For any company, staffing the right people can be nearly impossible. At the same time, finding a job that best plays to the strengths of the applicant can prove to be just as daunting.

Many times, when both hiring entities and job seekers come to my company, it is their first time registering with an agency. For either party, here are 3 things to be cognizant of in order to choose the right headhunter:

Make Sure That the Recruiter Does Not Charge the Applicants

There are a percentage of recruiting firms that charge their applicants, as well as sell interviewing and resume writing services to job seekers in conjunction with day to day recruiting operations.

Any recruiting firm that charges applicants should always be avoided by both job seekers and potential employers. There are a few reasons for this:

• In this economy, charging applicants a fee with no guarantee of a quick placement is highly unethical.

• Companies that charge applicants are more apt to send those applicants in to their clients, thus creating undue favoritism and wasting everybody's time.

• For employers, any firm that charges applicants is inevitably going to have a significantly small candidate pool to present their clients with. Many top job seekers refuse to associate with these types of organizations, and this unwillingness to pay recruiting fees ends up hurting the clients more so than other party.

• Recruiting firms should in no way engage in for-profit ventures that could hinder the staffing process and relationship between the employer and candidate. There must be complete transparency between the 3 parties or the employer will feel as if he or she was used as a means for the recruiting firm to double its money on a career coaching deal.

Know the Recruiter and His or Her Past Qualifications

The way a company recruits its own in-house talent is going to be indicative regarding the strength of their business acumen. As an applicant or job seeker, you should know exactly whom you are working with and which industry they came from.

When it comes to qualifications, many recruiters like to put certifications after their name such as "Career Coach." Unless a certificate of expertise was given by a well-known, accredited university, treat that qualification as more of a negative rather than a positive.

I always question as to who is giving out these degrees and how many years (if any) it takes to obtain these certificates. You want to know what company the person came from (prior to being a recruiter), what their position was at that company, what university they attended and what area of recruiting do they call their specialty.

Until you know the information, you should not go on blind interviews based on vague recommendations such as, "the company is the best." Or, if you are an employer, take any kind of guidance as to whom to hire.

Make Sure That Your Recruiter Shares the Same Goals As You

Whether you are a company looking to employ somebody through a staffing agency or you are a job seeker looking to register with a search firm, talk to the recruiter(s) working on your account and ask them their vision regarding your career or your company's latest placement.

It is imperative that you trust your recruiters' business acumen and respect their opinion when it comes to determining what applicants are best suited for your company and what jobs are best suited for you, the applicant.