What do you think of this zealous recruiter?
You can run but you can't hide when Perry's on the prowl.
According to Sarah Needleman of The Wall Street Journal, David Perry is a rogue recruiter.
I can't see why. Just last week, I spoke to Jennifer McClure, a Cincinatti recruiter who insists that she only approaches potential candidates via members of their trusted networks. But if your network isn't all powerful and you want to find someone special, you have to do some detective work and make a direct approach.
The thing about David Perry is that he's so ballsy -- and wily, too.
The first time I met him he told me that he had once rented a coffee truck and sold donuts at an industrial park until he got the name of a target who worked inside.
Sarah says that he's also posed as a waiter at a private party and pursued potential candidates onto a bike trail and a ski run in order to catch up with them. He told me that he called someone eighty times until he took his call -- on his cell phone on the autobahn.
Peter Felix, the president of the Association of Executive Search Consultants complains that David's antics cheapen the hard work that goes into executive search. But what can that mean? Dave works harder than anyone. What's more, the respectable members of this association are doing the exact same thing: finding people working in one company and trying to recruit them for a job in another. And I'd wager that 99% of them would hire Dave to get info for them if he only would.
Apparently, Dave once bribed a janitor to help him get some secret company information and that does sound shady but, even so, what was in that precious cargo? The number to a phone in a private washroom and that sounds so ludicrous that it's hard to believe it's a serious offence.
The real question is why these candidates are so easy to lure away from their current jobs that they have to be protected from mere contact with the likes of David Perry.
Dave is a very warm and energetic person. You feel good when you're around him. But that isn't enough to make you leave a good job.
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Title: Chutzpadik (pronounced Hutspadik)
I can't see why. Just last week, I spoke to Jennifer McClure, a Cincinatti recruiter who insists that she only approaches potential candidates via members of their trusted networks. But if your network isn't all powerful and you want to find someone special, you have to do some detective work and make a direct approach.
The thing about David Perry is that he's so ballsy -- and wily, too.
The first time I met him he told me that he had once rented a coffee truck and sold donuts at an industrial park until he got the name of a target who worked inside.
Sarah says that he's also posed as a waiter at a private party and pursued potential candidates onto a bike trail and a ski run in order to catch up with them. He told me that he called someone eighty times until he took his call -- on his cell phone on the autobahn.
Peter Felix, the president of the Association of Executive Search Consultants complains that David's antics cheapen the hard work that goes into executive search. But what can that mean? Dave works harder than anyone. What's more, the respectable members of this association are doing the exact same thing: finding people working in one company and trying to recruit them for a job in another. And I'd wager that 99% of them would hire Dave to get info for them if he only would.
Apparently, Dave once bribed a janitor to help him get some secret company information and that does sound shady but, even so, what was in that precious cargo? The number to a phone in a private washroom and that sounds so ludicrous that it's hard to believe it's a serious offence.
The real question is why these candidates are so easy to lure away from their current jobs that they have to be protected from mere contact with the likes of David Perry.
Dave is a very warm and energetic person. You feel good when you're around him. But that isn't enough to make you leave a good job.
Related Articles
The Ardent Recruiter
Guerrilla Marketing For Job Hunters
Title: Chutzpadik (pronounced Hutspadik)
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Lance Haun on -
Wow. That takes chutzpa. I don't know if I agree with the ethics involved with some of these things. Do you?
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Permalink Reply by Recruiting Animal on -
The janitor was involved in a breach of confidence. A small one - all Dave got was a phone number - but it led to a significant disadvantage for the company. So that one is problematic. Following someone to the ski hill or the bike path? I don't think those are troubling unless he turned into a real stalker and did it regularly.
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Permalink Reply by HR Wench on -
This kind of creeps me out. Not my thing...but if it works for him $ wise and he can sleep at night, then good for him. :)
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Permalink Reply by Jackie Cameron on -
If I was the person being pursued I would be put off by this approach. I suppose others might be flattered. I guess it depends on your personal values. I can't help but admire his determination - though his tactics make me uncomfortable.
I spent some time with headhunter - as they are called here in the UK - in a social context. She was driven to get to the best people ( of course - that was how she made her fee) and I realised that it was impossible for her to switch off. No matter what bar or restaurant we were in she would recognise someone and pop off to have a quick chat - to get contacts. It must be hard to maintain friendships on that basis - certainly I have not made the effort to see her for a long time now!
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Permalink Reply by Recruiting Animal on
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Jackie, It sounds to me as if it was a particular personality at play here than the job. Not every heardhunter is a gadfly. I just interviewed Jennifer McClure last week. She was a VP HR who hated headhunters and then became one herself. I would call her an analytic type, hardly a loud-mouthed extrovert. You can listen to her here if you're interested. http://is.gd/2CMU.
I might as well promote myself here and say that if anyone is interested in appearing on The Recruiting Animal Show, let me know. My voice is starting to hurt so it might not be as noisy in the future (oh no!). Note that the HRM crew is going to appear in a few weeks.
Highlights: animalspeaks.com
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Permalink Reply by Jackie Cameron on
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Oh I agree totally - this was just a specific example in line with the one you mentioned. I have very good friends in differing sectors of the recruiting business whose style is totally different.!
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Permalink Reply by Rosie Sherry on -
In today's world being open and authentic is so important. Perhaps he is getting results, but will it last? Will people trust him in the future if he is willing to do anything to get in touch with people?
When people Google him now they will come across his approach and think twice before working with him.
I wouldn't want to work the way he does, nor gain the bad reputation. Perhaps I'm too ethical in my approach to business and work.
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Permalink Reply by Recruiting Animal on
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Good point Rosie. Mind you, Toronto's Globe and Mail printed an extended version of this article yesterday that revealed many more stories and the fact that Dave is making 500K a year. Add the fact that he's been at this 20 years with an ever expanding business... and, well, to be blunt, I think you're wrong.
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Permalink Reply by Recruiting Animal on
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Here's the article in the Globe and Mail. It was the lead article on the front page of the business section with a big photo of David in front of towering office buildings.
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Permalink Reply by Tim Prosser on -
There's an ethical (and possibly legal) line there somewhere, and it sounds like he is crossing it sometimes. That's not good.
In my humble opinion, the performance of any individual is greatly affected by their work environment, the corporate culture, the expectations they perceive, and how they are treated by their superiors and everyone else around them, as much as by their personal skills, experience, motivation, etc. I think people who excel are often in the right place at the right time with the right stuff, but may not excel elsewhere, as the place and time are not entirely under their control. Recruiters and others can lose sight of this and put certain people on a pedestal they don't deserve, or in a new place that isn't so conducive to that person's success, with the kind of results we see in business all the time: the rising star winds up part of a business debacle and it isn't clear why.
I don't see David Perry as having any incentive to think about this, and fully expect that some of the people hiring him are pretty clueless. As an experienced manager I believe it is far more important to give people the right environment, incentives, and expectations, and the results of doing this are usually far better than spending money having people like David Perry run down a "star" who may not, in the end, perform as well as expected (or as well as a well chosen and groomed team). Most people have the ability to be stars when put in the right position and managed properly.
The concept of the "star performer" is an aspect of the American/Western "gunslinger" concept. When you look back in history the big successes were produced by communities, not gunslingers, and that lesson carries through to modern day business. I was thinking David Perry is an anacronism, but more likely he just profits from lucky but clueless managers.
Just my experienced opinion - take it for what it's worth, but the insights might be worth putting in my own blog on business management. - Tim
www.oneffectivemanagement.wordpress.com
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Permalink Reply by HR Minion (Shauna Moerke) on -
I admire his dedication to getting the job done. He's earned his success for sure. I could never do that though.
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Permalink Reply by Susan (Kang) Nam on -
wait.. don't I know you animal? ;) and David - it was great meeting you at Recruitfest - wish you all the best! ~ Susan
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