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How to choose the right recruitment organisation

By Recruit IT Solutions
Johannesburg, 04 Oct 2010

Recruitment organisations exist to help companies achieve their long-term business goals and help candidates achieve their long-term career goals. It is therefore crucial to find the right recruitment organisation to effectively fill your needs.

How does one find a recruitment organisation that would add value to your application or comprise specialists that have valuable industry knowledge to help find your company the best human resources on the market?

Firstly, choose a specialist organisation comprising professional consultants, who have experience working in your area of expertise. You need to work with consultants who understand industry specifics and the skill-sets needed to fulfil a role. This would ultimately save time and money by presenting qualified candidates to an organisation, thereby reducing the risk of mismatched skill-sets and fall-offs. Candice Wiskin, Recruitment Consultant at RecruitMI, says: “Make sure you're dealing with a recruiter who understands your cultural and organisational environment and who is able to source the best skills available for a specific vacancy.”

Secondly, work with organisations and consultants who have a good reputation within the industry. “You can do this by asking for references and testimonials from the agency or other companies in the industry,” says Wiskin. Additionally, assess whether the consultant has sufficient market-related knowledge and demonstrates a genuine interest in your company, regarding both technicalities and company culture. You need to accurately evaluate the recruitment organisation on the above, as they will represent you as a candidate or be a brand ambassador for your company.

Thirdly, it is important to understand a recruitment organisation's methodologies. This helps to differentiate organisations and helps one to select an agency that would add the most value to their recruitment endeavours. One should identify the following in an agency:

* Do they present candidate's CVs in hard copy, to ensure the CV is presented to the correct decision-maker?
* If an agency interviews candidates face-to-face, how thorough is their candidate screening process?
* Do they meet with clients face-to-face to gain a comprehensive understanding of their company and job at hand?
* Do they have a short but effective turnaround time to fulfil their clients' recruitment needs and secure the best human resources available on the market?

Lastly, says Wiskin: “One should select an organisation that can offer you the best representation and who would assist you in your future career development and recruitment needs.” This can be assessed by continuous and regular communication. If your chosen agency required your supporting documentation and additional necessary information in the beginning of the recruitment process, they would most likely still have your details on record, making it easier to assist you with further career advancements in future. Receiving the best representation includes working closely with an agency which also requires commitment and honesty from clients and candidates.

In conclusion, when choosing a recruitment organisation, assess the above points and decide whether the agency would ultimately help you achieve your business or career goals. As a client, you need to understand their offering in terms of value-added advisory and consultancy services and solutions. Are they able to reach and present the best and most suitable candidates on the market? Thereby saving you time and money throughout the entire recruitment process? Says Candice: “Selecting the right recruitment organisation can be as influential on your career as your choice of companies to work for.” Therefore, make sure it's a solid, reputable company so that you have access to the best options possible for your career.

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Editorial contacts

Candice Wiskin
Recruit IT Solutions
(+27) 11 465 3360
Candice@recruitmi.co.za