Absolutely, and I’ll show you how. It’s common for companies to pay about a third of an individual’s annual salary in order to find a qualified candidate. Many employers visit executive search firms to conduct their search, but there is a new alternative that invites you to be an on call headhunter.
In some cases you can be paid several thousand dollars for your referral if the firm seeking an employee with the qualifications your referral possesses hires the individual you refer. You may have access to the individual a company needs – and you may not even realize it.
The Nuts and Bolts
A new generation of maverick recruiting companies has explored the possibility of finding qualified candidates for positions of interest. These companies are often able to provide a perfect match for employers in much less time than traditional job search firms using the synergy of multiplied connections.
Most of these companies charge a fee for businesses to gain access to their service, but you can be the key to their business success. Candidates are screened and if there are any that seem to fit they are considered for the job.
In this case you don’t sign up and then send your contact list. Instead you are typically sent an email from a business executive you may know who is using the service. If you aren’t qualified or have no interest in the job you refer the position to others who might be interested. You simply provide contacts when asked. These contacts can be gleaned from social networks or other online or business contacts.
In this case you really do have to wait for the opportunity to come to you, although you could refer business contacts to explore the benefits of this hiring practice.
When can you expect payment?
Well, maybe never. It’s possible that your list of potential candidates do not match the need. However, if a candidate is found amongst your contacts and IF that candidate applies based on your referral – and IF that candidate is offered the job – and IF that candidate remains employed more than three months you could be rewarded with hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
If you’re thinking this is a deterrent think again. You never really know all the skills your friends and social networking friends might have. You could be responsible for helping someone you know find a job they may have been hoping for. In the end they may get the job and you may get some extra money to pay down bills or make a new purchase.
What will you make, specifically?
That depends on the company and the position needing filled. You could earn a few hundred dollars, but you might also be in line for a payday of as much as $10,000. See if that doesn’t supply a little motivation to think about who you know that might be interested in a job.
Tips for Success
* Investigate the positions available and qualifications.
* Review those in your network that may have matching skills.
* Submit referrals.
* Wait.
Being a part-time headhunter has its rewards. If you supply quality referrals you may receive further requests in the future. If one of your referrals gets the job they are happy with the new position. The client is happy with the new hire and you’re happy because you helped a friend and participated in a moneymaking venture at the same time. It’s a true win-win-win.
Additional details
Two of the most successful firms offering this service are jobthread.com and h3.com.