Take these steps to ensure you are best protecting your interests when working with a legal recruiter:
- If you wish to authorize a recruiter to speak to an employer on your behalf, authorize the recruiter in writing to present you to that particular employer.
- Never provide a recruiter with “carte blanche” to “see what’s out there.” This is granting unmonitored disclosure of your identity and interests to the market.
- Don’t hesitate to ask the recruiter direct and pointed questions such as, “How long have you been recruiting?” or “Have you previously placed any partners with this firm?”
- Keep a spreadsheet of where you have been submitted, by whom, the dates, and the status.
- Make sure you have protected against dual-submissions (i.e., your information being sent to the same firm by different sources).
- If you want a recruiter to be your search quarterback, select the recruiter like you would select a doctor for a health issue.
- Do research and trust your instincts.
- Consider using a recruiter who is a member of the National Association of Legal Search Consultants (NALSC) and, as such, abides by the NALSC Code of Ethics®.
