You Get These Phone Calls Too, Right?

I can't stand cold calls from executive recruiters. I get at least five a week these days. Most of them tell me they're looking for someone to fill a position and hope I can help them by providing some names of people I think might be interested. (Really, they're hoping I'll hear the job description and want to jump on the opportunity myself.) You wouldn't believe the nerve of some of these recruiters when I politely decline to spend my time helping them find their candidate. Many of them get insistent. Meanwhile, I can't remember the last time one of them gave me a finder's fee for doing their job for them. Folks like me give them candidates who end up taking their positions and earning them money.

Meanwhile, I've heard the business pitches of many of these recruiters from the other end. They claim to know my business and have plenty of contacts. Meanwhile, many of them are just cold-calling people and asking for referrals. Not only are they getting paid for other people's information, but they're getting rewarded for playing up their contacts when they don't have them to begin with.

Yeah, yeah, I know. Stop being so uptight and just give them a few names. Maybe someone you know will get a nice job as a result.

Nah, I cringe to think I'm helping to build someone else's business for no compensation. These guys should be offering a finder's fee in exchange for a viable candidate who takes the job, not making money from my Rolodex.