The recruitment process is all too often slow and expensive – two words which strike fear into the heart of any business wanting to undergo a transformation. Outsourcing your hiring to a recruitment agency promises to alleviate these problems, but there are a lot of things to consider before making this jump.

Choosing the right partner for your business is of paramount importance, as an incorrect fit could prove pricier and more painful than you first expect. Spending a bit of time assessing the costs and benefits of an agency could pay dividends in the long run and result in a process with fewer hiccups, less time wasted and less money spent. Here are some of the things you should look for when selecting a partner.

They listen to your needs

Let’s face it, some recruiters are just interested in filling a position, collecting their fee and disappearing off the face of the Earth. This inevitably ends in a sub-par candidate being pushed through the process, leaving you with a new hire who may be ill-equipped for the responsibilities of their role.

It’s obvious that your recruitment partner should be listening to you at every step of the process. After all, you know your business needs better than them. Every transformation programme faces specific challenges, so the recruiter should invest a lot of time into ensuring they have a thorough understanding of your business, your portfolio of programmes and your resource requirements over the short and long term. Without this, they are destined to fail. An amateur recruiter may talk over you in an attempt to exude confidence and show that they know what they’re talking about. This is a red flag – an experienced recruiter will have learned that they need to give you the chance to speak if they are to learn how to best serve your business.

A good partner will be just that – a partner. It is simply unfeasible for the right person to be placed in the role without you and the recruiter first developing a strong relationship built on mutual trust. That mutual trust is immediately broken when the recruiter is obviously just trying to fill a spot without the care and attention this process requires. We value honesty at Deltra, and this has proved to be invaluable in crafting long-term bonds that ensure repeat placements, contract extensions and all-round greater success.

They have a well-developed network

How many connections does the agency have? What is the strength of those connections? These are some initial questions you should be asking a prospective partner. We all know that things move fast in the business world – having a strong base of candidates already in the pipeline can be a huge help when it comes to finding the perfect person quickly. Did you know that 57% of job seekers lose interest if the hiring process is too long? With that in mind, you can see how finding candidates from scratch will unnecessarily slow down the process and may cause you to miss out on those top, in-demand professionals.

Consider also the niches which they operate in. You’ll need a recruiter with a deep knowledge of your sector so that they can anticipate your needs better. Picking a partner that has experience in your area is priceless as they’ll likely have access to high-calibre professionals with specific skillsets. If not, they’ll definitely know how to find these people and will avoid connecting you with generalists who would need more handholding in the role.

Trust us, if your partner has nurtured good long-term relationships with candidates to build a strong network of high-level business change specialists, you will save yourself time, money and a whole lot of frustration.

They can mobilise suitable candidates quickly

Businesses need to stay flexible in order to remain competitive. Sometimes, change is imperative, and a strategy must be developed and implemented as quickly as possible, but you just don’t have the knowhow or capability internally.

In these common instances, finding a specialist who can join the business is of the utmost importance and the business cannot afford to be waiting around for the recruiter to find someone suitable while competitors capitalise on the latest developments. A quick turnaround from your first meeting with a recruiter to placing a highly skilled person in the role should be prioritised.

Speed, in this case, is a virtue, but the right recruitment partner for your business transformation will give joint importance to the speed of the placement and the quality of the candidate. This will be easier if they have the well-developed network that was mentioned earlier, but also depends on the principles that the agency proclaims to hold dear.

They have strong values and high standards

If your recruitment partner displays all of the above, your needs should be adequately taken care of, but what you should really look out for are the values of the agency. Identifying and steering clear of the dreaded “cowboy recruiter” is a must. Instead, opt for a partner that holds honesty and trust in high regard and aren’t merely out to make a quick buck.

63% of job seekers will likely reject a job offer because of a bad candidate experience. This should be a worrying statistic if you’re considering handing over your business transformation and change recruitment to an outside body. Choose wrong and not only could you receive unsuitable placements, wasting your valuable time and money, but their unsavoury attitude will reflect badly on your company.

Go for a partner that respects your time and aims to find a good match first and foremost. They will attract top-quality people who can bring real value to your business. Once you’ve found someone that you can trust, they can keep finding people to join your business for as long as you need them to.