Tips for Managing Recruiters from a Recruiting Firm
As a hiring manager, you are overseeing several projects, putting out fires, and making big decisions every week. But although you understand the importance of the recruiting process, your busy schedule often keeps you from dedicating the time you need to find top talent. This is when working with a recruiting firm can prove to be the best option for your organization. Here are a few tips to consider as you begin your relationship with a recruiting firm.
Forecast recruiting needs
While recruiting firms are able to respond quickly to hiring needs, they are also great at building strategic recruiting plans. So if you know you will need to hire a new team member or a consultant in a few months, it’s never too early to have the recruiters from the recruiting firm start a search. In addition, the recruiting firm may have other consultants ending projects around the same time you need a spot filled — giving you access to talent that may not even be on the market yet.
Create a regimen
Recruiting firms are great at working with deadlines and schedules. To help build traction, set up a time when you will review resumes, and give the firm a few days that would generally work to schedule interviews. The more the firm knows about your routine, the better they will work around your agenda.
Give feedback
While it’s very easy to reject a resume because a candidate may be lacking a skill, it’s important to be thorough in the reasons why someone didn’t make the cut. The more the recruiters know, the better they will be able to respond to your needs. With time, the recruiters will recognize candidates with little guidance and find you better matches.
Share your company’s culture
Even if you provide the recruiters from the firm with a detailed job description, there’s only so much they can pull from the posting to help them understand the dynamics on your team. As you engage the recruiting firm, try to share insights about your company culture that are crucial for success on your team; knowing these nuances will not just help the firm find the right person, but also help them to deliver at a faster pace.
Working with recruiters from a recruiting firm has many advantages, and the more the firm knows about you and your team, the stronger the partnership will be.
Belo Cipriani is a recruitng professional and an award-winning author. He is also a freelance journalist, and has been a featured guest lecturer at both Yale University and the University of San Francisco. In conjunction with Granite Solutions Groupe, he also writes GSG Connections. Learn more at BeloCipriani.com.