When it Comes to Staffing Agency Relations, Are you Naughty or Nice?

OK, maybe it’s not the question on everybody’s mind, but it certainly is a good time to reflect on the past year, and think about how we can do a few things differently next year.

As an employer, taking time to reflect on your staffing agency relations can help you improve your strategy for 2015, so headhunters can help you can get more qualified candidates in your door, faster than you’ve been able to in the past.

As you reflect, here’s how to know if you’ve been naughty or nice…

Do you tell headhunters how your company is different?

Top job candidates have a choice in where they work so, if you want them to work for your company, you have to stand out! Headhunters do their best to utilize the information they have about your company to help you stand out, but they don’t really know what makes your company unique unless you tell them.

So, if you want to make the nice list this year, make sure you share what makes your company different. If you’d rather be naughty, then keep this information to yourself and get angry when headhunters don’t deliver exceptional candidates.

Do your job description adequately explain the role and excite the candidate?

After your headhunter has an initial conversation with candidates about your opportunity, the candidate will often ask for a job description to see all the details written out.

This job description should mirror everything you’ve told your headhunter, including what the hire will be responsible for and which skills are required versus nice-to-have. It’s crucial to keep the momentum going so the candidate stays excited about working with your company, so make sure to also include some of that information about what makes your company unique. It’s nice to write job descriptions that your headhunter can sell.

Are you being honest with your headhunters about their results?

If your headhunter isn’t producing the candidates you need, it’s your responsibility to help them understand why their candidates aren’t fitting the bill, and what you need instead. Providing feedback can help your headhunter fine-tune the type of candidate they looking for.

Give them a chance to incorporate your feedback in their next round of sourcing or, if they don’t produce better results after the second or third round of candidates, you may need to break up with your recruiting agency. Truth be told, this is better for both parties because you can focus on working with headhunters that “get” what you’re looking for, and they can focus on job orders that they’re more likely to fill.

Are you wasting great candidates?

If your headhunter is presenting great candidates, make sure you’re ready to interview and hire them as quickly as possible. We’re moving back into a candidate-driven market where the best candidates will be considering multiple opportunities, so you’ll have to work a little harder to hold on to your candidates during the recruitment process and close offers. Don’t waste your headhunters time and energy to find great candidates if you’re just going to let them slip away.

So, what’s the verdict? Have you been naughty or nice in your staffing agency relations this year? What other tips do you have to help improve staffing agency relations for next year? Let us know with a comment!