It can be a minefield to find a dedicated and skilled recruitment partner. So now that you have decided to outsource your recruitment function, that is a fantastic decision. However, you must understand that hiring a recruitment partner and assessing them is as crucial as evaluating candidates during the recruitment process. So, as business leaders, what do you consider when selecting a recruitment partner? Do you know what the criteria for choosing a recruitment partner should be? What critical elements help you define the most suitable recruitment partner? And what questions are pertinent to ask when it comes to hiring a recruitment partner?
Using business support professionals has become especially important, but many organisations still make the wrong choice of recruitment partner because they fail to ask the most important questions. Forming a partnership with a recruiter to identify and solicit individuals—either from within or outside an organisation—to make the right placement is one of the strategies that has evolved over the years. It is possible to reinvent your hiring process by choosing the right recruitment partner, especially a partner that can employ various tools to find the perfect candidates for vacant roles.
Recruitment partners can ensure that you enjoy more visibility, control your HR budget, and improve talent acquisition and management efficiency.
Questions to Ask When Choosing a Recruitment Partner
As a Hiring Manager, you may be concerned about the rising demand for candidates with emotional intelligence, positive personality traits, and diverse talent, which might propel you to consider a recruiting agency. Are you selecting a recruitment partner? Here are seven (7) vital questions you must ask as you start.
1. What's the partner's experience in recruiting for your business industry?
The specialisation of the recruiter is an essential factor to consider. How well does the recruitment partner understand your business industry? What is the company’s experience in recruiting within your industry? Do they have the necessary resources and expertise to assist you in meeting your business objectives? Regardless of the recruitment partner’s years of experience, it is ideal to use a firm that focuses on your specific industry or has specialists with extensive knowledge in recruiting high-quality employees for the position you seek to fill.
2. Are they Capable of being an extension of your brand?
No matter what industry you are in, a recruitment partner should go beyond being a staffing resource but serve as a business partner. Hence, it is paramount to ensure that your employer of choice adequately represents your business values and positively promotes your business. How ready is the partner to serve as an extension of your brand? Do you feel confident they would be able to ultimately present your opportunity and attract the best people if they had a thorough understanding of your company and its position in the market?
3. Does the recruitment partner have great testimonials and get referrals from stakeholders?
Given the large number of agencies vying for your attention, you must select one with a good rating, excellent reviews and testimonials from those who have employed their services and gotten value for the money invested. Also, since many people like to work on recommendations, getting information from professionals is advisable to know if the consultant can represent you or possesses credible credentials to give consistent service.
4. What are the charges and fee structure of the recruitment partner?
It would be best if you asked the agency what their service costs are. For example, does the recruitment partner charge for background checks and skill tests separately, or are they included in the hiring or placement fee? Choose an agency with a transparent pricing structure, so you know exactly how much you’ll spend for the services that fulfil your staffing and HR requirements. When considering the fee, also consider the guarantee.
5. How do they find opportunities for candidates?
Knowing where or how your recruitment partner finds candidates can help you make informed decisions. If the recruitment partner only searches existing job openings online and tries to match candidates with what’s available, that’s the wrong agency to employ. Instead, you should seek a recruitment partner with solid industry and client relationships. These professionals are most likely to have built talent pool on track for various positions at different levels before the need for candidates even arises. Given your desire to hire the best candidates for your company, can the recruiting firm you hire reach a diverse range of job seekers, including passive job seekers who are currently employed but looking for the appropriate opportunity. Is the recruitment partner capable of meeting your business demand? How strong is their talent pool?
6. How does the recruitment partner handle poor placement?
A reputable recruitment partner should not charge you if they cannot find a candidate who meets your specifications or is capable of performing the position’s tasks. Hence, we advise that you check to see if they provide a money-back guarantee. In some cases, the screening and evaluation process still result in poor hiring decisions, you should choose a recruitment consultant that can give a refund or offer other acceptable remedies for poor placement.
7. How does the partner handle the sourcing, screening, and selection process?
It’s also an excellent idea to find out if the partner engages with candidates in person or only via phone and email. A recruitment partner like Workforce Group can save time and money by combining diverse methods and approaches to handle HR services, including background checks, first interviews, and skill assessments. When hiring managers are confident that the applicants they have interviewed fit the job requirements, they may focus on qualities like personality, work style, and communication and problem-solving abilities.
Having all these questions answered will guarantee a smooth hiring process for your recruitment partner and save your company time and money. Try having an open discussion concerning your expectations for an employee and the recruitment firm.
Why You Should Choose the Right Recruitment Partner
Finding the perfect recruitment partner can substantially pay off, so you need to eliminate the hassle and painstaking process of hiring. By partnering with a top recruitment partner like Workforce Group, we will go far and beyond to do the work as your executive team focuses on other opportunities and how to expand your business.
At Workforce Group, we serve various institutions and industries and provide superior service to our clients as a recruiting partner. We’ve designed workable solutions to attract top entry-level talent into your organisation, and we keenly understand the success procedures in working with businesses and clients.
Akindele Afolabi
Director, Workforce Resourcing