When you begin the hiring process to fill a position at your company, partnering with a recruiting firm can help you keep your focus on daily operations while your partner works to find the best talent to fill open positions. However, placing your trust in a recruiting firm isn’t always easy. If you don’t feel like you’re seeing talent at the caliber you need or you feel like your needs aren’t being met, it can often feel easier to place the hiring burden on yourself instead.

However, each recruiting firm’s values and practices can vary, meaning that finding the right partner for your search is possible. So, how do you choose the right recruitment or staffing firm to partner with? Ask yourself these questions:

Do they listen to you?

Many organizations may experience the type of recruiter who simply launches into a search without first learning more about your company. When hiring new staff, it is crucial that your partner takes the time to understand more than just the job description and list of qualifications. While understanding the job on paper is important, learning more about an employer’s preferences, their team, and how their business operates can shed new light on who may be the best fit for a particular role. When you work with an experienced recruiter who knows how to gather this information before starting their search, this can take some of the pressure off of hiring decision makers. And as a result of this extra effort on behalf of the recruiter, you’ll most likely get higher quality candidates in the door.

Do they assist you with every step of the process?

Not only is it important to partner with someone who can find you the right candidates, but also someone who is there to help you every step of the way. This could mean that your recruiting firm partner assists with writing job descriptions, speeding up the credentialing process, or even offers advice on your interviewing technique. When you find a partner who offers you more than just the bare minimum in the hiring process, it can make all the difference to your company’s long-term success.

Do they understand your company culture?

A critical element of hiring the right candidate is finding someone who fits seamlessly within the company culture—and partnering with a recruiter who can grasp your organization’s culture can eliminate some poor candidates during the search. If your culture heavily emphasizes teamwork, an overly competitive person may not be a good addition to the team. While a person may be experienced on paper, a recruiter who understands personal dynamics can help you find a professional who has values and priorities that align with the company’s mission.

Are they established in your industry?

When partnering with a recruitment or staffing firm, it is important that you find a firm who has a successful track record in your industry. This success not only means that they understand more about what you need from a new hire, but it also means that they are well-connected in your field. Working with so many candidates, both passive and actively looking, a firm that specializes in your field has several recruiters with access to a pool of candidates. This can not only help you fill your position quickly, but you’ll gain access to talented professionals – some of whom were not actively looking for a job.

Are they an expert in your industry?

In addition to finding a firm who has established relationships with top professionals in the field, working with a recruiter who is an expert in your field is critical to your success. Each industry has its unique roles, specialties and skill sets that a recruiter must be able to identify properly. Rather than simply checking off boxes of required skill sets, a recruiter who has experience hiring in the industry (or has even worked in the industry before) can better understand the nuances in each company and each professional. This expertise will help them understand which skills are the most crucial versus which skills are trainable. In understanding details like this, there is less back and forth between you and your recruiter, and you’re more likely to find the right fit for your organization.

Interested in learning more about how The Execu|Search Group finds distinguished talent and builds lasting partnerships? Contact us!