Working With A Recruiter
It is important that candidates understand that all recruiters work for the employer.  However, we believe that, just as we have obligations to our clients (the employing law firms who hire us to conduct searches), we have a responsibility to candidates. 

Our task, and that of any professional recruiter, is to guide the candidate through the application, interview and selection process. While our primary client relationship is with the law firm which pays our fee, it makes no sense for us to attempt to place a legal executive with a law firm where his or her needs will not be met. The result of this would be dissatisfaction by both the firm and the candidate.  Our business is built on repeat assignments from our client firms and referrals from the administrators we place.

Responsibilities of a Recruiter
Anyone with a telephone can say they are a recruiter. Clients should expect the following (which we call the four "C's") from a professional recruiting firm:

Confidentiality. Clients should expect that a professional recruiter will maintain, in confidence, anything candidates tell them that is not germane to the firm's hiring decision. Part of this confidentiality is that the recruiter should never send a candidate's resume to a law firm without the candidate's specific approval.

Candor. A professional recruiter should provide candidates with a candid evaluation of the marketplace, the expectations of the firms being considered, and the appropriate professional qualifications.

Communication. Candidates should expect frequent communication with a professional recruiter as to the status of their consideration at potential firms. One of the benefits a professional recruiter provides is knowledge of the market place, e.g., appropriate salary demands, relocation packages and comparative levels of responsibility.

Comfort. The candidate should feel comfortable on a personal level with the recruiter with whom they are working. The impression the recruiter makes with the candidate is the same impression that will be made with law firms.

Responsibilities of the Law Firm
In return, a recruiter should expect several things from its client:

Attention.  Candidates considering a position go through a great deal of personal and family stress in addition to taking on some level of career risk.  Clients should promptly review resumes submitted and expeditiously schedule interviews and make decisions on the acceptability of candidates.

Accurate Feedback.  In order to find the best candidates, the recruiter must receive an accurate assessment from the client as to how the candidates presented fit the firm's expectations.  The greater information on aspects of candidates that are liked and disliked, the faster the position will be filled.

Confidentiality.   The basis of the relationship between the recruiter and the candidate is the assurance that the candidates interest in a position will not reach his or her existing employer.  Breeches in confidentiality can be devastating to a law firm's ability to recruit top quality candidates and a recruiter's ability to function in the marketplace.