Client Dos And Don'ts For A Successful Recruitment Process
We've been recruiters for a long time, and we like to think we've learnt a few things about what works and what doesn’t work in a recruitment process from instruction of a vacancy through to offer acceptance.
Here we go:
Don’t contact as many recruiters as you can when you have a vacancy and expect to have any more than superficial commitment from them. Speak to one recruiter exclusively and you’ll get 100% commitment, speak to 10 and you’ll get 10%. Most recruitment is payment by results, so we work on roles where we have the most chance of successful conclusions.
Don’t think having recruiters working at a low fee is a victory. Low fees mean low commitment – see above.
Do engage in the recruitment process. Take the time to meet recruiters you have chosen to work with, sell the firm, the role, the opportunity. We can only work with the information we have so if all we have is a one-line email then the job becomes really hard. On the flip side if we know the day to day duties, about the culture, benefits, progression, the team etc there is a much higher chance of success.
Do return calls, emails, give feedback in CVs in good time, give reasonable interview time slots. Work with the recruiter not against them. If there is no feedback on CVs yet, tell us don’t ignore us! We need the information to keep the process ticking along and to keep candidates interested.
Don’t ambush the candidate at interview with a grilling, expecting them to do all the talking. Interviews are two-way process. Most candidates will have more than one interview, so they need to feel wanted. Sell the opportunity and why your firm is a great place to work.
Do show them around the office, give them chance to meet some others in the team. This may not happen until the final interview stage, but it can work wonders. It’s the small touches that can make all the difference.
Don’t take the candidates contact details and contact them directly without letting the recruiter know. Trust me, most of the time it’s unnecessary and unhelpful.
Don’t offer the candidate the job on the spot, let us do the negotiation on your behalf. Don't let the process fall down at this crucial stage.
Don’t low ball when it comes to the offer. Whether or not the candidate accepts in the end it causes bad feeling. If you’re not paying market rate, then don’t be surprised if your new recruit doesn’t hang around too long as its very likely they can find a similar role paying more elsewhere.
Do be honest about the role at interview so there are no surprises when the new recruit starts. If they don’t know what they are coming into (positive and negative!) then, again, don’t be surprised if they move on quicker than expected.
Do have a good on boarding process!!
That’s it! Some you may agree with and some you won’t, but I honestly feel that giving these points due consideration will result in more successful and long-term recruits.
Thornton Legal is a leading recruitment agency, working in private practice across Merseyside, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, West Yorkshire and the West Midlands. Main locations include Liverpool, Chester, Preston, Manchester, Leeds, Shropshire and the surrounding areas. At Thornton Legal we work with partners, solicitors, paralegals and legal assistants across a range of practice areas including (but not exclusively) corporate, commercial property, employment, litigation, private client, family and residential conveyancing.
