Hate using recruiters when recruiting? Could it be a you problem? ??

When recruiters are used effectively its like having a genie in your pocket who can find you the right people hassle free??

Not tooting my own horn??but we are a fantastic resource if used effectively. But in my experience... we are not always.

When not used effectively, you may find you want to tear your hair out. You end up hating all recruiters, possibly comment on recruiter bashing posts, and you may be wondering why your role isn't being filled with any efficiency or joy.

I'm going to raise some main points over a series of articles (as it wont fit in a post) as to what you may be doing to cause this, and present workarounds. Ultimately I want you to have more enjoyment with the recruitment process.. whoever you use!

Recruiting the right people is tough, and yet we do it all day everyday. We can literally shoulder the burden of it for you... that is the point of us - making that part of your life easier.

"This job wouldn't be full time if it was easy"

Each article I shall go in depth on specific points so its not a super long boring AF thing to read... if anyone actually reads this that is.

If you are still here - THANK YOU??

Reason number one as to why you may be creating chaos for yourselves:

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Firstly: AAAHHH ??

Sorry... just had to scream into an abyss...

It's like you've sent out a pack of dogs, some more trained than others, to go find something - a Unicorn in this instance no doubt ?? - What would that look like?

• This is so chaotic please stop. No wonder frustrations are high and you end up hating us. There are so many of us to call. So many of us chasing. So many not following process. Frustration is everywhere for everyone INCLUDING the people you want to attract. You're frustrated because we are all hounding you, but we are hounding you because we want updates. Some may be hounding as they have bosses breathing down their neck wanting fast fees, some of us are crap and sharky, and some of us are good people who want to know what is going on so we can give our candidates a good experience. Its harder for you to update everyone, and communication falls apart, which results in the recruitment is falling apart and this leads to bad experiences all round.
• So many CV's everywhere. Some duplicates, and next thing you know you are accidentally in the middle of an agency "who sent who first" war. It's annoying, but can you blame us? We have just had a 30 min call with someone about your company, vetted them, sent them across with a tailored profile and found out some numpty has sent them first without telling anyone about it to beef up their KPI's. It's also a lot of admin on your side... Which is crazy and this is another thing we are here to save you from.
• You are entrusting your brand with a lot of people here. Some more invested than others. What message is this giving the unicorn you need? Is this message being portrayed with passion and attracting the right people? OR are there people trying to get every man woman and hamster interested in the job, wanting to scatter gun CV's to, again... please that KPI loving boss, which means there are a lot of people who actually aren't a good fit being misled and sent forward. If a lot of people are not invested, they will inevitably not turn up or bail mid process.
• When you use more than one agency you get less commitment from us recruiters. Why? Well its like dating multiple people at once... you just don't feel all that valued and its not fun being pitted up against others.
• It feels less like teamwork, so you get half-hearted searches.. We aren't that invested because its not reciprocated. Would you go and search through a haystack for a needle if the person asking you for help made you feel like you they only asked as a last resort? If your good friend lost a needle they really needed in a haystack (after of course wondering what the heck they were doing) you would probably start sifting through the hay immediately no?
• Candidates feel like they are the goat in Jurassic park who have been lowered into the velocoraptor cage with multiple calls and varying degrees of care. Bombarded with calls, all trying to get the candidate to want to work with them rather than the person who got there first.
• When the unicorn is found - are they found by a recruiter who you know will ensure a great process and ensure the match is right and almost guaranteeing an offer accept? Or will it be someone who is working on hundreds of roles at one time, sending CV's everywhere who will put most effort into whats easier, and if its not you - you risk something going wrong at the vital end phases.
• It makes you look like you are using a big net to see what you get because... well... This IS effectively what you are doing isn't it. It's a very loose strategy and can make you look a teensy bit non committal, sometimes desperate and definitely scatter gun.

So... that felt great for me unlocking this frustration I didn't know was lurking, but it may not make you feel good if this is what you are doing, unsuspectingly or not. So... what do you do instead?

Well It's simple...

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I am not saying you have to use one. And I'm not saying you have to use me and my company either BTW, or that who you choose you have to use forever...

When you work with three or less, its less stress and higher quality all round. Here are some ways to choose who to work with and the reasons why:

• Less than three people working on a role means only three or less people chasing, updating and following up... that's much less overwhelming isn't it? For both sides.
• Control of who you choose. List agencies you like the look of or who fit in the specialisums you need support in. Speak to each... and see who YOU feel is best suited. So much of this comes down to who you like and who you don't. If you speak to someone and you come away feeling depleted or annoyed but think that technically they are good... perhaps keep looking. You will be speaking and engaging with this person a lot throughout the process so you have to like them. Its important to note that years of experience isn't always a sigh of a good recruiter. You can have a lackluster person with 12 years experience, and an eager, super organised newbie who will blow you away.
• If you are HR/TA, ask for recommendations from hiring managers. If there is a new manager and they have a trusted agency, trust that! You hired that person because they are good, and make good decisions, so their recruitment superstar will be able to add more value than perhaps existing agencies for their new team.
• There is rarely one recruiter who is just overall good and the best. There are lots of specialists specialising in the same thing. They will all work differently and generally have access to the same people too. Each company may have different selling points. Some may offer in-house training, some may have multiple disciplines, some like us may plant trees for every placement which to you may mean a lot.
• Try them out. One week exclusivity perhaps? Trial one agency per role.. whatever works. When you find one that works... You will know.
• Consistency is key. Stick to one consultant, at most two. They will know you and your company inside-out... they will be your recruitment partner. If your person moves, move with them or start again. If you get pushed from person to person then I would recommend you look elsewhere. You deserve better! If the agency churn people it generally means there is some toxicity somewhere, probably management, who are probably telling them to 'Smile and dial' and using other sharky tactics.
• A specialist will know a lot about their field and know the other side of the coin to you. Use them and their knowledge! You will learn so much. Remember they are there to make this part of your job easy... let them.
• The branding message is clear and concise and is something you have more control of. You have a consultant who is speaking with certainly about your culture. They sound more credible, your jobs and company are described as they are with confidence and knowledge, attracting the right people... not just anybody.

Remember there are some bad recruiters and some good recruiters. There are some good recruiters who go through a bad time, and bad recruiters who are just good recruiters in the wrong company. We are human, but mostly we are here to help. The money is a byproduct of us helping you, so if you are having nightmares on working with us... perhaps your working with the wrong ones and or too many of us.

"Recruitment is a tiny bit of your job, it is ALL of ours"

I hope these points have helped in some way, or added value, and until the next article/therapy session for myself... I thank you for reading if anyone has made it this far.

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