When you’re working with a recruiting firm, there are a few things to keep in mind:
An outside recruiter may not understand your business or role to the level you’d expect from retained search (this is not always the recruiters fault as a client working with many recruiters may not give in depth briefs). Some agencies may not even tell the candidate who they are interviewing with until the night before. Be prepared to explain your company and the position to these candidates who haven’t had time to prepare. Brimstone always give detail on the role and firm at approach.
Recruiters often specialise, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be able to provide you excellent candidates. Just because a firm is focused on accounting doesn’t mean we can’t find you a good HR person. But you should expect a faster and response in niche areas.
It’s important to be very clear with the recruiter what you want and what you don’t want in a candidate. If you aren’t willing to consider a candidate who doesn’t have a university degree, be upfront about it. If you only want candidates who have a particular professional qualification (such as ACA) or who have worked in a specific market like Capital Markets, state it clearly. Giving the recruiter as much information as you can at the start of the recruiting process will save everyone a lot of time.
