The HR Corner- Getting The Most Out Of Recruiters

After years of recruiting I've found that about half the folks on the human resources side like us 3rd party hired guns and the other half don't particularly care to speak with us unless absolutely necessary. No matter which side of the fence you fall on, here's a few suggestions to consider regarding getting better results out of your recruiter (and maybe pay a little less if you play your cards right).

1. Timely Feedback: This is by far the absolute number one determining factor in the level of effort a recruiter will allocate to your search. Remember, the vast majority of recruiters are paid on a commission basis which means if they don't make placements, they don't eat (and their wives and husbands get mad at them). Because of this, recruiters are very cautious and selective when resource planning their time. I can tell you from personal experience that I'd much rather work for a 20% fee where I'm getting feedback and my candidates are being interviewed than to work for a 25% fee where no one's getting interviewed and communication is sparse to non-existent from my counterpart on the client side. Not only will you receive better ROI on your recruiting dollars and time by offering feedback, you'll also increase productivity by getting resources in place sooner rather than later.

2. Communication: Sometimes you just can't push process right? After all if only that darned hiring manager would get back to you on all the resumes you've presented to her or if the "C" level geniuses upstairs could finally make a decision on moving forward with this req. or not, you could get your job done right? Don't keep your recruiter in the dark, let them know what you're up against. What this does is to create an advocate. Knowing what's going on gives them a sense of security about continuing to invest time with you and work on your behalf (so their wives and husbands don't get mad at them for not making any money). Studies have shown that individuals are 70% more likely to respond positively to requests when provided with reasons for doing so rather than when presented with only a request and no reasoning behind it. e.g., No Reason Provided: "yes, please keep sending me resumes for the Purple Squirrel Developer req.... yes, I know you've sent 3 candidates and we haven't gotten any feedback yet, but we're still looking...." e.g., Reason Provided: "yes, please keep sending me resumes for the Purple Squirrel Developer req.... yes, I know you've sent 3 candidates and we haven't gotten any feedback yet, but the hiring manager just got back from her two week vacation and process should get up and running again...." See the difference?

3. The Philosophy Is Velocity: this is a little trick that may give you leverage on fees, let me explain: Recruiter A does 10 placements a year at $10k per placement making $100k, Recruiter B does 15 placements a year at $9k per placement making $135k. The difference is that Recruiter A makes a placement every 5 weeks and Recruiter B makes a placement every 3 weeks. Which recruiter would you rather be? Which fee would you rather pay, $9k or $10k? Let your recruiter know that you're ready to push process and move fast, it may save you some money.

Final word- I've always found it upsetting when I hear recruiters treat candidates, clients, and potential clients with anything less than complete respect and professionalism. Similarly recruiters appreciate being treated in kind. After all, everybody's trying to make a living and we're all in this thing together correct? BE NICE. Remember, to a recruiter, you're one of two things: a client or a source. You can minimize recruiting pressure on your organization by being courteous and open to partnerships whether they be for current needs or needs in the future. Give them a reason to view you as a client and not a source.