Clients

We work with organizations on a retainer or contingency fee basis. Our agreements are on-line for your review. Our intent is to develop long-term relationships with our clients. This is demonstrated in our unique fee structure whereby your repeat business leads to reductions in your recruiting costs.

Download our Client Information Package (Zipped MS Word, 163k) for more information.

Client Services

• Recruiting
• HR Strategic Alignment

Recruiting

As we execute the search, we do the following:

• We advertise your needs (web site, newsletters, direct mail, telemarketing, word of mouth, job fairs, or newspaper advertisement as appropriate)
• We screen our pool of candidates for the best individuals
• We qualify candidates by ensuring that they skills and experience meet critical position requirements
• We evaluate candidates (face interviews, reference checks as needed)
• We address red-flag issues, such as non-compete situations, relocation, salary ranges and work permits, as early as possible
• We present candidates by providing a synopsis of their job qualifications and cultural background
• We schedule interviews
• We facilitate the negotiation process of reaching agreement on the terms of a job offer
• We maintain effective communication throughout the entire recruiting process and beyond (search progress status, issues and concerns, interview feedback, relocation)

HR Strategic Alignment

It is clear that a critical factor in being successful is hiring the right people for the job. Equally important is the ability of an organization to define a Human Resource strategy that is aligned with short and long term business objectives. Failure to properly identify the critical skills that a company needs to possess in-house versus what can be outsourced can have the following consequences:

• Ineffective hiring process
• Inability to meet business objectives
• People spending too much learning on the job
• Low morale
• Overworked personnel
• Above average attrition rate

Consequently, being able to define core competencies (through position descriptions) needed by the organization to achieve its business goals separate great companies from less successful ones

IPG provides Strategic Alignment consulting services that are designed to identify the core competencies (skills and experience) that a company needs to achieve its business objectives.

Our approach is a pragmatic one whereby we accomplish the following:

• Interview executives in the organization to understand long term business goals and critical success factors
• Identify critical business processes that the organization needs to internalize to be successful
• Determine process activities (critical business areas) where communication, flexibility, subject matter, expertise and decision making ability are necessary to perform at optimum capacity
• Specify skills and experience people need to have to support those critical business areas in the short and long terms.

The outcome of this process is a Human Resource Strategy report that provides a framework for hiring and managing human resources.

Client Agreements

• Contingency Agreement

Contingency Agreement

Scope - We are pleased that you have selected IPG to provide you with personnel recruiting services in order to fill full-time, part-time or temporary positions with qualified candidates. This document describes the manner in which we (IPG) will provide you (Client) with such services.

Services - IPG will provide personnel recruiting services that include promotion of open positions through telemarketing campaigns, newsletters and advertising as IPG sees fit, identification of candidate personnel, interview of candidates, preliminary reference checking, analysis of degree of fit to position requirements, presentation of candidate, scheduling of interview meetings, and negotiation of employment terms.

Candidate Representation Protocol - IPG and Client agree to adhere to the following candidate representation protocol: 1) Client will provide IPG with a complete listing of open positions for which no offer has been made; 2) IPG will identify all the positions for which it intends to submit candidate; 3) IPG will independently identify and determine the qualification of a candidate for any given position; 4) IPG will submit qualified candidates (IPG Candidates) to client by delivering a Candidate Submission Form ("CSF"), an anonymous version of the candidate's resume and IPG's evaluation of the Candidate; 5) Client will contact IPG within 48 hours to accept or reject a candidate by returning a signed version of the SCF and detailed reasons in the event of a rejection; 6) If Client accepts a candidate, IPG will identify the candidate by name and IPG and Client will jointly coordinate meetings between IPG Candidate and Client to proceed with the interview and negotiation processes. The Effective Date of a CSF shall be the date of submission of the candidate by IPG to Client.

IPG Duties - IPG agrees 1) to conduct itself in a professional and ethical manner and follow the business protocols described in this document; 2) to submit candidates against specific position requirements, and 3) to represent candidates who have not initiated a formal interview process with Client within the last 3 months.

Client Duties - Client agrees 1) to conduct itself in a professional and ethical manner and follow the business protocols described in this document; 2) to make available to IPG all positions for which Client is recruiting personnel on an equal basis with other preferred vendors; 3) to acknowledge the presentation of an IPG candidate within 48 hours; 4) to communicate to IPG any activity and/or communication that relates to IPG candidates, 5) to notify IPG of any position for which Client has made an offer to a third party candidate; 6) to provide a copy of any job offer made to an IPG candidate; 7) to fairly estimate yearly gross candidate compensation where data is not readily available; and 8) to keep confidential all information related to IPG candidates.

Recruiting Fees - Client will pay IPG Recruiting Fees for each IPG candidate that was hired within 12 months of the effective data of the Candidate's CSF. The Recruiting Fees for each IPG Candidate shall be calculated by taking twenty-five percent (25%) of the Candidate's first year expected gross salary. Such Recruiting Fees shall be the only fees that IPG is entitled to receive from Client for its services.

Discounts - Client will be entitled to variable discounts used to calculate the Recruiting Fees for each IPG candidate that are based on the number of IPG candidates that were hired during the previous 12 months of the effective date of an offer. The discount applicable to Recruiting Fees for each IPG Candidate shall be determined by the table below:

Payments - The payment of fees due by Client to IPG shall be in accordance to the following schedule: 25% of the candidate's full financial package will be invoiced and due 10 days from start date. If any statement remains unpaid for more than 45 days, IPG may suspend its services until satisfactory arrangements have been made.

Guarantees - IPG and Client understand that all hired Candidates will be subject to a 90-day probation period at the end of which Client may decide to terminate Candidate's employment for any reason. If Client has decided to terminate Candidate's employment during the probation period, IPG has been notified within 5 business days of candidate termination and IPG has received all payments for Candidate within 15 business days of commencement of work, then, and only then, will IPG use reasonable efforts to quickly find a replacement candidate of equal qualifications. If Client hires a replacement candidate from IPG, then IPG will credit Client with all Recruiting Fees already paid for the same position against the Recruiting Fees associated with the replacement candidate. This guarantee is the sole remedy of Client.

Collections - If collection activities are necessary, Client agrees to pay all expenses incurred by IPG including reasonable attorney's fees and court costs, and Client consents to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of North Carolina, and agrees that its law shall govern the relationship between IPG and Client.

Term of Engagement - Either IPG or Client may terminate this engagement at any time for any reason by written notice. The termination of this agreement for any reason does not exclude Client fees that are due IPG under the terms of this agreement.

Document Delivery - The following means to exchange documents between IPG and Client shall be accepted if done in person, by electronic mail, by fax or by overnight delivery.

Equal Opportunity Employment - IPG does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other criterion made unlawful under applicable state and federal laws.