Looking at the numbers in the right-hand column of the table above, and even at the smaller figures associated with contingency firms, observers might ask what justifies such seemingly large expenditures. So you're looking at a long-term investment. Kohler offers that, by hiring a retained search firm, a newspaper often gains not only a recruiter, but also a business partner. They share a lot of very proprietary information about business plans and strategic plans. For one thing, Kohler says, many of his clients seek an ethnically diverse pool of candidates.
Diversity is required to enrich the process.
Kohler, like Masquelier and some other recruiters who specialize in the newspaper industry, worked for many years at newspapers himself and remains knowledgeable about his clients' professions. John Walsh, senior vice president of operations at the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News, has ongoing dialogues with the firms he engages. It's not so much a reality, just a matter of perception. A good search person isn't looking to jack up the pay package. Cost-conscious employers like the Star Tribune are finding new ways to streamline staffing efforts and develop new alliances with recruiters.