Published Date: 26th June 2023.
As an industry, recruitment rolls with the punches and adapts to market conditions and world events.
Not too long ago, during the peak of the pandemic, we saw a scarcity of candidates because the borders were closed and immigration was paused. That led to talent shortages because we were only working with a limited pool of professionals who were moving around from role to role. There were plenty of jobs, but few qualified candidates.
Now, New Zealand is heading towards an election and a new wave of COVID-19. We have open borders and plenty of people arriving, but fewer jobs available and more competition amongst job seekers.
It’s times like this that we see frustration from Hiring Managers who are sifting through 50 or more applications to find a handful of people who might be a good match for the role.
As a trusted New Zealand recruitment agency, we can help take some of that burden away from Hiring Managers so they can focus on their core functions.
In this blog, I’ve listed out my tips for engaging and partnering with a recruitment agency so you secure the best talent in the market with ease.
Step 1 - Get to Know Each Other
We appreciate the working world has moved to online meetings and video conferences, but there’s something still to be said for a face-to-face introduction. If we’re going to be representing your organisation and your team, we like to scratch beneath the surface and truly understand your needs.
Kicking things off with an in-person coffee can help build trust and rapport from day one. Hiring someone for your team is not all about matching technical skills. Following many years working in the industry, we know it’s also about matching personalities and ensuring motivational and cultural fit.
Step 2 – Take a Deep Dive on the Brief
Job titles can be ambiguous and job descriptions often too generic. We will want to take a detailed brief that really gets to the crux of how the new team member is going to spend their eight hours a day and justify their pay cheque.
That involves a long list of questions, such as:
What does your team look like?
What are you all working towards collectively?
Are you siloed or collaborative?
Are you structured or agile?
Do you have a hybrid, in-person or remote model?
Which core skills are missing from your team?
What do you consider non-negotiable?
How much do you want to pay? How much are you willing to pay?
What are the progression opportunities for the successful applicant?
Do you have internal approval to recruit the role and budget signed off for the salary?
How often do you want to be updated on the status of this role?
Do you have any DEI quotas in place that we need to consider?
These questions will all help us to build a better picture of what you’re looking for, and help match you with your ideal candidate.
It also helps us when talking to candidates about your team and the role itself. We can uncover and address any concerns from candidates early on, or decide that an applicant isn’t going to be the right fit for your business.
Step 3 – Agreed Timelines
In the current market, where there are talent shortages and in-demand candidates, timing is everything. Chances are, if you think a candidate has great experience and is a good fit for your role, other people will too.
A recruitment agency can help you reduce your time to hire significantly. Not only do we take the candidate attraction and sourcing off your hands, we will establish timeframes and expectations on your behalf. In our initial briefing stage, we can jointly map out some key milestones in the process such as submitting the first round of CVs, proposed interview dates and a project completion date.
From our experience, we generally allow a two-week period for submitting resumes for permanent talent and 24 hours for contractors. We then suggest Hiring Managers aim to turn around interviews and make decisions as quickly as possible to lock in their preferred applicant.
Step 4 – Leverage our Expertise
Once armed with all of this information, we can get on with doing what we do best. That’s the beauty of working with a recruitment partner we know where to find talent and can do all of the initial groundwork on your behalf. By building a foundation based on trust and mutual respect, we will be able to represent your organisation and team in the best possible way.
The same applies to our relationships with candidates, many of whom we support throughout their careers. They know we have their backs and will match them with roles that suit their individual career aspirations and personalities.
Partnering With the Right Recruiter
As an employer working with a recruitment agency, there are several models you can explore including exclusive arrangements, retained and unretained. From my observations over the years, I believe most recruiters will put in the extra mile when working on an exclusive role because they know they are not competing for the commission or the same candidates.
As a Hiring Manager, you are investing your time, energy and money into outsourcing your recruitment and want the best possible outcome. If you don’t find the right person first time around, we know there can be a real impact on you and your current team who feel overworked and under pressure.
That’s why at Beyond Recruitment, we are all about building and maintaining trusted relationships with our clients based on a real understanding of their needs. If you’d like to talk to one of our team about your recruitment needs, please give us a call.
