7 Points Every Employer Must Consider Before Partnering With A Recruitment Agency

Big and small business organizations look upon their employees as their core assets and work hard to retain them in the long run. No business would like to lose their incredibly valuable talent pool and strive hard to ensure that they do not lose out on the right talent. Employees are highly considered as driving forces who can lead a business to great success or downfall. Business leaders and experts from across the globe look to partner with a recruitment agency to better manage their recruitment woes and concerns.

However, every business partnership must be formed after proper consideration of certain important factors. This would help your business in avoiding any major impediment in the future and ensure a smooth relationship that lasts for a long period of time. A recruitment consultant must be carefully chosen keeping a few crucial points in mind. The points and factors to consider depends on a lot of aspects like the size of the business, the industry or sector it operates in, hiring or sourcing requirements, etc. A proper research before hiring a recruitment partner will prove to be beneficial for both the parties.

1) Fees & Charges

For every company, business partnerships must be formed in such a manner that they prove to be fruitful and profitable at the same time. Being well aware of the fees and charges prevailing in the Industry will surely help a business in narrowing down on a list of recruitment firms. However, a higher pricing model does not always necessarily translate to high quality services and vice-versa.

2) Rebate Structure

Implementing a rebate structure helps recruitment agencies in attracting more clients as it ensures that a company’s hard earned money spent on recruitment does not go in vain. Most consultancies have a rebate structure where they refund the fees charged for a candidate after a candidate quits a company before completing 2-3 months. Most agencies offer rebate from anywhere between 100% to 50% to their client companies.

3) CV & Interview Policy

Not every agency would feel obliged to screen multiple candidate resumes or conduct interviews on behalf of a business. Before partnering with an agency it is of utmost importance to know and understand their CV and interview policy. As a company you would definitely want an agency to deeply screen candidate resumes and also conduct telephonic or initial rounds of interviews. This would significantly reduce the burden of hiring from partner companies.

4) Client Testimonials

If a business is new to the sector and hiring a recruitment partner for the first time, it is recommended to carefully read and validate client testimonials. Such testimonials and reviews depict the strength, reputation, and value of a recruitment firm. Testimonials submitted by companies belonging to the same industry as yours would ensure that the agency is well-equipped to tackle similar recruitment challenges.

5) Services Offered

A staffing consultant is known to offer several services other than just recruitment. An organization has to first understand its own needs and requirements regarding such services. Some popular services offered by recruitment firms are- outplacement services, global sourcing, market intelligence, interim management services, talent engagement, etc. Not every business would be in dire need to utilize all or some of the services. However, some companies might be actually looking for such services to improve their recruitment process.

6) Facilities Provided

A recruitment firm makes use of several recruitment portals and channels in order to tap onto the perfect talent for a vacant position. Some of them even offer facilities like interview rooms and meeting rooms to conduct personal or group interviews of prospective candidates. Some consultants are well-equipped to offer test facilities like Psychological, Aptitude, I.Q tests, etc. to further screen candidates and check their suitability for a given position.

7) Agency Volume

The volume of an agency refers to the number of employees or recruiters it has and areas and industries it is capable of serving. A business needs to realize the volume of manpower it needs to source and partner with an agency which has a similar volume and capability. This ensures that there is no friction between the two parties later on and hiring can done in a smooth and timely manner.