Things to expect when using a recruiter
Recruiting a new member of the team can be an overwhelming task. From mapping out the job role to writing up an advert, trawling through applications, and hosting interviews, there’s a lot to think about.
Working with a recruitment agency can take the stress out of the hiring process, identify the best possible candidates and help you be more objective about who’s right for the job.
What is a recruiter, and why should you use one?
So, what exactly is a recruiter and why should you consider using one? Simply put, a recruitment agency works on behalf of a company to help them find the best candidates for an open job role.
The Australian job market in 2022 is a pretty volatile and interesting space. With unemployment at its lowest in 50 years and a potential recession on the horizon, it’s vital that you get the hiring process right.
It's currently a jobseeker’s market, making it harder for businesses to fill vacant positions so working with a recruitment agency, will not only give a company access to candidates who are ideal for your position but who are not actively searching, but will also reduce the risk of churn.
It’s been reported that the top five most critical recruiting priorities in 2022 are:
- improving quality of hire (52%),
- increasing retention rate (24%),
- improving time-to-hire (23%),
- growing the talent pipeline (22%),
- diversity hiring (22%).
Hiring through a recruitment agency can make it easier for a company to hit these goals as agencies use their specialist industry knowledge and a wide network of connections to find the right people for the job.
Recruiter law is complex and often misunderstood. Common areas of confusion include diversity in the workplace, maternity leave, wages, and unfair dismissals.
Recruiters are constantly keeping up to date with recruitment law and will help you avoid legal complications.
Recruitment agencies remove a lot of the hassle and stress of this whole process. Once they have a good idea of the role, the company culture, and the employer’s expectations they will present the employer with a shortlist of candidates to interview.
What’s the process of working with a recruiter?
This is likely to vary from agency to agency and according to client needs but the general process of working with a recruitment agency looks like this:
1. Open position
The agency will meet with the company to discuss the role, entry requirements, company culture, and preferred experience. They will help draft a job spec and advert if needed.
2. Promoting position
They will then utilise their network to identify passive talent and promote the role through various channels to attract candidates.
3. Searching for suitable candidates
Recruitment agencies have access to multiple CV databases and utilise these for candidate mapping, headhunting suitable candidates, and approaching candidates who aren’t necessarily active in the market. Recruiters have a much broader network of candidates they can tap into and means of approaching inactive candidates in the correct way. They can also track and monitor changes to candidates’ roles and when they are open to new opportunities.
4. Shortlist of candidates
From the list of applicants, they will narrow the company’s options down to shortlisted favourites to be interviewed. The recruiter will then provide a candidate profile and schedule interviews between the client and the candidate.
5. Reference checks
The recruitment agency will then complete reference checks on the selected candidate(s) and can cater the checks based on the role and any areas of concern that arose during the interview process.
6. You’re hired!
Once the ideal match has been found and references are successful, recruiters can negotiate the offered salary and conditions on behalf of the candidate and client. A recruiter will often stay in touch with both the candidate and the employer occasionally throughout the probation period to maintain a good relationship and ensure everything is working out ok.
What to expect when using a recruiter
When advertising for a new role, employers can be inundated with hundreds of applications for vacant roles, many of which are simply not relevant. Sorting through these is a tedious and difficult task and it costs companies a lot of money in man hours and paid ads to reach a wide audience of candidates and identify the most suitable person from the group.
If a company chooses to work with a recruitment agency instead, it can expect to benefit from:
Insider knowledge and advice
Recruiters are experts in their field. They often specialise in certain industries and have extensive knowledge of the market in which a client operates.
They will be able to advise on market-standard salaries, benefits, and more, removing the need for time-consuming research. On top of this, they deeply understand the recruitment process and are better placed to recognise transferable skills and objectively understand who is the best fit for your role.
Cut through the overwhelm
From understanding your legal responsibilities to promoting your job advert, sifting through applications, and conducting interviews, hiring a new team member can be incredibly overwhelming.
Working with a recruiter helps you to manage the process, stay organised, and reduce stress at each stage. Their expert knowledge will keep you right with regard to legal responsibilities, best practices, and effective interview questions.
They will take a lot of the hassle out of recruiting and help you stay ahead of the curve.
Set clear goals and be realistic
However, for a relationship between a company’s hiring manager and a recruiter to go smoothly, clear expectations and goals should be set early on.
It’s important to have an honest conversation with the recruitment agency about how quickly you are hoping to fill the role, and any essential entry requirements, as well as letting them know which areas you’re willing to be more flexible with. The recruitment process can always be customised based on your requirements and preferred approach.
A good recruiter will explain what timelines are realistic for your industry and keep you updated throughout the process to avoid any nasty surprises.
How much will it cost?
Working with a recruitment agency can be an expensive activity but it’s usually worth it. Every recruiter is different so be clear in early conversations about how many roles you’re looking to fill if it’s a temporary position or a permanent role, and any other relevant details.
As a general rule of thumb, recruiters usually charge between 10-30% of a candidate’s first annual salary.
Ready to hire?
Most agencies won’t have any upfront fees and don’t get paid until they have successfully placed a candidate. There is typically a guarantee period in which they can find a replacement at no extra cost if for any reason the placement doesn’t work out. Recruitment agencies want to do everything in their power to make sure they get the first placement right and select the best person for the long-term success of your business.
If you want to learn more about what to expect when working with a recruiter, or for support finding the right person for your job vacancy, speak to a member of our team today!
