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Obviously, (the HR department-or the recruiter of) a company will first recruit for a vacancy itself. But, suppose it proves not so easy to make that work, agency(s) could be brought in. Agencies abound. As HR, how do you find the right one?
Selecting agency(s)
Well, many an agency trying to sell its service (search / W&S) often build beautiful vistas here. It makes the choice all the more difficult.
Choices
The important questions then are:
- Are we going to hire one or more agencies?
- Do we continue to search ourselves?
- What agency(ies) will we engage?
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Considerations
Our (xentys) approach is to maximize the chances of success. Of course, we are also speaking from our own interests here: we want to optimize the chances of success for our client and thus also for ourselves.
One or more desks
When an agency is engaged, the client expects above-average candidates. After all, there is payment for this service. Then, for heavier positions (above €50 to €60K salary) it becomes less and less convenient to work with multiple agencies:
- It also often affects the quality of communication between agency and client, who must divide time and attention between multiple agencies
- Agencies then approach the same candidates too often, which makes a messy impression on those candidates and does not increase confidence in the company with the job posting.
All of this has a major impact on the agency’s chances of success. Many an agency, including xentys, are going to estimate the probability of success (for themselves and the client) and adjust the effort accordingly.
Keep looking for yourself as well?
That leaves the question of whether the principal himself should continue to search. Importantly, the client must realize that they are then in effect the competitor of the agency(ies). In that case, we have no choice but to approach the job market without disclosing our client. This certainly makes our search more difficult, as it becomes harder to entice people to respond.
What agency or agencies?
When choosing an agency, that agency must inspire confidence:
- the recruiter knows the field (discipline) within which he is recruiting from personal experience and
- knows that labor market
- a personal click with the recruiter is also indispensable.
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Poorer communication?
What does that mean: less good communication between agency and client?
- Contact only by phone and email (not face to face)
- A less clear specification of the vacant job profile, without much detail
- But also slow to respond, which in a tough job market just has a bad effect. Especially if they are good candidates. After all, these often do not wait
- But also: less sympathetic communication, which affects cooperation. It is human work, after all.
And now?
Well, a partnership was established with (preferably) one agency or with several agencies, and so the decision was made to outsource the vacancy.
Now how to optimize the chances of success?
Keep expectations realistic
First, it is important to keep expectations realistic. That agency, too, will have to look for suitable candidates who are available at that time, resp. want to make a transfer, want to work at the location where the company is located and do so based on the terms of employment in the vacant position. In short, it takes time. Give the agency that time.
The job profile
The level of detail of the job profile of the vacancy is super important for the agency to write a recruiting job profile, and thus entice the right man/woman to make this switch. Therefore, it is imperative for us (xentys) to speak to the hiring manager (the manager who has the vacancy) and learn from them themselves what the situation is in the department and in their field of work, where their priorities are for the position, what challenges there are, and above all, to know who the hiring manager himself is. And, fair is fair, for us it is also important because it allows us to leave the confidence that we are able to find the right candidates for the vacancy. And, that ensures that our candidates are taken seriously, even if they have a somewhat unexpected profile.
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Good communication
This is a two-lane road. Both parties proactively inform each other of relevant progress and developments. It is important that the client inform the agency of changes in the job profile or if there are other developments that affect the search.
And so ...
This is how we prefer to work withour clients and become successful together:
- A close relationship, preferably 1-on-1
- A trusting relationship with the end customer (both HR and hiring manager)
- so that we can properly tell the story of the company and the position, and thus entice people to respond.
With clients who allow us to work like this, the collaboration goes great and we get the best results (sorry, placements).
Will you participate?
If you have any questions based on this blog, please contact:
maarten.smitsvanoyen@xentys.nl
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