Getting the most from your recruitment agency

Getting the most from your recruitment agency depends upon a number of factors. You appreciate how important effective recruitment is. After all, the success of your company is dependent upon having the right people in your team. You’re set on getting the most from your recruitment agency so that you can sit back, safe in the knowledge that your future workforce is in the best hands.

But as with most business relationships, their success is a two way street. Read on for our pointers on how to ensure that you’re getting the most from your recruitment agency.

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Find the right recruiter

Recruitment isn’t one-size-fits-all. You need to choose the right recruiter for your company. The right one will be worth their weight in gold, but the wrong one will only complicate things. Testimonials and recommendations from other companies can help you sort the good from the bad (and the downright ugly).

Find a recruiter that’s not only great at what they do, but a specialist in your industry. Make sure they’re well-versed in companies of your type and size. This detailed knowledge will be invaluable, giving you access to the right talent pool, and demonstrating an understanding of exactly what your company needs from its employees.

Be monogamous

When you’ve found the right recruitment agency, stick with them. Not only will they build on their success with each hire as they gain a deeper understanding of your company, there’ll be other benefits too.

Working exclusively with one recruiter means that they’ll focus their efforts, and they take on the responsibility for success. Commit to them, and they’ll commit to you. It’s so much easier for you too. once a recruitment agency has detailed knowledge of your company, working with them will be a breeze.

Build a relationship

All being well, you’ll be working together for a long time, so take the time to build a good relationship with your recruitment agency. The more they know you and your company, the better able they’ll be to select the most appropriate candidates. You’ll be working alongside each other, not separately. A good client-recruiter relationship is collaborative. Ensure that you schedule regular catch ups – at least weekly. Discuss progress and ensure that you keep them abreast of any updates in your recruitment needs.

Ensure they truly understand your brand

The greater your recruiter’s understanding of your brand, the better. Share your company culture, values, business goals and how your team works. They can then source you the best-suited candidates.

Agree between you how they’ll sell your company to prospective candidates and check you’re happy with the description for job adverts down to the last detail. The personality of your brand should shine through, to capture the attention of the people you are targeting.

Strategically plan future recruitment

There’s no substitute for recruitment planning. Anticipated recruitment for the next year, and those beyond that, should be mapped out in advance. Make a recruitment plan and calendar. Identify the roles you’ll need to fill, and when. This will make it easier to reach your business goals.

A skills gap analysis should be carried out too. This allows you to gauge the current skill levels in your organisation, so you can pinpoint where the shortfalls lie. You’ll then be clear on the exact skills you’ll need from candidates.

Such a plan will be invaluable to your recruiter. It will give them plenty of time to know which vacancies you’ll be looking to fill and when. They can be on the look-out for any potential leads and may well find a winning option well before time. A planned approach will always be more effective than a last-minute rush.

Give as much notice as possible

Of course, vacancies will crop up that you can’t predict. Often, you’ll be hiring reactively to fill a position that’s become free due to a staff member leaving the company, or due to sickness or maternity leave.

These instances won’t be factored into your long-term plan, but keep your recruiter updated. Keeping them in the know drastically increases the chance of finding the best candidate.

Make sure you know what you need

Ensure that you’re clear on the skillsets, experience and personality traits you require for each role early on in the process.

Changing your mind on this will result in a huge amount of wasted recruitment time, during which, you may have missed out on that perfect hire. The more info the recruiter has on what’s required, the more effectively they can select candidates.

You’ll need to provide them with detailed job descriptions for each position. If you’re unsure on the specifics, the line managers and team members for each role can help you fill in the blanks.

Draw on their expertise

Are you unsure of a suitable salary range for a new position? Your recruiter is best placed to help. They’re the experts after all.

Not only can they help you fill the position, but they can advise on related matters too. Don’t waste their knowledge, use it to your best advantage – that’s what they’re there for.

There’s one more piece of advice to get the most from your recruitment agency, and it’s this: let them do their job. It can be a hard one to get your head around, particularly if you’re working with a recruiter for the first time.

Work alongside them? Yes, definitely. Do it all yourself? Certainly not. It can be incredibly easy to double up on some of the recruiter’s hard work, especially if you’re used to handling the hiring yourself.

But just remember – you’ve hired an expert. Now you’re able to focus on your job, while they focus on everyone else’s.

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