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Search and referral - - not good enough
By Paula Beezhold, 14 August 2009
In his book CV for Life, headhunter and owner of a successful recruitment company, Robert Ridout, recalls his first placement. “Mubashar Hussain, I remember him well – the first person I ever placed. I marketed Mubashar for a solid month before placing him in a forty-eight hour locum position in a well-known London hospital. A year later Mubashar was one of the top surgeons in London, demanding larger remuneration and selecting his consulting roles. It was then that I knew that I had found my calling in life – to be a recruiter.”
This is the type of passion and dedication it takes to get the job done right. Unfortunately many recruitment consultants are doing the industry a major disservice by viewing the necessary set of skills and knowledge as a one-size-fits-all. One of the biggest problems is not only a lack of specific industry knowledge, but also the fact that recruitment consultants, mostly on the supplier side, are not trained or qualified to assess candidates.
Sonja Masters, Director at recruitment consultancy, JSM Appointments, explains that whether a recruitment consultant is internal to employers or a third party supplier, the consultant often doesn't fully understand the role that they are required to fulfil. “All too often they are managing the process as an administrative function. They receive a job request, use some information from the job description to advertise, receive the CVs and pass them on to the client.”
She emphasises that the role should be performed as a consulting service and that it is therefore essential to get a full briefing from the client. “A job description provides limited information,” explains Masters. “The consultant will have a much more in-depth knowledge and understanding of the client’s requirements by meeting with the client and interrogating them about aspects such as the purpose of the role and where it fits in the structure.” During this time, it is the consultant’s duty to share his or her knowledge of the industry and market as it relates to the client’s requirements in order to manage the client’s expectations.
More effective and impressive approaches
“It is essential to understand your client’s business, the type of skills required and the culture of the organisation,” says Masters. “It is also imperative that consultants should be trained to assess candidates through interviewing techniques. A consultancy that specialises in a specific profession has built a reputation around skills associated with that profession and associated industry,and will therefore also offer reliable job market advice, accurate comments on salaries and benefits and effective career guidance during the job search process.”
According to renowned author and speaker, Toby Marshall from Abacus Recruitment, part of the recruitment consultant's role is to help the client reduce risk. Mrs Masters agrees, saying that a consultant can do this by doing their homework on the candidate properly. “Make sure you understand the criteria for the position so that you know what competencies to assess. Apply relevant interviewing techniques, conduct thorough reference checks and psychometric assessments which can greatly assist to complement the recruitment process.” Under no circumstances should one hide any information from the client. If you become aware of something about their preferred candidate, let them know and give them the opportunity to exercise their own judgment.”
The effects of poor consulting can be far-reaching. “The consequences are usually a waste of valuable time, significant costs and sometimes an emotional impact on the people associated with the role, especially if it is a management role,” Masters explains. “From a financial point of view, the direct and indirect costs can reach $150,000 on average for every vacancy that is filled – from the time the position is identified to about three months after the successful candidate started in the position.”
Approaches simply need to be more effective and impressive if an agent is to stand out and win a manager over. Mrs Masters draws a distinction between an agent and a consultant. “An agent, in my opinion, is someone that facilitates a transaction. A consultant is someone that is able to provide expertise and influence a client with knowledge and experience. It is therefore extremely important for a consultant to demonstrate that he or she understands what the client requires, then to share with the client how they will go about the process and regularly updating the client on progress.”
Thorough knowledge of the industry can safeguard a consultant's role as necessary to save the client time and money, as is specialising in a particular field and networking with relevant people in that field. The aim of a consultant should be to consistently refer quality candidates who have been properly assessed.
Gaining a client's trust in terms of objective and reliable opinions and information often comes with time. “If you do not know something, admit it,” warns Masters. “If you make commitments, keep those commitments. If you do not have a suitable candidate let the client know.” Providing a professional and ethical service, assessing candidates appropriately and charging fair and reasonable rates will all develop trust. “And that trust will be embedded if you are honest at all times, especially by sharing information that may result in a lost placement,” Masters concludes.
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