How to Collect Your Fee When There Was 'Prior Contact'

  

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Welcome to our ongoing series of blog posts in the Top Echelon Recruiter Training Center: “Jeff Allen’s Collection Tip of the Week.”  Each week, we’ll highlight one collection tip from Allen, JD/CPC, the world’s leading placement lawyer.

Since 1975, Allen has collected more placement fees, litigated more trade secret cases, and assisted more placement practitioners than anyone else.  He’s also the author of 24 books and a regular columnist for The Fordyce Letter, one of the leading publications in the recruiting industry.

Below is this week’s collection tip for recruiters, courtesy of Jeff Allen.

What the Client Says:

"There was prior contact with the candidate."

How the Client Pays:

"Exclusive" contingency-fee job orders don't exist.  But even assuming you think you've got one, it doesn't exclude direct contact with the candidate.

So you're truly trusting when you do the following:

1. Send an "open" resume with the candidate's contact information.
2. Tell (don't write) the candidate's contact information to the client.
3. Tell (don't write) the client's contact information to the candidate.

Contact information: your stock in trade.  Once you've given it away, you're out.  Just how far out depends on things like integrity, fairness, and honesty.

Those things are in short supply in a fee fight.

So avoid the three "don’t's" and you'll do what you do.  The deed will be done.  The dues will be due.

Directly!

(Know how to collect your well-earned fees?  Test yourself!  Visit Allen's Placement Law website and click the "Placement Fee Collection Quiz" button.  Allen can be reached via telephone at 310.559.6000 or via email at jeff@placementlaw.com.)