About Search
Kaye/Bassman is passionate about positively impacting companies and enhancing careers. Assembling a top flight team of professionals is critical to our success. When Kaye/Bassman associates succeed, our clients reap the rewards of partnering with a synergistic team of professionals. We apply the same care and concern to identifying and retaining Kaye/Bassman associates as we do our clients. Great expectations breed great results.
Are you ready to give and receive the best?
Kaye/Bassman has been successfully helping organizations discover and hire executive talent for over thirty years and has grown to become one of the top retained executive search firms in North America. The Dallas Business Journal recognizes Kaye/Bassman as the #1 Executive Retained Search Firm in the Dallas/Fort Worth area as well as being the #1 “Best Place to Work” and Texas Monthly Magazine awarded Kaye/Bassman “The Best Company to Work for in Texas”. We are seeking to grow the next generation of top Executive Recruiters; for consideration, please email careers@kbic.com to contact us.
A Day-in-the-Life
Although consultative, recruiting is still a sales business; typically, recruiters are engaged only after client organizations have exhausted all other avenues. In general, our clients pay us a percentage of a candidate’s first year’s total identifiable compensation – and that percentage typically ranges from 25 – 35%. They are paying us that amount with the expectation that we will present them with candidates that they could not find on their own and through their own efforts. Successful recruiters know they’re retained to provide solutions to client problems, not just “fill empty chairs” in an organizational chart. One of the ways we are able to do that within Kaye/Bassman is due to our Market Mastery approach.
By gaining in-depth industry insight beyond the obvious, you position yourself to bring unique knowledge to the marketplace – knowledge worthy of not only the time invested when partnering with you, but worthy of the professional fees you charge as well.
What are some things to know before deciding to embark on this journey?
1. Know that this is a sales business, requiring you to be proactively involved in the direction of your day.
You will build your practice by being on the phone, making proactive, outbound calls into your marketplace. Your candidate pool is gainfully employed, they are generally content where they are, and they do not usually want to speak with you until you can show that you can provide value to them that will be relevant either now, or in the future. Your client pool is hearing from other recruiters, may or may not have urgent and critical needs, and have other tools they are utilizing that they feel accomplish the same thing you are asking for the opportunity to accomplish. Success requires commitment and internal accountability – something that sounds good in theory, but requires unparalleled dedication that only a few can handle.
2. You will be told “no” more times than you ever thought possible – and you must continue.
Recruiting is a sales business – which means you will have to develop and continually strengthen your outer shell. You are going to be told “no” significantly more often than “yes”, and you will usually experience a high level of rejection. However, the best recruiters are the ones who give themselves the chance to be told “no” more often than others – and because of that, they will hear more “yes” much more often than others as well!”
3. Know that being a recruiter requires you to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.
If you are able to consciously leave your comfort zone on a daily basis, you will flourish professionally, personally, and financially in this business.
4. Know that building a long-term career will require short-term patience.
Success in this industry is not an event, but rather a journey.
5. Successful recruiters need to have an entrepreneurial mindset.
Take the direction and guidance that will be given to you and use it as a solid foundation to come up with innovative ways to solve the problems of your clients and candidates.
Surround yourself with successful people and devote time regularly to learning and professional development.
6. This career requires commitment and conation, which is a burning desire to succeed.
Do not make the mistake of thinking that working hard and working smart are mutually exclusive. This business is a complete meritocracy, and those who put the most into the search business are the ones who will be rewarded the most – both in how much you earn as well as the impact you can make on the lives of your clients and candidates.