Ask a recruiter to tell you who their client is and, chances are, you’ll get one of two answers. Some will cite the candidates they work so hard to recruit to their networks. Others will point to the end user – the ‘customer’ doing the hiring. Article by Marc Sigrist Operations Director at recruitment specialist BIE Executive.
The truth is rather more complicated. Like the Roman god Janus, effective recruiters have to face in two different directions at once, using different skills to manage both sides. At the same time, they need to fill the role of intermediary, maintaining enough insight and neutrality to be able to act as an honest broker between the two. A good consultant is far more than a simple conduit between somebody with a need and somebody with a proposition to sell. If it were that straightforward, the best consultants would be the ones who put the largest number of candidates in front of a client, rather than the best.
In an increasingly competitive market fighting for top talent, clients need a recruiter who can really get under the skin of their value proposition. They need advocates – consultants who will bat on their behalf to help a candidate properly understand the potential of a particular role over others. They also need someone who is prepared to challenge them – a critical friend who can identify and explore creative consultancy and recruitment solutions that go beyond simply putting a person into a problem-sized hole. Candidates too value relationships based on transparency and mutual understanding. But they don’t just want that to apply when there’s a potential placement in play. It’s not enough just to look their direction when it suits.
The golden rules for the recruitment Janus seem to be: Get closer to your clients. Understanding the role is seldom enough to identify the right candidate(s) to fill it. Consider the cultural fit and the drivers behind the decision to recruit. Get clarity on the brief. The best candidates will be put off by ambiguity and doubt. Be prepared to be your client’s ambassador. Sometimes you’ll have to sell them hard to seal the deal with the strongest hire; if January is anything go by, delays on interviewing and making offers is costing clients the people they want. The war for talent hasn’t gone away. Knowledge wins every time. The more a client and a candidate know about each other during the courtship, the stronger any potential relationship is likely to be. Stay connected and be the oil in the machine. The consultant has an important role to play beyond introduction. Look both ways but don’t favour one direction over the other. Celebrate filling a role but don’t forget to re-engage those who weren’t successful. Be prepared to challenge. Clients and candidates are often pleasantly surprised by something they hadn’t previously considered, especially if it is valuable.
