For human resources managers, partnering with a recruitment firm can go either of two ways – it can either be of total relief, saving your company time, money and other resources; or it can be a complete and total nightmare.
That is because great partnerships is a work in progress and they don’t happen overnight.
And just like how you would carefully select an architect to build your house, thoughtfully choosing a recruitment firm to build your firm is a crucial aspect that you must not overlook. Assuming that you have landed a relationship and get the most out of the service to be provided?
We’ve listed below 5 ways to get the most out of partnerships with recruitment firms:
1. Give All the Necessary and Relevant Information
Working with a recruitment firm means providing them with all the relevant details to find and match the right talent for your vacant position. Be honest with your recruiter about your talent acquisition expectations, particularly as they pertain to budget and hiring deadlines.
It’s also important, to be honest about your company culture. Simple things such as the efficient execution of deliverables, email acknowledgment within 24 hours, time zone clarifications (since most clients are overseas), etc. can definitely make a huge impact on the process. If the recruitment firm is unaware of what the culture of your company is and its expectations thereof, then there is a high chance that they will put forward the wrong kind of candidates to add to your team.
And more importantly, keep in mind that the first contact is the most crucial. This is the best time to build a strong bond with your recruitment consultant. Be sure to make a good impression on your recruiter, just as they make a positive impression on you.
2. Put KPIs in Place to Measure their Performance
There have been a lot of articles written as to what KPIs measure the effectiveness of a recruitment firm. The existence of KPIs tells recruiters what you, the client, expect from the partnership and these define an easy-to-measure benchmark for success.
For recruitment firms, KPIs offer the best opportunity to prove their value to your business. But it should be remembered that this is a partnership between your company and the recruitment firm. This joint success is intimately tied together – a recruitment firm helps you find, attract, hire and retain top talent). To achieve this, the firm will require your guidance on what’s working, and where you need to see improvements.
3. Keep the Recruiter Immediately Updated if Anything Changes
You need to keep your recruiter in the loop about any changes with the original plan – whether this is a change at the company level that will impact the recruitment drive, or whether it’s something specific to the position itself. Ensure that your recruiter is in the loop.
In relation to this, it’s also important for them to deliver thorough feedback often. Some hiring experts would even say that the company’s ability to communicate with candidates and recruiters quickly and effectively can even be a determining factor in the success of your hiring process.
Taking the time to provide thorough feedback will actually save you time in the long run. The feedback you provide is critical for both your firm’s and your company’s objectives. It either reinforces or helps you revise the search guidelines initially provided to them. This allows the recruitment firm to deliver better talent to you on a timely basis. And on your end, this can enable you to make quicker hiring decisions and offers of employment allowing you and your whole business to move forward successfully.
4. Consult them on Matters Pertaining to the Recruitment Process
A good consultant knows the market like the back of their hands and can determine if your requirements are relative to your salary offer. They can also give you a heads up when you’re about to lose a candidate, identify what has led you to lose that candidate, and offer you ways to avoid this from happening again in the future.
5. Set Aside Time to Develop the Relationship
Some employers think that finding quality talent is as simple as posting a job listing on big career websites and hope that “the one” responds to the ad. But many times, doing so leads to wasted resources as you only attract active jobseekers, who most often are unemployed or leaving a current employer for questionable reasons.
As an employer that works in partnership with a recruitment consultant who is dealing mainly with a network of fully employed, passive talent – those that are actually not looking for a new employment opportunity, you may need to set aside time to establish a good relationship with your recruiting partner. In this way, they can have a better understanding of your company’s needs, vision, goals, and timeframes.
Remember that recruitment is about creating good relationships and long-lasting partnerships. Building one may take a bit of time and effort but in the long run, it can reap great rewards when you are able to acquire the right talent who can help you take your business to the next level.
A good recruitment firm will always invest a great deal of time in building supportive, consultative, and dialogue-driven connections with its clients. But this is determined by your level of service and commitment to work together. There are more tips to take into consideration, but most importantly it should be established the objective of this partnership is to find the right candidate and create a positive experience for them, your company, and your recruitment firm.
With all of these in mind, you are now ready to thread a partnership with a trustworthy recruitment firm; however, you do not know where to find one. No worries, look no further than with Staffhouse, a 100% Filipino-owned corporation. We have been recruiting top-level professionals since our inception in 1999, and are now a well-known name, trusted by both workforce candidates and the world’s biggest companies. For more information, you may contact us at +632-913 3333 and info@staffhouse.com.
