GoodSparc Solutions: Sharing Some Thoughts on Staffing Industry Value Proposition Shortcomings

Let me set this up with a seemingly straightforward question: what is the actual value that an executive search or technical recruitment business brings to a client relationship?

On the surface this probably seems like a simple question, and just like any other industry that provides a service in exchange for financial compensation, I think it’s fair to assume that Staffing industry players should have a tightly refined understanding of their own value proposition, in terms of the economic, efficiency, and effectiveness benefits to be gained by a client in purchasing their offerings.?But the reality is that few Staffing-related organizations can reliably and confidently quantify the value of their own services, and thus they tend to rely on assumed, perceived, or anecdotal value as a result.?Whether we’re speaking about an executive search firm, a technical staffing company, an RPO or MSP, a resume house, or even a cutting-edge technology platform aimed at replacing one or more of these traditional entities, the concept of value remains poorly defined and often-times elusive.

Since 2003 I’ve worked for and competed against some of the world’s leading executive search and technical recruitment firms, and I’ve also leveraged some of the best technologies available to our industry, and in my experience the ability of these organizations to accurately communicate value remains nebulous at the best of times, wildly inaccurate in countless situations, and totally non-existent in far too many examples.?Perhaps the challenge in determining true value stems from a lack of easily quantifiable data points on which to base a cost/benefit calculation??Maybe it results from a gap in understanding or communication by the ultimate stakeholder (hiring manager) regarding the true financial impact of a lengthy, misguided, or failed recruitment effort (I’m talking about lost productivity, missed opportunity, decreased team morale, failed strategy, disappointed customers, wasted resources, etc.)? ?Or could it be that our field is simply more challenging to quantify based on the nature of the business itself, and that a client’s general feeling of satisfaction/relief at a seemingly competitive sticker price is good enough??My guess is that some combination of these possibilities is the likely explanation.

So, with the above being the reality in many cases, how can a Staffing firm overcome the lack of a truly quantifiable value proposition by replacing it with something more subjective that still holds water??In my opinion, the answer can be found in a Staffing player’s ability to stay true to its core mission, vision, values, and capabilities, while simultaneously having the humility, agility, expertise, and empowerment to adapt their go-to-market strategy to meet the needs of each unique customer and each unique engagement request.?As a Chemicals sector company exploring the potential value of a partnership with GoodSparc Solutions, you may just find yourself in the following types of conversations:

Your executive search partner missed the mark and is looking for an additional fee to re-shortlist??We understand that scope evolution, and the subsequent need for recalibration can happen, and we incorporate this expectation into our standard operating/pricing model.

Your Talent Acquisition team is stretched too thin??We’ll take on your team’s most challenging and time-consuming vacancies and deliver viable shortlists for those projects with speed and efficiency, thus allowing your team to focus on closing a higher volume of more commonplace requirements.

Your heavy vacancy count leaves your Talent Acquisition team little time for proactive candidate pipelining??Why don’t we discuss a project aimed at delivering detailed lists of viable and interested candidates in order to proactively help your team to fill similar hiring needs in the future more easily and cost effectively?

Your generalist technical recruitment partner’s delivery is inconsistent and often off-the-mark??We specialize in your industry, with expertise across a variety of functional areas and geographies, and we will consistently deliver the talent you need, or we’ll recommend a competitor, or work with you to find an alternative solution.

You need to consistently and reliably deliver on your Diversity & Inclusion commitments??We’ll proactively map the market for talented professionals from all walks of life, and when called upon, we’ll consistently deliver well-rounded shortlists to help you to diversify your workforce.

You’ve been burned on a retained search in the past??Let’s start things on a contingent or hybrid basis and work our way back to retained search after we’ve proven ourselves. Or let’s look at some interesting guarantee structures to help you mitigate your risk and feel more comfortable in a retained process.

You don’t feel it makes sense to base a retained search fee off total compensation, and you feel as though executive search administrative fees are gratuitous??Let’s work off base salary instead as it’s easier to define and makes sense for most levels of roles and skill sets, and let’s also discuss how we might deliver the same quality of process without the high administrative costs.

Your stakeholder has committed to a business strategy that is more prevalent in other industries??We’ll build a sourcing strategy to draw talent from industries and companies that are more mature with those type of initiatives, thus bringing new flavors of expertise and thought leadership to your business.

You’ve invested time and money in a comprehensive employer branding strategy??Help us to understand the way you hope to be perceived in the candidate community, and we’ll customize our communication accordingly…thus acting as an extension of your HR organization.?We’re also happy to role-play our approach with you to ensure we’re in alignment with your team’s expectations.

At GoodSparc Solutions, we evaluate the value of our services on a regular basis, and we’re always open to discussing how we might increase the level of value we bring to your organization.?We’ll gather constructive feedback at fixed intervals throughout each recruitment process; we believe wholeheartedly in open dialogue and free-flowing communication; we always welcome constructive advice from both clients and candidates on ways we can improve; and we’re continuously looking for new opportunities to demonstrate our value…even if we can’t always find a perfect way to measure it.

Thanks as always for reading,

Marc