If you are courteous to your waiter, you will get better service. If you smile at the receptionist, you might get a cup of coffee. If you’re hiring through a recruitment agency, the experience will be better for everyone if you put some of the following tips into practice:
1. Do not work with the world (“limit your love”)
If you work with 20 agencies, you will have to do ten times more work than if you work with two. You will receive ten times more CV to read. Some may be duplicates. Some will be inappropriate. You will still only hire one person.
Recruiters who know that they face a lot of competition tend to work faster. And less tediously. Too much competition for your business means it will be lower down the priority list. Too little competition breeds laxity. Two or three agencies is optimal.
(Have specialists in your domain work on your openings.)
2. Make your expectations clear
You must have a written job description. If you’re looking for a very specific technical profile to do a very specific job, that might be just five lines (“CCNA certified, must have done this exact task at least twice before at similar sized companies”).
A good recruiter will always have questions. It is your duty to answer them. That way, the blame falls squarely on the agency when they don’t provide someone with the “absolute must-haves.” The agency will be able to better manage your expectations, the clearer you make them.
3. Trust your agency.
A professional recruiter understands that a resume only tells half the story. If you trust your agency, which he absolutely must, he will read your pitch and interview notes more carefully than the CV itself.
No one wants to do “one time” business. Believe it or not, we (or most of us) have your best interests at heart. If you love us, you’ll come back to us and maybe even recommend us to your friends and colleagues.
“Sorry I can’t help you with this specific role, but I know the person who can” means exactly that. It doesn’t mean “I’m not a good recruiter.” Reward integrity with opportunity.
4. Open (and direct) lines of communication
If your company has a policy of channeling agency contact through Human Resources, a central purchasing office, or a contract management office, make an exception for the three agencies that are working on your live openings.
If you don’t, you’ll end up a frustrated messenger, caught between the agency asking for feedback and the managers who won’t give it to you. Candidates will hear that “my client doesn’t give me feedback” and won’t think much of you.
(Why wouldn’t the hiring manager want to talk to the person directly responsible for finding the best person for their team?)
5. Quick and helpful feedback
First part: see above.
“It doesn’t fit our needs well” is not helpful feedback. Working under the assumption that you trust the agency you’re working with to help you, reciprocal help is, uh, helpful.
If you don’t know why the hiring manager rejected the candidate, see step 4.
(If you are working on hiring IT contractors or freelancers, it is understood that the term is 48 to 72 hours maximum).
6. Terms of payment?
Don’t let the accounting department sour your previously excellent relationship.
Be nice, many of us are quite small.