Tag: recruitment agency

Recruitment Agency

Top reasons why you should use a recruitment agency

Posted on | by Excel Recruitment

Getting the best from a recruitment agency! Our Director of Grocery Retail Recruitment, Nikki Murran, shares her top reasons on why you should engage with a recruitment agency, instead of going it alone. 

I wrote an article last year listing the benefits of using a recruitment agency when adding to your retail team. A shameless plug you ask? Perhaps, but also, good information to know when you are deciding whether to engage with an agency or go it alone. 

Whilst the benefits are numerous, ranging from expert industry advice and employer branding, to access to wider talent pools and better value for money, some retailers have told me they are still hesitant to reach out to recruiters for support as they are unsure of the process or how best to proceed when dealing with a professional recruiter. So, this month, I have put together some information about how the recruitment process works and some tips to follow when you are using a recruitment agency.  

Look for experts specific to your industry – your regional manager or support office will usually offer recommendations. You want to make sure you are using a recruiter that understands the vacancies you have, the market and location you are recruiting for. They should also be open and honest about the climate of the current job market. A good recruiter should give you feedback about packages being offered by competitors for similar roles, give you a salary guide for your role in the market, and also be willing to work within the budgets that you have rather than push you into a salary band that isn’t feasible for your store. 

Agree terms – be sure to ask your recruiter about the costs involved, when they are due, and what sort of policy is in place for candidates who leave. Your recruiter should be transparent with all this information from the outset.  

Information is king – Share as much information as you can about the business, your store, your team, the role, the package, and the benefits on offer. This allows your recruiter to upsell your business to the best candidates on the market. The more information you give them, the more attractive your job becomes to prospective employees.  

Wish list – Be sure to provide your recruiter with a detailed wish list of the sort of candidate you require. Include everything from culture and soft skills that are important in your store to ideal systems you would like them to have used previously. It’s also worth ranking items on your “wish list.” 

Keep an open mind. I always explain to my retailers, any candidate I send you should be able to DO the job. By the time we have screened them, we are sure they are all capable so at this point it should just come down to “fit”, which means at the end of an interview day with my candidates you should feel like any of them could potential do the job, but you will likely have a preference for who you think will work best alongside you, your team and your customer base. Some CVs may look stronger than others, but by trusting your recruiter to understand your role, and meeting all of their candidates you will get a broader picture of the market and often times a candidate who doesn’t “jump out” from a CV – will have an X factor that you can only discover after an interview. There is a reason we put each candidate forward!  

Feedback, feedback, feedback. The more feedback you provide, the better partnership you can form with your recruiter. It’s the best way for them to understand what a great candidate looks like to you. Many of my clients register jobs and just ask me to put forward the 1 or 2 best candidates as they trust I know what they want.   

Partnership approach, look to your recruiter as one of your business partners. Most of our clients have been with us for over ten years and come to us for advice, a snapshot of the current market, feedback on the knock-on effects of new legislation, or to hear what other retailers are doing to combat shortages in the market – we can be a great business partner and the more we understand your business the more support we can offer.  

Communication: regardless of how your recruitment process is going communication is always key. By keeping in touch with your recruiter during the process you can make sure they are keeping your role active and adjusting your wish list as your business needs change  

Haste: most good recruiters are able to react swiftly to your recruitment requests. In the Grocery and wider retail market, this is especially important. Be sure to agree on a timeline from the outset with your recruiter. They should outline when you should expect the first CVs and, from there, when the first interviews should be expected. In today’s market, it’s imperative that you move through the process promptly or you risk losing candidates.  

Hopefully, this helps with your next hire! For more information call us on 01 814 8747 or email nikki@excelrecruitment.com. 

Sarah Hurley Excel Recruitment Retail Head Office Recruitment

How to work with your Recruiter to find your dream job

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

 

As a jobseeker, there can be certain factors to consider when using a recruitment company to help with your job search. Senior Consultant Sarah Hurley, explains how to get the best results whilst working with your recruitment consultant and what to expect throughout the process.

There can be misconceptions about working with your recruitment consultant and how agencies work. As Recruiters, our responsibility is two-fold. We align our candidate’s experience with our client’s requirements. As a Recruiter, our purpose is to join the dots between the candidate and the company, carefully matching the applicant’s skillset with what the client is looking for. Throughout my buying career, I had mixed experiences with recruiters (both here and in London) and now I’m on the other side, I can hopefully clarify the process and offer some tips to help you make the most of working with your Recruiter and hopefully find your dream job:

Research the Agency and Recruiter

Are they advertising roles in your industry? Are they a specialist agency? Who are their clients? When approaching an agency, you want a Recruiter who already has an understanding of what you do and what your next steps might be. This way you won’t have to waste time explaining the basics. Working with your recruitment consultant who has an in-depth knowledge of the industry and close relationships within it, should know which employers will suit you best, both career and company culture-wise.

Have an up-to-date and concise CV

I screen CVs quickly so it’s best to keep it focused and to the point (2 pages is ideal). You can always elaborate on your experience at interview stage. I often scroll through 3+ pages of a CV and still don’t know what candidates do! Be sure to include the correct dates, and if there are gaps, it’s no problem but do add a line explaining why. Taking time out for travel, kids, looking after a family member etc. is completely fine and can even be of an advantage to you and your potential employer – just don’t try and hide it!

Be realistic

Recruiters help match you with roles that you are qualified for and suited to within their clients’ business. As Recruiters, we advocate for improved salaries, packages and titles etc. on your behalf but you will need to have realistic expectations. Recruiters are tasked with finding the person that most closely fulfils their client’s wishlist and are rarely given the freedom to deviate from this. If you are looking to move into a completely new industry or don’t have the experience for the job you are applying to, there is probably little a Recruiter can do for you. If you’re looking for a €10k+ salary bump but the budget is only €5k more than you are currently on, or if you want the client to match your 30+ days of annual leave when their company policy is 25, you will need to manage your expectations and decide what you can and cannot be flexible on

Trust your Recruiter

Following on from this, as a Recruiter, we will work to get you the best package possible but if we think you are jeopardising your application by being unrealistic, we will tell you. It is a balancing act between getting the candidate what they are worth and also supporting the client’s brief and budget. As Recruiters, we always look for mutually beneficial outcomes for both parties. Clients will try to meet requests where they can, so trust your Recruiter’s expertise when they say a client has hit a ceiling with regard to the package.

Be honest and ask questions

Your relationship with your Recruiter should be a collaborative one. Don’t be afraid to ask questions such as, where your experience or salary sit in the market and what aspects of your CV or the interview you need help with. Be honest with your Consultant about any requirements you have, even if you think it’s minor. If you need flexibility around working hours for the first month of your new job (you could be finishing a course, your child minder could be away etc.) for example, tell your Recruiter at the application stage, so we can manage this on your behalf. That is just one of the advantages of using a Recruiter. They are able to relay your requirements to the client whilst at the same time, maintaining your value as a candidate. Confidentiality between the Recruiter and the candidate is paramount so don’t be concerned about being open regarding potential issues you may have.