Everyone is talking about change right now, in every market and every industry; what else will
change? When and how? Change isn’t something that is going to slow down any time soon. So, with
an ever-increasing skill shortage, financial crisis hitting so many, and those hard to fill or business
critical roles becoming even more urgent, is sticking with the same recruitment model which gives
varied and unreliable results really the best plan? Every business is assessing budgets, cutting
unnecessary costs and is ever more aware of brand image and impact.
We have re-imagined recruitment and this is why. Let’s look at the maths… When working on a
contingency (pay on placement) basis, the more recruitment agencies on the job, the greater the
competition, therefore the more roles they need to bring into the mix, giving them less time to
invest in your role. This is never going to yield the best results. It’s like buying a recruitment raffle
ticket. And in a challenging market where candidates are attracting more than one offer, we say it’s
time for a re-think…
The answer? We’re seeing more and more clients make the switch to exclusive partnerships.
‘Retained’ or ‘Exclusive’ recruitment, used to be the business of a very small proportion of recruiters,
working on niche roles and industries or for senior hires where candidate data and networks were
not as readily available. But the recruitment world has changed. Clients’ expectations have changed.
Essentially, working on an exclusive basis means Guaranteed Delivery. If we need proof that
dedicating resource to hiring really works, we only need to think about how many larger companies
have invested in their own in-house recruitment functions and teams.
For our clients, working with us on an exclusive basis means they have one dedicated point of
contact, a tailored approach, their brand image upheld, our headhunting expertise, more of our
time, crucially – a lower fee AND the all-important guaranteed delivery! It’s not nearly as scary as you
might think… There is a vested interest for the recruiter in filling the role, knowing another recruiter
isn’t going to pip them to the post as seen in the somewhat out-dated contingency set-up (which has
notoriously earned some recruiters a poor reputation). Meanwhile, the client saves time by having
one trusted point of contact and working with a refined, high calibre candidate shortlist.
Using multiple recruiters in a traditional contingency service may always have its place but we see
companies crying out for a different approach at all levels of hiring and are hungrier than ever for
guaranteed delivery. We have the answer – Exclusive recruitment. And it is tried and tested.
Sitting back and waiting won’t bring the game-changers and we’re not after bums on seats, so, if the
goal is about finding the right person, experience, potential and cultural fit, then it’s worth getting
the approach bang on!
We’re always keen to make new friends so get in touch and let’s talk about how re-imagining your
recruitment process can get you the results you need AND save you money.