Before we start myth busting, it’s important the stress from the outset that what is contained below only applies to recruitment firms that operate ethically- and I’m sure much to the surprise of many, there are a lot of companies out there doing the right thing.
Like any industry, a few rotten apples can spoil the bunch but hopefully this little article will give you a better insight into the value of full service recruiting firms and dispel some of the misconceptions for those companies out there conducting ethically sound business.
It’s not always about a ‘bum on a seat’
Recruitment companies are often tarred with the same brush- to be called upon in a time of crisis to supply someone who ‘can just get the job done’ without much emphasis on their personality or team fit. Effective recruitment firms should be able (and the good ones can) provide quality staff, at short notice. Often through targeted proactive recruitment campaigns or holding long standing relationships with their candidates, good agencies never just ‘send someone’, they send the right someone.
Not every call is a sell
Recruitment by nature is a consultative business and therefore the best practitioners are always looking for information and knowledge. So if you engage a provider for recruitment, don’t always assume that they are calling to sell- it may well be a genuine call to see how your business is going, where it’s going and what’s new and if by chance there is an opportunity to offer a service here or there then that’s a bonus.
Recruitment firms do more than just labour hire
Recruitment firms might make their money in the labour hire or permanent placement market, however good firms offer many more services that could have lasting value on your business. From workplace, employee and industrial relation guidance to occupational health and safety assessments- recruitment firms do more than just fill the vacant spots in a company, they can analyse your workforce and see where you may be deficient or have strength that you weren’t aware of.
Hopefully this little article will assist in keeping an open mind when it comes to the value that a recruitment firm could have on our business in both the short and long term. A good recruitment firm doesn’t want to work for you, it wants to work with you.
By Chris Cantatore
Senior Recruitment Consultant