What value does a recruiter offer?

A recruitment fee is a grudge payment they say. But it is only a grudge payment because you do not understand the value. It is only a grudge payment when you have not received the value.

But we need to start at the very beginning.

Let us say a potential client has come to you (you, being a software development house) and are asked to create a solution, build it, implement it, but know that another 10 competitors will be doing the same. All will be compared and the best one chosen. If you are not chosen, you do not get paid.

I am 100% certain of your answer. Yet, you expect a recruiter to take your opening and work it with another 2 – 30 other recruiters. What does this do?

It forces recruiters to:

A.     Spam candidates

B.     Send CV’s without following due diligence.

C.     Spam CV’s to you – right now it’s a lucky draw.

D.     Be a shit recruiter.

And so, the vicious cycle continues.

Companies do not understand the value of partnering with a recruiter, recruiters don’t show value as they are competing with how many others and around and around, we go.

So, what is the value of a good recruiter?

1.      Partnership. It is not a once-off transaction. You are not in to buy bread, you are growing your team, this is personal business. You will gain valuable insight into things like:

a.      Is your expectation of the position realistic?

b.      What are people saying about your company?

c.      How is your company positioned compared to your competitors?

d.      How attractive does your company look from the outside to work for.

e.      What processes can be put in place to always be recruiting?

2.      Employee branding will be top of mind.

What better way to promote your culture, your projects, your value proposition than to have a recruiter, who is speaking to candidates day in and day out? It is not only about location, salary, and tech stack, candidates want to know work culture, values, ethos and only a great recruiter get’s this across.

3.      Reach. Recruitment is a full-time job. I could never understand how companies have HR doing recruitment. How? When? It is not possible. A good recruiter easily spends 8 hours a day sourcing/headhunting to present passive candidates that aren’t easy to find or persuade.  

4.      Saving time, saving money. Why on earth are line managers/HR reviewing CVs when you pay a recruiter to do the search for you? How many CVs are you reviewing? WHY WHY WHY? A good recruiter is your first line interview. Essentially a recruiter should have access to your calendar and booking out your times for the interview. A good recruiter is your first interview. Culture check. Tech check. Salary check. Availability check.

5.      HR Support. A good recruiter manages the entire process with the candidate. From prepping for interviews, debriefing, managing counteroffers, and closing – a recruiter is always there. A good recruiter knows if there are other companies in the process, what the risk of a counteroffer is, and what the pains of the candidate are. A good recruiter provides references, criminal checks, onboarding documents, and anything admin-related to the employment. A good recruiter compliments your HR department.

I know a lot of people think the more recruiters that work the opening, the quicker the role will be filled – how is that working for you? All you have is 10 uncommitted recruiters spraying and praying. Commit to one good recruiter and they will do whatever it takes to find your talent, and of course, we are all human, should the recruiter not be able to find the right person, open communication is key.

To get the most from a recruiter, treat them like a business partner. Choose one like you would an employee or client. Trust me, it is worth every cent.