When asked what he thinks are the benefits of using a recruiter, Linde said there are two things that make hiring a recruiter worthwhile. The first is that you are hiring someone who is an experienced professional when it comes to matching candidates with companies. The second is that you are hiring an expert on the marketplace.
"Trusting such an expert allows companies to remain focused on their core competencies and businesses," he said. "Conducting a search is an investment of time and money, and recruiters understand the sense of urgency that many searches require and can get qualified candidates in front of the client in a timely manner."
However, Linde understands that there are plenty of job seekers out there who would rather do it on their own than hire a professional recruiter. To these job seekers, Linde gave this advice:
"It is up to the candidate how they would like to search for a job. It is important, however, that candidates realize that executive recruiters are retained by the employer, so it is guaranteed that we will have access to information that a candidate will not have. We do interesting, senior-level searches at BWI, and I think job seekers should take advantage of our industry knowledge. If, however, a seeker decides not to work with a recruiter, I would suggest that they spend a lot of time networking with industry influencers and researching companies of interest."
Linde said he enjoys working with sales professionals because they are good at marketing themselves. The only advice he gave in terms of how they can better present themselves is to spend time learning about the companies they apply to, "remembering that the process is as much about learning about the company as it is about selling themselves into a position."
His advice for hiring managers on where to find the best candidates for open positions was to keep an eye on the competition. He also suggested maintaining a good relationship with a local recruiter so that the recruiter is on call when it's time to make hiring decisions.
"Hiring managers should also be aware that waiting to find the perfect candidate may not be efficient and can hurt a company in the long run," he said. "Many bosses think they are showing how high their standards are by nixing every applicant. In reality, they reveal their naïveté and sometimes endanger the health of their staff by leaving a key post vacant for too long."
