The world is a very different place now and so is the job market. More and more businesses are looking to recruiters to help them source the best talent around, and this means that as a job seeker, you should focus your search on the right recruiters in your area and as a hiring manager, you need to make sure that you are engaging with the right recruiter for your role and business. Do not send your CV or job to everyone, do your research and pick the best people that can really support your career journey.
A good recruitment consultant should deliver an exceptional service. It should be consistent at all times. For this reason, our behaviours and the actions we take as recruiters need to meet your expectations and be consistently good.
But what does “good” look like?
From the first moment you engage with your recruitment consultant, you should be holding them to account and making sure that they are the right person for you.
Do they have energy and passion?
As a job seeker, did they show passion for their job and have a strong energy when talking through your career? Were they genuinely interested in what you were saying as they will be representing you when they talk to their clients about your CV.?
As a recruiting business, how engaged were they at the meeting? Did they listen to you and find out about your culture, values and mission? Do you feel like they truly understood your business and the role you have asked them to recruit for? They need to be able to act as an extension of your business when representing you to their candidates so do you have confidence that they can do this?
What knowledge and experience do they have?
When you speak to the recruiter are they able to show their knowledge and experience? Are they able to talk confidently through their processes and show an understanding of your industry and the sector in which you are looking to recruit within / find a job in?
Your recruiter should be an expert in their field (either sector / geographical / job specific / industry), they should be able to demonstrate their service and skills and give you confidence in their ability to do their job to the best of their ability and that the outcome will meet your expectations. You should be able to challenge them on any of this and they will be able to show their strong service level.
Do they talk you through their steps and processes so that they can recruit for you / source your next opportunity? Are they able to demonstrate the network that they will access, the technology they use and how they will match you with the best opportunity if you’re looking for a job, or match you with the best candidates if you are looking to recruit?
Their confidence in their ability should give you confidence in them.
Do you have a connection with them?
Does your recruiter have the same values as you? What’s their sense of humour like? Are they honest and have the right behaviours and attitudes? Do you believe in their sincerity? They are not going to become your new best friend, however, the relationship that you develop with them needs to be one that is the same as working with a colleague. They are ultimately representing you so why would you trust someone that you don’t like?
Going through your CV as a job seeker or talking through the job you are recruiting for as a hiring manager, are two of the most important parts of recruitment and your consultant should take the time to do both of these properly and thoroughly. If they get it wrong, then what happens next could waste everyone’s time. They should make you feel at ease and not rushed at all. They shouldn’t just accept your CV or Job description as this will not be enough for them to match the right person to the right job. They should insist on knowing more now as it will ultimately save time later in the process.
Do you feel like they have interrogated you?
Yes, you should, they should have you talking A LOT during these meetings. They should get to know you as a candidate, and have a thorough understanding of your whole career and your aspirations moving forward. They should be able to manage your expectations and talk to you honestly about what you can expect within the job market now and the roles that could be available.
As a hiring manager, you should feel like they have asked you too many questions about you, the business, the job and what you are looking for in your new employee. No matter how well they know the skills required to do your job, they do not know how this person will fit into your business and your team if they do not ask. They should be thinking of questions that potential candidates may ask and finding the answers during your conversation.
Do they have good communication?
I believe that although a recruiter can never guarantee timescales of when things happen, they can tell you when they will come back to you with answers and updates. They would also need to get a similar commitment from you about when you will come back to them with updates and the next steps.
Never lower your expectations when it comes to choosing a recruiter, choosing an Atrium specialist will make your job and candidate search smoother and with the best outcome for you. We want to be held to account for the service we are providing to you. We are passionate about recruitment and want to support you in your recruitment journey.
If you want to speak to one of the team in more detail, you can get in touch here