a new job?

MacDicken: The way to use a headhunting firm to help you find a job is to help that firm fill a different job |for which it is also recruiting~ that you don't want--either in your organization or someone else's--or to give them a lead on candidates. Get them to owe you a favor. What happens a lot of times is that a headhunter gets an assignment because he or she is already known to the hiring organization. So start long before you need a job.

DeBolt: There's a mistaken impression that headhunters exist to find people jobs. Not true. Headhunters exist to satisfy clients' needs in finding the best possible individual to fill a job. The worst time to contact a headhunter is when you are unemployed. Contacts with a headhunter should be initiated early in an individual's career and should be directed toward headhunters who have a track record of conducting searches in the association/not-for-profit field.

MacDicken: One of the worst things we see happen has got to be executives who absolutely refuse to ask for any help with their hires and in their human resources management processes, and then two minutes after they don't have a job, they're out there saying, "You've got to help me find another one." Then, not only does the recruiter not owe them anything, they're not even part of the process and part of the cycle--they're part of the reason the problems exist.

ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT: Well, not all association executives will have made the initial contact before needing the contact. How do they get into the network?

DeBolt: One hand washes the other. You'd better do something for the headhunter before you expect him or her to do something for you.

MacDicken: The only thing you can do at this point is to find a specific job a headhunter is trying to fill |where the headhunter already has a contract~, where the requirements are very closely matched to what you can legitimately say you have to offer. And then you write to them and say, "I'm not really looking for a job, but you've got a search that I might be interested in. You are somewhat familiar with my credentials. Enclosed is a revised resume that refocuses my experience in terms of accomplishments that are specifically related to this position."

ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT: What are some things association executives can do to make themselves seem particularly relevant to a headhunter?

DeBolt: You will be either relevant or irrelevant in the headhunter's eyes. You can't remake yourself. Be very careful in your contacts: Never appear overanxious, never oversell yourself, never pester a headhunter, and don't be shocked if your calls are not returned or your letters go unacknowledged. Successful headhunters must focus on current assignments directed toward specific client or organization needs. If you fit that need, you will be courted and receive serious consideration. If you don't fit that need, there's no point in trying to convince a headhunter that you do.

MacDicken: The thing you can do best is know what your limitations are and not say you're qualified for jobs when you're not. You're more attractive to a headhunter if he or she thinks you're uniquely qualified than if you're simply trying to convince him or her that you're qualified to do anything. I don't know any headhunter anywhere who believes that any association executive can fill any association job.

In other words, you should pass up some opportunities that aren't real opportunities for you. But that's hard to say to someone who's out of work.

ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT: In today's market, it's not all that uncommon for an association executive to have been out of work for a year. What can someone in that circumstance do to minimize any negative impression that might be created by a stretch of unemployment?

MacDicken: In terms of headhunters, the best thing you can do is get yourself recommended |for a specific position~ to a headhunter by somebody else. How to cover a period of unemployment? Just don't lie about it. Try to put a positive spin on what you've done. If you've done consulting, say so, but don't label yourself as a consultant if you aren't.

DeBolt: Recruiters understand more and more that candidates who are "in between successes" are not necessarily less performance oriented or less successful than someone who's currently employed. However, other things being equal, the recruiter will lean toward candidates who are employed, because it's obvious the recruiter has fulfilled part of his or her value by being able to assemble hard-to-find candidates. (The person between successes is not very hard to find.)

MacDicken: My advice to people who've been out of work awhile and people who've changed jobs less than a year ago: You simply have to do a better job of networking and getting to know people than anybody else.

DeBolt: Any senior-level person who's cut loose from an organization, voluntarily or by the board's choice or chief executive officer's choice, has got to position himself or herself in the marketplace as soon as possible in a relationship that gives all the appearances of being employed.

There isn't an organization I know of that doesn't have a laundry list of projects it hasn't been able to do for lack of personnel, resources, or planning time. Some of those could be revenue producing. If you're an executive at an upper level and there's a possibility that you may have six months, a year, or more where you may not be connected with an association, I think that you're better off volunteering your time. Do a revenue project--and you have the work product to show you really were engaged--rather than sitting home waiting for the phone to ring with the next search committee.

Plus, you're going to be in a networking situation that is far superior to any other job search. So the message is, don't let yourself appear to be unemployed.

ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT: What things should association executives be doing in their current jobs to build value to prospective employers?

MacDicken: Focus on achieving specific, measurable objectives in the current position. I even suggest to people that they keep a journal of their accomplishments. First, it'll make you feel good. Second, it will give grist for the mill when the time comes.

DeBolt: Build an outstanding performance record, have outstanding references, and maintain continual communication with your network and other people whose opinions of your achievements will count.

Get interview-ready

ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT: Once an association executive gets approached by the recruiter, then what happens? How should an executive prepare for an interview?

DeBolt: First, you have to handle the initial phone call from the recruiter that makes you attractive enough (if in fact you are a good fit) to warrant the recruiter's taking the time for the interview. Many times, a call from a recruiter will catch you off guard, at an awkward time. Don't hesitate to ask whether you may reschedule the call for a time when you can be more comfortable and more prepared to have a serious discussion. Recruiters understand that someone may be in your office when they call and will appreciate having a time to talk with you in complete confidence.

To be effective in the interview with an executive recruiter, invest the money in a competent consultant--preferably one with a recruiting background--who can walk you through a role-playing interview. This is especially necessary if you're interviewing for a top job, because it can be preparation for a search committee interview as well. For the interview, be yourself, be honest, dress appropriately.

MacDicken: First, find out everything you can about the organization. Second, you need to strike a balance between being assertive and interested but not aggressive, not pleading, and not too laid back. Third, actually rehearse your answers to standard questions, such as "Why are you qualified?" and "What are your weaknesses?" But be aware that an experienced interviewer knows when you've borrowed an answer from a book and will want a candid answer.

ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT: Are there special things about being interviewed by a search committee that an association executive should know?

DeBolt: This really pertains to the previous question. Make sure you engage a consultant. The search committee comes up with all sorts of things. The consultant has heard them all, seen them all, and can prepare you.

I should also mention that John Lucht's book, Rites of Passage at $100,000+, has just been revised and is an excellent investment in your career.

MacDicken: The people who interview successfully study the new organization upside down and sideways before they ever interview. They make the effort to know the organization as well as the volunteers do, and they make the changes of language, changes of focus, and changes of understanding that the volunteers want to hear in the interview. Their greatest skill is listening to the ideas of the leaders of the organization.

The biggest mistakes I've seen have been by association executives who say, "Well, I'm an association executive. I can run any association--just turn me loose." There's a kind of arrogance about that that's really unhealthy.

The search committee most likely will consist of people who are in leadership positions in the organization; therefore, you have to establish a posture that makes them comfortable with the idea of continuing to interact with you after you get hired for the job. Second, don't try to tell them their business. If you guess wrong, you're dead. Third, if the committee does reject you, don't fall into the trap of assuming there's anything wrong with you. You probably don't want the position anyway.

ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT: Is it myth or fact that an association executive can easily transition from a trade association to a professional society or a charitable organization, or back the other way?

DeBolt: I've seen good managers go from a trade association, where the members are all chief executive officers of fairly decent-size companies, to a charitable organization and do an outstanding job. This kind of manager probably will bring a greater sense of bottom-line management. Conversely, a manager of a charitable organization coming to a trade association often can bring a sense of cultural charisma and mission to the organization that may have been overlooked by the previous manager. If you're a good professional manager, frankly I think you can take all the skills and all the experiences anyplace.

MacDicken: I agree with Don that the transfer can be made. I would caution that I've seen more failures at that than I have successes. A lot of association executives go into a new situation feeling that they already know all there is to know about running that organization.

DeBolt: And I think what Bob is saying is that by going through the process of really discovering and being sensitized to the organization's needs, these candidates probably can be the bearer of solutions because they've really done their homework. But be aware that recruiters and organizations are going to play it safe. The safe decision is to recruit somebody who is already running a smaller-budgeted but comparable organization, so this becomes a greater challenge for him or her--it's dealing with the same product, commodity, or professional area.

Protect your future

ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT: If a candidate makes the interview stage or the final round of interviews, should he or she bring in his or her own advocate to help evaluate the offer?

MacDicken: At the point where the selection is made and you've been chosen, a good headhunter switches from being the worker for the search committee to being a Yente. It suddenly becomes the headhunter's job to pull off the marriage. You have to recognize this is not an adversarial negotiation. If you approach it that way, the board and committee will think they got someone who'll constantly be fighting the board and leadership.

Then you want an objective person to look at the contractual agreement and make sure there's nothing in it that's a deal breaker. This person can be a lawyer or someone who knows contracts. You want to appear to represent yourself, but yon need to have advisers, just as if you were an association executive on the other side of the table.

DeBolt: Yes, do bring in an expert. Most law firms that are active in the association community either have in-house expertise to assist in the negotiations or can point their clients toward a consultant who can be of help in negotiating the contract, severance agreement, and so forth.

The time to do this is when you have an offer you are considering. If you bring a consultant in, you pay the consultant with the understanding there will be a reimbursement. I predict you would be charged on an hourly basis, depending on complications. A good attorney could run $150 to $300 per hour depending on where you are located. I would use an attorney with good tax counsel, since part of the structure of the final agreement should be cast in the most tax-advantageous manner.

The sadness of many situations in our field is that executives are taking a gamble every time they make a job move. So failure to invest in appropriate counsel is a classic penny-wise, pound-foolish act of misconduct, in my opinion, on the part of an executive. There are too many very short-tenured situations that could have been avoided with appropriate counsel--or at least where appropriate counsel could have provided a soft landing in the event of an early departure.

ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT:. What effect are cost-saving measures in all aspects of association management having on the compensation and benefit packages associations are offering chief executive officers?

DeBolt: Certainly you see a lot of situations where the departing executive, whether because of retirement or other reasons, is not going to be replaced at a compensation level that's in the same ballpark. It's not unusual to see 30-40 percent dropped from the incumbent's to the successor's compensation level. Many times, an organization is locked into a long-term contract with an individual--cost of living, plus, plus--and the compensation level has gotten to be pretty significant. In an era when member organizations are caught in a downsizing trend and member businesses or professions are in trouble, the mentality is certainly tilted toward "How can we maximize our cost effectiveness?" which means "How can we cut salaries?"

MacDicken: What's most obvious is the tendency to shy away from costly retirement or golden parachute types of plans. Overall, associations are leaning heavily toward defined contribution rather than defined benefit plans. Also, the federal budget calls for capping qualified plan benefits at a salary of $150,000 for purposes of calculation. For some plans the top executive could be taking a one-third cut in the amount of money that could be put into his or her retirement plan. These two factors mean association executives are going to have to look out for their own future more than they ever have before, because boards and committees are not going to pay for it.

Sidestep career pitfalls

ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT: What can association executives do to avoid career pitfalls in today's environment?

DeBolt: If upper-level executives would think of having a responsibility to themselves in a more committed way with respect to managing their careers--showing the level of commitment that they normally display in managing their organizations--most of them could avoid career problems.

I would guess that if you put 15 or 20 executives in a room and asked how many had an up-to-date resume, if you got two hands, I'd be shocked. And the more senior they are, the less likely they are to have one.

MacDicken: My advice to everybody I come across who has just gotten a job within a year is to update your resume--and update it every year. And for the person who has just been let go, or had a falling out, or whatever, first learn something from it. Figure out what you could have done differently or where you could have looked to see it coming.

Second, don't assume there's something wrong with you if you don't get another job right away. Continue looking and networking. Do whatever you have to do to keep that energy level up and that productivity going.

DeBolt: People often say, "What's the job market like?" Frankly, it doesn't make a lot of difference what the job market is like. It only takes one job that's a good fit to meet your needs. So whether there are a hundred jobs or a thousand jobs or one job, it doesn't make a difference as long as that one job is a good fit.

HIGHLIGHTS

* HELP THE RECRUITER before you expect help. That is, suggest strong candidates for positions you aren't pursuing.

* MAKE YOUR CONTACTS COUNT. You're most attractive to a recruiter if he or she believes you are uniquely qualified for a particular position.

* BUILD VALUE NOW by focusing on specific, measurable achievements in your current position. If unemployed, voluteer.

* INVEST FOR SUCCESS. Befre you go to an interview with a recruiter, do a practice interview--preferably with a consultant.

What Executive Search Firms Do

ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT: Tell us about executive search firms and how they work.

DeBolt: Executive search firms provide professional assistance in helping organizations find the most qualified individual to fill a specific job.

There are two kinds of firms: those that work on a retainer and are paid regardless of whether the candidate they present is hired or not and contingency search firms, which are paid only if one of their candidates is hired. The retained firm has the exclusive responsibility to fill the job. The contingency firm may be competing with other contingency firms as well as the organization's own hiring process.

Executive search firms create value because they assist the organization in carefully profiling the characteristics, skills, and knowledge required by anyone filling the job. They are extremely valuable in the not-for-profit world, where the hiring of upper-level executives is often done by volunteer search committees that are geographically separated and whose members may have differing agendas. These executive search firms guide the process to a consensus, often defusing internal politics.

MacDicken: Keep in mind that recruitment firms are client-serving organizations. If their job is to find the chief staff executive of an association, their client is the search committee or the board of the association, not the individual candidate.

ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT: Are associations less attractive to search firms than corporate clients?

DeBolt: In many respects, recruiters should find associations extremely attractive. The search firm's exposure to association boards of directors, particularly if the searches are for corporate-member nonprofits, has got to be a big plus, and frankly, that's how many assignments are gained.

ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT: Have firms changed how they work with associations?

DeBolt: For some firms that are in both the corporate world and the not-for-profit world, there's a tendency perhaps to unbundle their services a little bit more. They've become a little more flexible in their pricing. Recruiters seem to be doing a better job of researching an organization's needs, so they have a quality candidate from a "fit" standpoint.

MacDicken: I think the competition is stronger. The fact that the economy is not rolling as fast as it was means recruiters are hustling more for a job.

Job-Seeker Services

* ASAE Career Opps, an ASAE joint venture with Don DeBolt, CAE, lists position openings in the $30,000-$50,000 salary range. For information, call [phone].

* CEO Job Opportunities Update lists position openings with salaries of $50,000 or more per year. For information, call [phone].

* ASAE conducts seminars focusing on interviewing techniques, resumes, networking, and additional job-search resources. For information, call [phone].

Katherine L. George, CAE, is president of Catalina Communications, Haymarket, Virginia.