Looking for a Recruiting Partner? Consider These Four Things

1) Seniority of Hire

Recruiting firms often fall along a spectrum, with agencies specializing in filling junior positions at one end and firms filling executive roles at the other. Firms like ECA Partners, Korn Ferry, and Robert Half fill numerous executive roles and are good places to start if the position you are filling comes with a six-figure salary.
In addition, executive search firms are more likely to be retained (charging all or a portion of the placement fee upfront), whereas agencies that fill sub ~$150K positions are more likely to charge a fee upon placement (contingent).
The retained firms take a white-glove approach and act as a thought partner to your internal hiring manager. This is helpful when trying to attract and land an all-start for a VP or above position. For junior candidates, you likely do not need that much horsepower and will be able to land a strong candidate (and save some money) by partnering with a contingent firm.

2) Number of hires

If you need to fill several roles, consider hiring a firm that specializes in Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO). They can handle all or a portion of your hiring needs and are often more cost-effective than building out an internal hiring team. TalentCompass offers a subscription model that has more contract flexibility than many traditional RPOs and is efficient at hiring several engineers, data analysts, or associates quickly.

3) Method

When speaking with potential recruiting partners, ask about how they plan to find the candidate you are asking for. Traditionally, search firms have relied on a Rolodex of contacts that they have built up over the years. This can help a search get off the ground quickly, but the pool of candidates will run dry in a few weeks or months, depending on the role and the size of the Rolodex.

We find that an evidence-based and data-driven approach is the most effective, in terms of both speed and quality. The Rolodex is helpful, but your hiring partner should be nimble and able to find new candidates that they are not already connected with.

Look to the research the firms you are considering have conducted. Books and articles written by members of the firm will help you recognize companies that are innovative and able to adapt to an ever-changing job market. These firms offer the best chance of filling your open positions.

4) Reputation

All companies should want to attract the best talent possible. If a recruiting firm has a reputation for ghosting candidates or wasting their time, it will be tough for that firm to get candidates to even take a meeting. Your candidates’ first point of contact will be with the recruiting partner you choose, so you want to make sure you are choosing one that will initiate a positive candidate experience and carry that through the interview process. This gives you the best chance of having your favorite candidate make it to the final round of interviews and accept the position when it is offered.

Steven Haug, Ph.D. is a Project Manager of ECA Partners. You can reach him at [email protected]