|
Why use a specialist recruitment consultancy
Clients looking to hire staff
Deciding to work with a recruiter is essentially the same as deciding to work with
a lawyer or any other professional adviser- sure you can do some or all of it yourself,
but you almost always get a better and quicker result when you use an expert who practices
in the area every day.
How Can Recruiters Help Clients
Like any professional with special expertise, recruiters bring certain assets to the
table which can greatly assist you in locating and identifying candidates, particularly
where your needs are for candidates who are senior, specialised or in demand. Because
they are in the job market every day, recruiters can provide you with invaluable intelligence
about the availability of certain types of candidates, what might be happening in
certain firms and companies and how you are perceived as a potential employer. Generally,
a professional recruiter can assist you by:
Why Candidates Use Recruitment Consultants
Candidates use recruitment consultants for many reasons, not the least of which is
just to have someone to talk to about their job situation. The primary reasons you
might wish to work with a recruiter include:
Saving time in pre-screening candidates
Even where an advertisement attracts a number of applications, many of these may bear
no resemblance to your particular criteria and of those that do, you must still allocate
a great deal of time to interview as a resume will not give you an indication of the
candidates personality or potential fit. A recruiter who knows you and your organisation
can save you many hours of time by pre-screening candidates and only presenting those
applicants who match your criteria and seem compatible with the firm.
Providing access to candidates who otherwise might
not have contacted or applied to you
As mentioned earlier, the top candidates generally do not respond to ads or may not
be actively networking and consequently are not likely to contact the employer in
response to these initiatives. Because the recruiter is in the market all the time
and becomes known as a confidential broker, good candidates will often call them first,
even before they have decided to actually make a move. Often they will simply be seeking
feedback or to find out what might be generally available in the job market. If the
recruiter has been retained and has an ongoing relationship with you and knows your
needs, he or she can very effectively introduce the candidate to your opportunity.
Promoting your company to prospective candidates and defusing any incorrect or negative
information about your company which might be circulating
For whatever reason, and particularly in times of high merger and takeover activity,
some companies will develop a reputation for "risk" in the marketplace. These reputations
can circulate quickly and due to the nature of rumour and word of mouth, sometimes
take on significance unwarranted by the facts or positive changes to the company.
Employers find it valuable to have a recruiter who can educate potential candidates
about their real risk level and, where necessary, correct inaccurate or outdated perceptions.
Many employers consider their recruiter partnership as an ingredient essential to
their regular recruiting efforts. Executives, especially those most in demand, contact
recruiters for their knowledge of the job market and of the environment of individual
employers
Serve as a facilitator during the interview and negotiation process
The recruiter is a professional intermediary and can help guide both parties through
the process. Given the recruiters relationship with both parties, the recruiter can
often answer questions, from both sides, obtain information which either side might
be reluctant to obtain on their own, seek clarification or debunk rumours.
Market Information and Contacts
As a job broker, good recruitment consultants will have information about the current
job market and about positions you, as a prospective candidate may otherwise never
hear about. The right consultant will share much of this information and, ideally,
introduce you to desirable prospective employers. If you are looking to move geographically,
the recruiter can often refer you to recruiter colleagues in the new location who
can provide you with an invaluable source of local information and contacts.
Confidentiality
Most job hunters seek new positions while they are currently employed. A good recruiter
can maintain confidentiality in the job search by ensuring there is interest from
a specific employer prior to giving your name and job details. This is particularly
critical in senior level moves or in niche industries where word can travel fast.
Feedback
A recruiter will give you frank and unbiased feedback regarding your current situation,
marketability, future prospects and so on. This is feedback you really can't get anywhere
else and may help you tremendously in making career decisions.
Expertise
How many times have you applied to a position and never even received an acknowledgment?
Good recruitment consultants are knowledgeable professionals and are frequently hired
by employers not just to find candidates but to help manage the process itself. Recruiters
have expertise with the process and help to ensure your material is presented in a
complete, fair and timely manner.
Risk
Finally, using a recruitment consultancy is a no risk-no cost exercise. While the
recruiter you are working with will want to be informed of the job search actions
you are taking (to avoid overlap), you are certainly free to make your own contacts
and send out your own applications if you so desire.
|
