3 Benefits to Using a Search Company as a Candidate

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As a recent college graduate, I often reflect on the days where I would stress over the job opportunities or lack of churches that I felt were a match to what I was specifically looking for, and most importantly where I felt God was calling me to.

It was a struggle that not only I was feeling, but several other seniors in the worship major at Cedarville University.
I began to seek out what the Lord was trying to teach me in this time, and the more I prayed about it, the more I felt the Lord leading me to create a network and system to help candidates EXPAND their options when searching for a job. There began the start of Froot Group, a worship staffing company. Throughout this past year as we have grown to several employees and contractors, we have learned several new things about this process that I would like to share with you. And though Froot Group specializes in worship searches, these 3 benefits are not limited to that category.

1. Options Expanded 

Most search companies offer their services for no cost to the candidate. I mean, let’s be honest, they wouldn’t have jobs if it weren’t for you! And though, just like you, they are looking for particular qualities in a candidate for their church client, you will still get great advise on how to properly put together a professional profile to present to potential employers. Even if you are not offered a job through the search company, the tools, advise, and resources they can provide can most definitely help you in the long run. On top of that, they will be able to provide you with potential employers that you may never have been able to find on your own.

2. Salary Negotiations

One of the most awkward and difficult conversations to be had during the midst of the interview and hiring process is the money talk. Most churches and employers wait until after the job is offered to you before they have that conversation. This could mean months of interviewing, visiting, and planning on your behalf without knowing whether this would financially work for you. Using a third party in this case can be extremely beneficial. Though the majority of the time they won’t know what the final offer would be, most search companies require a salary range to determine whether or not the church would be a doable search financially for them. This gives the search company the ability to have those conversations with the candidate and give a ballpark idea of what the offer would potentially look like. I can’t speak for other companies, but at Froot Group we do a full demographics report for the candidate. This gives them the general cost of living for the area they are considering in order to have a much better idea of what it would take financially to make the move. This also is a huge factor in the salary negotiations as the search company goes to bat for you.

3. You Are Not Alone

This is probably the most significant benefit, which speaks for itself, though not every search company is candidate focused. The reality is that because the search companies make their money from the churches that hire them, it is easy for their focus to be shifted to serving the church and neglecting the candidate’s needs. I have heard many stories from candidates who had been lied to by search companies in order for them to make the placement. So my advise to you would be to choose a company that truly values your desires and needs. Choose a company that treats you like family and truly has your best interests in mind. Then you will be able to feel like you are not alone in this process of finding your next ministry to serve in.

 

Written by: Alex Purtell, founder of Froot Group

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