Hiring is a constant battle in every industry. Demand is always changing, and as a result, hiring is often an ongoing process. Considering the unemployment rate is 3.7 percent, there is a high probability that your next executive is currently employed.
It’s hard for many companies to not only keep up with the administrative tasks involved with hiring new employees, but it’s often hard to find the ideal candidate; let alone convince them to make a job move.
While some companies may feel burdened by the cost of an external recruiter, the right recruitment firm can reduce your costs and take the burden of hiring off your shoulders. Recruiters can bring true “game-changers” into your organization. The only thing you need to worry about is finding the right one.
Have a game-plan and narrow down the criteria
The first step in selecting the best recruitment agency is to have a clear strategy. Before you start researching, plan accordingly on how many roles you want fulfilled. This will give you a solid boost in locating the right agencies. For example, at JDI, we specialize in hiring executives in the hospitality and senior living industries. We can find you the absolute best hotel GM or assisted living executive director, but we probably wouldn’t be much help with finding a software engineer for your tech company.
Know what to look out for
Know that a good recruitment firm is going to be able to do the following:
- Market your position to “A” Players who are not actively looking for a job move
- Vet out job hoppers and “B” and “C” Players
- Provide you access to the top 10% of talent in the market
- Avoid and reduce miss-hires that can cost 15-27x’s a candidate’s base salary
- Increase time-to-fill
- Increase your candidate pool
- Conduct confidential searches
- Allow you to focus on other areas of the company
- Advise you on industry trends, and knowledge
- Provide you with confidence and ease of mind
Ask questions
Don’t be afraid to interview the recruiting agency like they’re a candidate. You need the best to find the best. Now that you know exactly what you’re looking for, it’s your turn to learn more about them.
- You may want to ask questions like:
- Who are some of your top clients?
- What are some of your most recent searches?
- What is your average turnaround time for finding quality candidates?
- How many candidates do you typically provide?
- How long has your agency been in operation?
- Can you explain the payment agreement for filled (and unfulfilled) searches?
- How does your hiring process work?
All of these will give you an immediate impression of their ability to meet your needs. Consider such questions and dive deeper into their history. This will also reveal how prepared and professional they are.