41 Recruitment this assignment . It ’ s a two-way commitment ; you have chosen them as a partner so you need to give them your time and respect their skills , just as you would expect your clients to respect yours .
There are three different ways of committing to an agency ; contingency , exclusive or retained . ‘ Contingency ’ describes briefing two or three agencies and allowing them all equal time and access . Share a timescale of when you expect to see CVs and be very clear that you will not accept CVs before the agreed date ; if you don ’ t do this you may end up with multiple agencies quickly submitting the same candidate without properly discussing the role and ensuring that they are interested . Inform your agencies that you require confirmation that the candidate is represented by them and they are interested in the role . Doing this mitigates the risk of different agencies sending over the same CV
and then all claiming a fee . Once you have the CVs , set aside a couple of hours with the relevant people internally to review and create a shortlist .
If you get a great feeling about one agency , but you don ’ t think that just one could do the job , you could appoint them as an ‘ exclusive ’ partner for 10-14 days before introducing other agencies to the role .
If you decide to ‘ retain ’ an agency , they will write a job description and a bespoke role profile . A job description defines what the person has to do to get paid , but a role profile describes what they do to stay in the business and enjoy the job . It is normal to pay a small proportion of the fee upfront and then the retained recruiter will do the initial interviewing and deliver you a pre-selected bespoke shortlist . Be wary of agencies promoting a retained service but underneath lurks a contingency approach . Just because you pay a proportion upfront , doesn ’ t mean all recruiters provide a true retained service . Knowing the difference between a recruiter being retained and working retained is an important aspect .
Negotiate Discuss and negotiate fees and rebate terms . If you have chosen the contingency route , all agencies should offer the same fee and rebate terms . Most agencies offer rebates on an eight-week sliding scale ; if the candidate leaves before four weeks you will get a 75 % fee rebate , after six weeks it reduces to 25 % and after eight weeks it goes down to nothing . Advise them that you ’ d like a three-month 100 % rebate and you ’ d be happy to give them a 1-2 % fee increase in return . If they are not comfortable , ask yourself why you have chosen that partner . Remember , you have asked them what they needed to succeed , so if you have given them everything they requested , they should be happy to offer this rebate .
If you are working with a retained recruiter , the bare minimum they should give is a three months 100 % rebate ( as a guide , I offer a six-month 100 % rebate ).
Partner Remember , the bare minimum you should expect is for the role to be filled , but if the agency did a good job then you may wish to build a relationship . Consider how they added value , how they made your life easier and when interviewing , ask the candidates how the experience was for them . If they did well and you were happy , next time you have a role to fill go to them and make them your recruitment partner until you find someone offering a better service that benefits your business .
The first time that your potential team member will experience your brand will be through your recruitment partner so make sure you choose wisely . www . conference-news . co . uk