Can one recruitment company save another’s recruitment?

If recruitment does not go as smoothly as expected, you need to look for reasons. It is the recruitment company that runs the process that is best placed to identify why the recruitment is not successful. In any case, the final decision on how to proceed with the recruitment process must be taken by the employer. The most difficult question then becomes one of finding another recruitment firm – can another recruitment firm help where the existing partner is already stuck? This question can be answered by an assessment of the existing recruitment firm, which is not difficult to carry out. There are 4 key questions to answer:

1.Does the recruitment firm itself identify that the recruitment process is not going according to plan?

If the recruitment firm does not self-identify that the recruitment process is not going well, then this indicates either a different perception of a good outcome on both sides or a misjudgement on the part of the recruitment firm. There is usually nothing wrong if the recruitment firm itself identifies that the candidate pool is low. If the problem is understood by the recruiter, then it can be solved and both sides have the same interest here. However, if the recruiter does not see the problem in the poor quality of the recruitment process, then it is definitely worth looking for another partner.

2.Does the recruitment company itself suggest ways to turn the recruitment process around?

If the recruitment process is not running smoothly enough, the recruitment company must actively suggest ways to remedy the situation. If the client has to initiate change or urge the recruitment company to find a solution, the process is likely to result in a non-selected employee. The recruitment firm must look for all possible ways to improve the recruitment process, must consult with the client and must proactively suggest alternatives if conventional methods do not work. A recruitment company that does not perform the service properly and yet has to be encouraged to look at other ways of performing the service really needs to change.

3.Does the recruitment agency report on the work carried out?

It is difficult to evaluate the service of a recruitment company if it does not provide the client with reports on the work carried out. It is the reports that give an idea of how much effort has been put into the direct search, how many candidates are on the long list, how many have been interviewed, etc. A report can show both that the recruitment company has done all it can and that the recruitment partner has not yet exhausted all its resources. If it is only a matter of time before the recruitment company has exhausted all its resources, then it is worth waiting. If it is apparent that resources are not being used and work is slow, then you should think about finding another recruitment agency.

4.Does the recruitment partner have a recruitment project plan?

To assess whether the recruitment plan is in place, the plan needs to be identified before the recruitment process starts. The plan may include the deadline for the submission of candidates, the potential number of candidates, the deadline for the submission of the first candidates, the size of the long list of candidates, etc. Having such a plan makes it easier for the employer to follow the recruitment process as it already knows what to expect and when. If the recruitment company does not have a plan or if the plan keeps changing, a change of partner should be considered, as this is a sign of inadequate preparation and an unstructured recruitment process.