If you’re working with a recruiting firm, you’ve teamed up with a staffing partner dedicated to finding top talent to fill current and future openings in your organization. Unfortunately, some organizations that team up with recruiting firms find that despite their staffing partner’s expertise, they aren’t receiving information from ideal job candidates.
How does a relationship with a staffing firm fail to produce ideal candidates? The answer may surprise you.
Honesty is key to any relationship, but it is particularly important when working with a recruiting partner. Recruiters work best when they know exactly what type of candidate a client needs. Without the full picture, your staffing partner may need to “fill in the gaps” on their own – and the results may not offer the best “fit” for your organization.
How does communication break down?
Most companies are not deliberately dishonest with their staffing partners. Instead, they are simply short with them. Hiring managers assume that since a staffing firm exists to find suitable candidates, the firm will simply do so. But without clear information, even the most-experienced recruiter can only do so much for a particular client.
Communicating with your staffing partner
When it comes to communicating with your staffing partner, quality matters more than quantity. Busy staffing partners are constantly building relationships within the industry and with job candidates. Providing the best information you can in a concise format enables your staffing partner to improve the quality of the candidates they offer and to work more effectively and efficiently on your behalf.
Ways to improve your communication with your staffing partner include:
- Fully describe your company’s needs. Clear job descriptions, combined with a description of your company’s culture and the types of individuals who tend to thrive in it, give your staffing partner valuable tools for screening candidates, improving the quality of search results.
- Distinguish “needs” from “wants.” In every position, some skills, experience, and qualities are non-negotiable, while others are preferred but not required. Clarify the difference between “needed” qualities and “wanted” qualities in candidates to help your staffing partner find job seekers who offer both.
- Think long term. Sharing your organization’s strategic staffing plan with your staffing partner, or working with your staffing partner to create such a plan, can improve the quality of candidates to meet both your company’s current needs and its future goals. Thinking long term also helps you build an ongoing partnership with your recruiting firm.
At Marquee Staffing, our experienced recruiters are dedicated to finding the talent that best meets your needs. Contact us today to learn more!