The ‘All of the Best’ Series: “Go Speed Placer, Go!’

(This is the fourth in a series of blogs that examines the parts of the direct-hire placement process that differ from contract placement and how contracting can be simpler, easier, and less stressful.) 3—Go, speed placer, go!Direct-hire placement—For some client companies, synchronized feet dragging could qualify as an Olympic sport. During the last candidates’ market, the number of superstar candidates who took other offers because a company was moving too slowly was considerable, to say the least. Even while recruiters were frantically trying to educate their clients about the importance of moving more quickly, candidates were still getting away (and taking the recruiters’ fees with them). There’s nothing quite like taking a candidate through the entire process and then watching them bolt because your client wants “to think on it for a while longer.”Contract placement—The hiring authority can’t fill the position quickly enough. If they could somehow build a time machine, travel back in time, and fill it yesterday, they would. That’s the kind of urgency that’s often involved with a contract placement. It’s been said that you can go from “zero to placement in four days” with contracting. The hiring authority calls you on Wednesday with the order, and the candidate starts the following Monday. It’s not only possible, it happens frequently to recruiters who offer contract staffing to their client companies.