Recruitment agencies can play a key role in hiring the right people for your business, but if you don’t find the right one or build a good relationship with them it can be an inefficient and expensive burden on your business.
Labour markets are contracting and finding the best talent for your organisation can be very challenging. A good recruiter will have expansive networks of candidates in your job market to connect with.
Which recruitment agency?
If you decide to outsource your recruitment to an agency consider the type of role you are recruiting for. If it is a specialist role, then are there agencies that specialise in this field? Finding an agency that has the technical knowledge of a role will be better positioned to understand the requirements. For a more generalist role, look to established local recruiters with a proven track record.
Database
If you use recruitment agencies it is good practice to keep track of where your employees have come from in a database and then you can easily look back and see which agencies have been more successful. If you don’t already do this then start to build this data so that you can keep track of this information.
If it is your first time approaching a recruitment agency, then make sure you talk to several to get a feel for the consultant and the agency, and what they offer. Speak to other people in your network for their insight and experience with recruiters to see who they felt gave the best service.
Clear brief
Ensure you have a clear brief for the recruitment consultant, spend time with them sharing as much information as you can, not only about the role but also about the organisation and the business strategy. Giving this background will give them a better insight and understanding of the whole organisation, helping them to find suitable candidates.
Interview the recruiter
Like any other supplier get to know the recruitment consultant and how the agency does business. For example, ask how they find candidates and where they advertise. Can they provide you with the names of contacts in other organisations who they have worked for?
Working relationship
Preferred supplier agreement. When you embark in a working relationship with a recruiter establish whether you will enter into a preferred supplier arrangement with the agency. This means they will have exclusive access to recruiting for any, or specific, positions.
When entering a preferred supplier agreement, agree in advance the timescale that they have exclusive rights before you go to other agencies. Two weeks is quite a common timescale, as you don’t want to be tied to a long-term arrangement if they can’t find a candidate and you don’t want them to lose focus, but they will need to be given a reasonable amount of time in the first instance.
Rates. Make sure that the rates you agree are competitive and agree them for current and future positions. If you have a number of positions, or are willing to work on a sole supplier basis you may be able to negotiate a discount on the rate charged. Be cautious about a very low fee as it could be damaging to the working relationship you have with the recruiter and is often a false economy.
Selection of candidates. Ask the agency to clearly outline how they collect, process and select shortlisted candidates. Do they always meet them face-to-face? If not, how they do they vet them? Ensure that the agency carries out the identity and right to work checks before they even pass you CVs to save time wasting.
Clear process. Establish a clear working process and timescales with the agency to enable an efficient and successful working relationship between yourselves. Give continuous feedback in a timely manner throughout the process, from CVs to interviews, to help the recruiter perform better for your organisation.
Maintaining the relationship. Always update the agency when there are changes to the business, so they are up to date and can respond quickly and appropriately. This is also a good way to stay in touch and maintain the working relationship, even during periods when you aren’t recruiting.