Similar to placing a rioter in a risk analysis company, both deal with damage but from two opposing perspectives. Surely the lack of a holistic approach from recruiters has cost implications?
Without doing the necessary legwork recruiters don't ascertain or they ignore the necessary factors in making a successful placement. Agencies that fall short of making a good match give the rest of the industry a negative stigma. The result from making this type of unstable placement means the consequences affect the employer's budget and productivity which it seems is overlooked by many recruiters. This drop in standards can often leave many clients and candidates unsure where to turn to get the job done on all accounts.
To the candidate recruiting can be a frustrating and demoralising process as they may never meet their recruitment consultant who gains no sense of character beyond their list of qualifications. Without the proper consultation candidates are often thrown some brief company information and packed off to attempt their interview.
After a few improperly arranged interviews a candidate may become despondent as their confidence ebbs away to the point that they question their ability to get work at all.
Are recruiters too desperate to meet targets that they disregard customer service? It seems that way for many and makes no sense in this recession. Customer service is surely more important in the long run in the hope that an employer may use a recruiter as a preferred supplier, creating a far better business opportunity for the recruiter in the future.
Screening measures ensure neither the client nor candidate finds that their time has been wasted.
So often at the interview stage it all boils down to the right attitude. Recruiters should recognise the needs of their clients when assessing potential candidates offering quality rather than quantity. Chaotic approaches cause a general decrease in productivity. At the end of the day employers want a team of people with a similar mind-set working to a shared ethos.
Nadia Manders (pictured), MD, Ainsley Morgan
