Recruitment for most is a necessary evil. Typically you can’t find what you’re looking for. Hiring a new resource is time consuming and there is no guarantee that things will work out. Building a business case to justify a recruitment effort is difficult. Risk management such as references and psychometric assessments can be subjective. Dealing with incompetent internal/external recruiters can be a nightmare and at the end of the day humans can be unpredictable.

It’s in our nature to avoid telling people the ugly truth, deflect blame, avoid conflict and to take the path of least resistance. Over the years this behavior has negatively impacted the entire recruitment industry. Upon reflection I thought it would be useful to highlight a few key points to help people better understand recruitment.

First, find the right recruiter. Just like anything in life, shop around, ask for referrals and compare your options. Avoid going to generalist recruiters when looking for someone very specialised and be prepared to spend some quality time with shortlisted recruiters. Once you find the right one it is best to be blunt, honest and open with expectations. Forming a solid business partnership overtime will save you the hassle of bringing new recruiters up to speed.

Second, understand the recruitment process. The right recruiter should be able to simply explain the recruitment journey. Typically this would include a discussion around position requirements/logistics, recruitment options (temp, contract or perm), preferred methodology (interviews, assessments etc.), recruitment challenges, time frames and terms of business.

Third, finding the right candidate. An experienced recruiter should spend a vast amount of time networking with candidates. After asking the right questions and understanding your requirements they should be able to leverage their network and provide you with one to three qualified options relatively quickly. A good network is developed over time and built on the recruiter’s personal brand. This includes networking events, industry community involvement, referrals and other typical recruitment portals (LinkedIn).

Fourth, understanding the effort that goes into recruitment. I find that this is commonly overlooked. There have been numerous occasions when the right candidate is quickly introduced to a client and they can’t seem to reconcile the associated recruitment fee. The right recruiter has invested the time to make your search easier. This includes telephone screening, face-to-face meetings and on-going communications. Once the introduction has been made interviews, assessment tests and references need to be organised and completed. This process can be drawn out and typically all this is done on a contingent basis. No one candidate is the same, competition is fierce and their employment situation is constantly evolving. Therefore it is important to know available candidates in advance and actively present them to potential employers.

Recruitment is not an exact science and people are going to get into the business for the wrong reasons. Understanding the recruitment industry can help you spot the liars and thieves. Of course complications are unavoidable. Competition, budget adjustments, delayed projects and people can simply change their mind at any stage of the process. I have found it very rewarding to build my knowledge around the Salesforce platform. This has allowed me to partner with many clients through each stage of their Salesforce journey. Being an active part of the Salesforce ecosystem has introduced me to some fantastic people and has helped me become a better recruiter. If you would like to learn more about the Sydney Salesforce User Group or Talentforce please feel free to contact me.