A good recruiter saves you time, protects your confidentiality and helps you negotiate from a position of knowledge. A poor one just forwards your name to whoever is paying. Here's how to tell them apart.
1. Ask how they're paid
Advisor recruiters are typically paid by the hiring firm when a placement happens. That's normal, but you should know it, and you should be comfortable that the recruiter will show you options across firms and models rather than steering you to one.
2. Check how broad their view is
Do they work across wirehouse, regional, independent and RIA channels? A recruiter who only knows one channel can only offer one kind of answer.
3. Confirm how they protect confidentiality
Your name should never go to a firm without your explicit permission. Ask how they share your profile and with whom.
4. See if they speak in numbers
Ask them to walk you through how they'd compare two offers: upfront vs back-end, hurdles, payout and what you leave behind. Good recruiters explain deals clearly.
5. Make sure they know their limits
A recruiter isn't your attorney. The good ones will tell you when to bring in legal and tax professionals.
We're happy to answer all five. Start a confidential conversation.