Successful First-Round Hiring – How Recruitment Agencies Attract the Right Person to Your Job Vacancy

DIY hiring sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? Think again.

If you’re considering taking on the recruitment process in-house from start to end, consider the time, energy and costs involved. The checklist of recruitment involves perfecting the job description, researching market-rate salaries, polishing ad copy, posting on job boards, monitoring responses, assessing CVs, screening replies … and more … all before you meet one candidate. Your business probably can’t afford to go through this effort twice, so getting the early stages right can prevent rushed decisions and regrets, should you choose the wrong recruit.

Using a recruitment specialist is an efficient investment because the return on the fees paid can save time and money in attracting the best talent, first time. Here are just some ways a specialist recruiter can help you prevent the common mistakes of in-house hiring:

1. Taking the applicant’s perspective

It’s raining resumes in the current Australian job market. It’s apparent by the length of time it takes for a call back, the multitude of interview rounds and the decreasing number of jobs advertised, that employers have the advantage at the moment.

But the current generation of job seekers is savvy. Good applicants know the days of walking into a business with their CV and having a job in a week are long gone. Candidates are more diligent than ever about finding the right job for themselves and are taking a scatter-gun approach to finding a job. Employers who take too long to make a decision might find their ideal employee has moved on quickly and found a role. Screening and hiring fast is becoming important for that reason.

2. Experience in your market

Employment agencies know what’s current, relevant and what’s working in your industry because they depend on doing ongoing research to prosper. If you’ve been hiring the same way for 10 years, an outdated mindset may be keeping the right people away. Agencies can advise you on everything from salary benchmarks to the best way to write job ad copy and how to use social media to find the perfect candidate in the required field.

You may even be advised on your brand presentation and what your public persona says about your business. Does it appear to be a place that can attract the best workers? Nowadays candidates are looking to see if businesses are socially responsible, provide benefits, offer personal development opportunities and more.

3. Screening for success

The fastest and most direct route to ascertaining whether a worker is right for your vacancy can be in effective candidate screening. It’s more than just an opportunity to qualify a potential employee. A good recruiter can cut to the chase and focus on cues that will indicate whether the person will suit your company culture or is not worthy of more of your time.

4. Filtering at step one

Whether you’re looking for waitstaff for a function or white-collar workers, applicants have been tested, reference-checked and inducted by a recruitment agency before being put on their books.

An agency may already have the right person registered for your job, just waiting to meet you. Because they deal with temporary and “try before you hire” type staff, there will be much less involved in qualifying this person for your job.

Finally, good reference-checking can tell a lot about a potential worker. Recruiters are highly skilled on the relevant privacy requirements, so they know what they can and can’t ask about a candidate. They also have the experience to pick up insight from screening and how to verify any suspicions – saving you time and the potential risks involved when in-house staff without the right training are left to check references.

5. Helping protect your assets

Hiring a recruitment manager can provide you ongoing assessment of staff and workplace situations that can protect your business. For a small fee, you can potentially save yourself from thousands of dollars in damages and legal fees.

By engaging a recruitment manager, you are safeguarding from claims such as unfair dismissal, equal opportunity breaches or wage issues.

Need good staff quickly?

Let Australian Work Force attract the best candidates to your vacancies, quickly. Efficient staff hiring is our business, so give us a call today on 1300 795 965 or email us for a fast reply from our nearest location.