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SELECTING THE BEST RECRUITMENT AGENCY TO WORK FOR YOU.
Finding talented people is one of the most important things you can do as a business. Talented people are truly hard to find, and it is imperative for every organisation to get it right.
For most organisations, the best way to gain access to a very wide database of talented people is to work with a recruitment agency that will typically do the initial talent sourcing and refer qualified people for you to choose from.
In this article, I provide you with details on how to select the best recruitment agency to work for you.
Specialisation
Every role has requirements and specifications which can be drawn out through a proper Job analysis. A thorough Job analysis will determine what special skills are required to handle the role effectively.
If the role profile requires a specific specialisation, it is best to choose an agency with expertise in recruiting for that field. Some agencies specialise in specific fields i.e. Oil and Gas, Manufacturing, Executive Level Search etc. It is better to find and choose an organisation that has experience recruiting for that type of role.
If you have a wide range of positions to fill, you might consider a recruiting agency that has competence in recruiting for different roles at the same time, these recruiting agencies have consultants with expertise and specialization in hiring for specific areas. All of their consultants will bring their skills to bear in identifying the right set of candidates for you.
Methodology and Approach.
A good recruitment agency must have a proven approach and methodology for executing each recruitment project. Ensure you inquire about the process and strategies that the agency uses in recruiting. How are they sourcing candidates? Which talent database are they going to rely on etc.? A good recruitment agency must be clear on its approach.
Some recruitment agencies use different testing methods-aptitude tests, pre-screening tests, culture affinity tests, psychometric tests and a host of other candidate verification processes to ensure that selected applicants possess the required skills on their resumes. If at any point you feel that the agency’s hiring strategies will not yield the right results, then you need to continue with your search process and work to identify the right agency with the right approach and methodology for executing your recruitment project.
Reputation and Reference.
A good recruitment agency must have reliable clients and a list of clients willing to vouch for their work. These clients must be willing to provide references for the work they do. A good agency must have a large client base that can be drawn from different industries, some multinationals, some local players etc.
Each recruitment agency boasts of offering high-quality outsourcing, recruitment services and reliable HR consulting services, and one of the ways to be sure of these claims is through the agency’s client base. An agency must have a set of clients who have been loyal to them from its inception and these clients must be willing to speak for them and provide information on its services. This is a sure way for trusting the agency’s services.
Customer service.
As an agency’s potential client, you should receive superior service right at the beginning of your interaction with the agency. Superior customer service entails emails being responded to on time, getting answers to all of your questions, agency staff being available and on time for meetings and finally, agency staff being very cordial and technically competent in explaining their work. A potential client should receive the best customer service even as the agency briefs you on their services. The agency should ensure that they maintain frequent communication, updating and involving you in each step of the hiring process.
Ghana HR Solutions, for instance, has a way to ensure that agencies are constantly updated on how their recruitment projects are going, through our weekly reporting, where we assign a consultant as a project manager for each project. This manager provides the client with details on the Ghana HR Solutions recruitment approach and methodology right from the onset until the completion of the project. A project manager keeps the client updated and offers support to the client 24/7 answering any questions that the client may have. We also place a guarantee on all of the candidates supplied by us.
A good recruitment agency must have good superior customer service and this must be felt right at the beginning of the relationship. A Ghanaian Akan proverb says “agro beso a, efri anopa” to wit “it is possible to know the outcome of things right from the beginning…”
Terms and Conditions.
An agency must be able to demonstrate flexibility in its terms and conditions. Nothing is cast in stone, and an agency’s terms and conditions must be flexible. An agency must demonstrate flexibility right at the initial interaction. For instance, will an agency be willing to take half a retainer to prove themselves? Are they willing to change their terms and conditions to suit client expectations? Agencies must not be rigid; they must be creative in their work and be willing to bend their rules to support good relationships. A rigid agency will not go out of its way to find your firm the best talents. Agencies must be willing to use every trick in the book to attract talent and this requires creativity and flexibility.
Network
An agency must have an extensive network that can reach and source candidates from a large pool that cannot easily be accessed by anybody. Agencies must be properly networked, and have access to a wide range of job boards- online, publications, other agencies’ databases etc and their means for attracting talents should not come at an extra cost to you the client.
You need to enquire about the agency and their reach, do they have a national presence, whether they can recruit in all of the regions, and how will they attract qualified candidates to apply for your vacancies.
One good approach is to inquire about the areas the agency has recruited for previously. A recruitment agency with a global reach is likely to have a very large talent pool from different countries that can add great value to your organisation by properly attracting the best talents and screening them effectively for your benefit
ABOUT AUTHOR
Michael Kuma Avuglah is a Human Resources Management professional. He is the Chief Operations Officer of Ghana HR Solutions http://ghanahrsolutions.com/old a Ghanaian Human Resource and Recruitment Agency with services in recruitment and organisational training and development. Ghana HR prides itself on having the employment strategies, a wide range of options and resources needed to recruit professional talent on demand.
At Ghana HR Solutions, we help your company find, train, develop and engage your people, with world-class human resource Solutions. We are known to work tirelessly with individuals, teams and organizations to increase performance and realize true potential. Ghana HR Solutions also provides Payroll and Staff Management Services.