We’re almost five months into 2024 and we continue to see hiring pick up. Volume is still well below the peak times of 2021/2022, but we are seeing positive trends in the market.
Our pipeline for our solution offerings has increased 200% over the past six months.
What does “Solutions” mean in our world? Everything from hiring engagements of (retained, 5+ hires initiatives) to complete RPO (recruitment process outsourcing) to HR/Talent Advisory work.
With all of that said, I thought it was a relevant time to talk about how to vet recruiters. “Recruiter” means a lot of things. It can be an FTE you hire to build out your team. It can be a consultant (independent or part of an RPO firm). Or it could mean partnering with a search firm.
The relationship and dynamics for each differ, but the things you need to think about do not.
Want to learn more? Read the article James Hornick wrote about it. He’s specifically talking about vetting search firms, but don’t overthink it. Every one of his points applies to anyone that you ask to recruit on your behalf.
1. Pick someone you trust. Duh.
Trust actually means two things: vibes and expertise. Gotta have both.
I don’t have to tell you the recruiting industry doesn’t have the greatest historic reputation. Hard sell, transactional, rise-and-grind companies make up a large chunk of the industry. Those environments cause their recruiters to cut corners any way they can. Your vibe meter should clue you into when you’re talking to cheesy, canned response recruiters.
Expertise is the other key. How well do they know the domain? Have they demonstrated success with both skills (what candidates do) and industries (what your company does)?
2. It’s not the Rolodex they got. It’s the Rolodex they can build.
A funny thing happened over the last 2 decades: literally everyone is online. Searchable and reachable.
The value of “proprietary” (God I hate that word) databases dropped like a rock. Personal relationships still hold incredible value, but just because you know someone, it doesn’t mean they’re looking to switch jobs right now.
“Knowing a guy” doesn’t fill a job. Having good relationships is table stakes, not a selling point.
The best recruiters know how to build new relationships quickly. Target new people, engage with them, build trust, articulate your value, build interest in your opening. Rinse and repeat. A lot of recruiters cannot do this.
3. Ask what the agency needs from you. Not just how they find people.
Most of what you need to know to fill a role is not in the job description.
Understanding the ideal candidate profile is critical, and that requires a deep dive into your mind. What made past hires successful, why other hires didn’t work, what sorts of business (or technical) problems/solutions someone needs experience with, what other industries are a good match, etc.
Skill matching is a tiny part of the job. A recruiter who doesn’t require much from you isn’t going far beyond that.
4. You get what you pay for.
Look, I’m not saying simply paying more will solve your hiring problems. But when things look too good to be true, it’s because they are.
When you’re evaluating firms, the low-cost and no-commitment options are typically the ones that can’t do points 1-3 above.
Read about it here!
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