Selecting a recruiter

One of the top three concerns of every MD or CEO of a company is finding and retaining great talent. I have numerous conversations with heads of agencies and in-house departments who often talk about the lack of talent with specific skill sets, industry knowledge, contacts or personality that they are looking for. So how do you go about finding that ‘star’ and how to you make sure they accept your offer?

Selecting the right recruiter is fundamental in this process and there are some key areas to consider when selecting a recruiter.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR MARKET
It is vital that the recruiter knows your market, understands what you are talking about, knows where to search and how to screen and select. All areas that they should do and which will ultimately save you time, allowing you to work on client projects.

PROFESSIONALISM
Are they professionally trained recruiters? Do they have a recruitment process that they follow throughout the business? Will they know how to deal with difficult situations? Will they search the market extensively and ensure the right candidate accepts the job? There is nothing worse than a candidate who accepts a counter offer after you have spent hours interviewing and devising an interesting package. There are measures to prevent this and an experienced professional recruiter should be able to guide you through this.

NETWORK
It’s good to know whether your recruiter has a good network to find the right people for you. Knowing the ‘right’ people will open doors to a variety of connections and help secure the best person in the industry whatever the level.

Key to this is meet the recruiter and interview them! They will be your ambassador in the market so make sure they are fit for the job!

By Alice Weightman