Searching For A Recruitment Firm? You Should Consider These Important Factors First

Factors to Consider While Searching For A Recruitment Firm:

Go Local

Some recruitment firms provide services in specific locations, and not nationwide. The advantage to this is that they will be familiar with the community, culture, and needs of a specific community which can provide higher quality and faster results.

Be Industry Specific

It can be to your advantage to hire a recruitment firm that specializes in the field your searching. For example, if you want to hire a Leverage Finance Managing Director, it’s best to work with a firm that specializes in Banking & Finance. By using a specialized firm, you will be able to take advantage of their relationships, networking and history in that specific industry.

You can also be more specific within the industry you’re searching for by considering the following:

• Specific roles: if you’re looking for a marketing expert with experience in fundraising, then you will want to consider a firm with a focus in the fundraising arena. This will make your search much more effective and yield results that may have been harder to discover otherwise.

Executive vs. General

Some firms specialize specifically in high-level and executive recruitment, while others have a more general focus. It is recommended to find a firm that can search within the level you’re seeking.

Read The Small Print

Different recruitment firms will work in different ways.

Exclusive Agreement:

Requires you work with one firm and one firm only. Advantage: they will likely work harder as they are your sole resource and lead.

Multiple Firm Agreement:

Working with multiple firms on one job search means you have more people working to find your candidates, but it does not guarantee total focus.

The Search Process

You should familiarize yourself with the fees involved in finding the right headhunter or recruiting service. The different types of engagement (or payment) agreements include:

• Contingency Fee: With a contingency fee agreement, you will pay only once a candidate has been successful found and hired. Usually this fee comes from the salary of the new employee.
• Retainer Fee: With a retainer fee, you are required to pay the headhunter or recruitment service upfront for their work. The downside? They may not yield the results you’re looking for. We recommend asking for a guarantee, if they company does not deliver- you will want to receive a refund.

What To Look For

Be sure to inquire about a recruitment firm’s search message. Do they simply post on job boards? Or do they use contacts, networking and proactively seek out potential candidates? Which method the firm adopts can be dependent on the specific job, so don’t forget to ask.

Follow Up

Some firms provide service even once the position has been filled. This means they will follow up both with employer and employee to check in that everything is running smoothly with the placement. This is a great service, helpful to all involved.

Do Your Research

Everything online today has reviews, and recruitment firms and headhunters are no exception. Once you narrow down your list to a couple of firms, be sure to check around for reviews and testimonials. A good place to check for this is LinkedIn and recruitment forums, like this one.

Make Your Search Easy

To simplify your life and to save time, you may want to consider using an online database like Recruiters LineUp. Recruiters LineUp specializes in helping companies with very particular hiring needs, and we aim to make your search easier and more effective. You can use our free search tool to find a recruiting firm by specialty, location, type of firm, type of jobs handled, and geographical location. After you completing the form, just sit back and let us contact you with a list of potential matches.