HR and its relationships with recruitment agencies – it’s like a box of chocolates: when you agree to work with one, you are never quite sure what you’re gonna get…
It can end up being a box of tricks. Agencies promise to pull rabbits out of the hat, but all you’re left with is smoke and mirrors.
Agency spells come in a variety of guises; here are some common ones…
The Rate Dropper… When an agency slashes its “standard rate” in seconds to get on your PSL, think how many other companies they’re doing this for… and the likely quality of service, as a result.
The Advert ‘Partnership’… The agency promises to ‘rewrite’ your job advert, sprinkled with keyword and algorithm magic. Can it really be a £££ improvement on your advert if they haven’t asked you any extra questions?
The Database Delivery… ‘Tens of thousands of candidates’, ‘CVs ready to send’ etc. It means nothing if the majority haven’t been spoken to in years. No database is a solution in waiting – when the agency doesn’t show how they’d seek to understand your hiring problem.
HR is often put under pressure to ‘bring the market’ – but a quality recruitment strategy isn’t a numbers game.
