This may surprise some people but it’s not unheard of for a recruiting or staffing firm to fire a client. It happens in staffing and in Rec2Rec, which is our area at Raymond George.
It’s not something any recruitment business likes to do but it’s something that happens. Sometimes people aren’t getting what they need out of the relationship and that can apply to both sides. If the client seems unhappy and the recruiter doesn’t feel like they can fix that or do a job that will lead to a successful outcome, it may be time to cut ties. This is unfortunate and means it takes people longer than anticipated to find the people they need, because they will have to either do it themselves or start fresh with another company. It may also result in never finding what you need. And all of this has a negative impact on a company’s bottom line, while roles remain unfilled and productivity suffers.
We can avoid that by working together to create the best outcome for everyone.
Clients who embody the following characteristics and behaviors will have much easier time finding the talent they need.
A great recruitment client is one who…
…is invested in the relationship
An ideal candidate can look very different from company to company. In order for recruiting and hiring to be successful, all parties have to be invested in the relationship. People in good relationships listen and work to get to know each other and understand each other’s needs, and they are responsive to communication. Good clients know this and they also know that not investing in the relationship will result in not finding the right people to fill roles. This takes time and effort.
…works with you to nurture a positive outcome
A good client will carve out time to work with recruiters to create the desired outcome. This means making time to give a full vacancy brief, listening to feedback with regards to market intelligence about current salaries and experience, giving timely and honest feedback after interviews, and arranging candidate interviews in a timely fashion. Working together means collaborating and working jointly to identify problems and find solutions and recognizing and relying on each other’s expertise to optimize your success in finding the ideal person to fill the role.
…listens to your advice and values your input
Professional recruiters come into the client relationship with a world of experience that is freely available to you and this expertise can be very valuable. There is no point in hiring a professional if you are not going to listen to them.
…appreciates the other’s position and sees situations from multiple angles
Recruiters may be miracle workers, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have our own set of challenges to deal with, and it’s important for clients to understand these. We may be dealing with a competitive market and a shortage of available talent with the required skills. Candidates may be fielding multiple offers. This may mean that raising salaries and sweetening deals is required to land the person you want. Or it may mean speeding up the hiring process. A client who fails to recognize these factors may find themselves facing frustrations that would have been otherwise avoidable and not finding the talent they need.
…is great at communicating needs and any changes to those needs as they arise
Communication is what will get what a client needs. You don’t always have to know exactly what you want going in – a big part of our job can be helping you figure that out – but a client does need to know what they want the person they are looking to hire to bring to the organization and how they will contribute to the success of the company. And that needs to be effectively communicated to a recruiter so that we can all work towards that success. And if those needs change, that too must be communicated to a recruiter, so they can change course if need be. Not communicating these needs will absolutely result in missed opportunities and frustrations.
Our best clients embody all these great qualities and employ these best practices and are much more successful at finding the talent they need than those who don’t.
At Raymond George we find the people who find the people who make your business a success. Get in touch to find out how we can help you!
