Essential Qualities to Look For in Recruitment Consultants

These past years, human resources practitioners have observed that there are recruitment firms who are undercutting each other in terms of fees they charge their clients.

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In the short term outlook, this is good for employers because they get the best possible prices to save on their recruitment costs.

 But for some of them, this practice is raising the red flag.

 Once this becomes the practice among recruitment consultants, particularly those who specialize in key management positions, employers may wonder about the quality of recruits of these consultants or which part of their service are being "diluted" to offset the smaller profit spreads.

Although the prospect of hiring a price-diving recruitment agency may seem appealing, in reality it’s a false economy. 

By the time you’ve wasted hours and days sifting through resumes, weeding out the unsuitable applications and pre-screening candidates – essentially doing the work that a consultant should be doing for you – it will soon become apparent that the money you thought you saved are just eaten by lost productive hours.

Or it could be worse. 

If a budget recruitment service results in a less than perfect hire, and the new employee leaves, then you'll be faced with a whole range of hidden costs not to mention the negative impression of upper management.

And that does not include the cost of starting the hiring process all over again from scratch.

Come to think of it.  If you factor in the losses you incur and wasted time brought about by a bad experience with a recruitment consultant, the fees are irrelevant.

Price certainly comes a distant second to the importance of finding a consultant that provides a truly valuable service.

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So before you sign along the fine prints, make sure you choose a consultant that fills all of the following criteria:

Have Industry Expertise

Unless your recruitment needs are very general, as much as possible, choose a consultant that is familiar with your industry. If they don’t understand your business, then they’ll find a hard time to scout for the most suitable candidates.

Casts a Wide Net

The best candidates for any position are those who are not looking for a job and the ideal recruitment consultant dig deep for those types. They don’t limit themselves to picking up scraps from online job boards.

Have an In-depth Screening System

Once a consultant understands what type of a candidate you need, the last thing you want is to be handed 20 resumes and you are left to figure out which ones are best suited for your requirement.  A diligent recruitment agency will spend considerable time pre-screening candidates, and only introduce you a shortlist of 3 people who are most fitted for a position.

Offers a Guarantee

A good sign that you are dealing with a capable consultant is when you are offered a guarantee.  Otherwise beware.  This may mean that they’re not fully confident in their ability to find you the right candidate.

Have a High Employee Retention Rate                                                 
It’s not enough that consultants are able to meet 100% of your hiring criteria.  As much as possible, none of their candidates quit within 12 months.  Ask for track records on their retention rates.

Conduct Post-placement Follow-ups. 

Once a recruitment consultant places a candidate, they regularly check on their candidates every now and then within six months or so and help out their candidates settle down and adjust to their new work environment. 

We all know that a significant factor that spells the difference between smooth operations and chaos in any organization is middle management.  They are the sandwich layer between top management and rank and file.  They are in the unique position to command the respect and cooperation of those below the hierarchy, to effectively implement the policies and programs of those at the top. 

It is critical therefore that you are able to get the best possible candidates to fill up vacancies at this level of your organization to ensure the smooth operations of your business in the long term.    

Should you decide to make use of the services of recruitment consultants, consider first those with a wide breadth of experience, industry exposure and reach to potential talents, before looking at what they have to offer in terms of price. 

What's your experience in this area?  Why don't you share your views and comments below so that other HR practitioners in this community may also benefit from your ideas, or vice-versa. 

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