How to Get the Best out of your Recruiting Firm

Work on an exclusive basis

All search firms have criteria they use when deciding how to prioritize search assignments. One critical factor is how many recruiters will be working on the search. 

If multiple recruiters are working a search, then you are less likely to get a full effort from any of the firms you have involved. Some hiring managers think that having more recruiters involved translates into more candidates and as a result a quicker placement. You may receive more candidates as each firm ensures that they get to the candidates first, but the quality will decrease. Also, consider the amount of time you will be spending interacting with multiple firms and screening a large number of candidates.

Statistics on the success rate on various search options: 

Retained Search – 90% Success Rate

Exclusive Contingency – 60% Success Rate

Using multiple recruiters – Less than 20% Success Rate

Connexis Search Group recruits candidates in the following industries:  CLIA Lab, Molecular Diagnostics, Life Science, and Medical Device.  If you are interested in finding out more about our services please contact Tony Bishop at tony@connexissearch.com or visit our website for more information www.connexissearch.com

Information exchanged between the Hiring Manager and Recruiter

A good recruiter will spend at least forty-five minutes to one hour with the hiring manager asking questions in an effort to better understand the type of candidate that you are trying to hire.

Job descriptions are not sufficient. In order to gain a deep understanding of the position you are trying to fill, there is no substitute for an in-depth conversation between the hiring manager and recruiter.

I realize that some companies require recruiters to work through HR to save the hiring manager time. This is detrimental to the success of the search and should be avoided. HR certainly needs to be involved but an initial conversation between the hiring manager and the recruiter is essential for success.

Timely feedback on Candidates that have been Submitted

Recruiters pace themselves based on the hiring manager’s sense of urgency. If the hiring manager is slow to respond, then the recruiter will be concerned that the search is stalled and will not actively work the search. Quick feedback on submitted candidates will ensure that the recruiter is identifying appropriate candidates and will keep them working with a sense of urgency on your search.