Companies…don’t fear retaining your recruiters. You might be astonished at the results!

I attended an industry event a few weeks ago and did the usual meet and greet routine.

Me:      Hi there, how is the event going this year?

Client: Pretty good actually. Had lots of interest and secured quite a few orders.

Me:      That’s terrific. I guess you will be needing a few more people to sell it in the UK then?

Client: As a matter of fact, yes. I am looking to recruit a Sales Manager for the UK, to build on this event’s success. Can you recommend anyone?

Me:      Yes, of course. We have a number of candidates who not only are capable of doing the role, but they would also be extremely interested in this opportunity.

Client:  Great. How much do you cost?

Me:      That depends on the service you would like to receive. How do you normally work with external recruiters?

Client:  I normally send the brief and then get lots of CVs thrown at me. Perhaps one or if I’m lucky, two are ok, but find the method a bit spray and prey to be honest with you.

Me:      Have you considered retaining a recruiter, to work exclusively on your vacancy?

He looked at me as if I had delivered extremely frightening news. Here lies the misconception. When recruiters talk about retainers to clients, most do so without conviction. This lack of conviction is usually down to the reaction they received when daring to ask the question that seems to make clients tremble the most. But what is that evokes such a reaction?

What is a retainer really doing to scare companies to committing to it? The most frequent response will usually be financial, but I think this is just a deflection from the real truth, trust. Asking a client to retain your services should be an obvious request, but not before you have built a relationship and this is predominantly based upon trust. If we as recruiters do not demonstrate that we can truly deliver on a project, then why would anyone in their right mind part with money on sheer good faith alone?

There are a number of different approaches to resolve any financial obstacles thrown our way.  The important part is letting the client know that they are effectively buying your time. The best recruitment campaigns I have worked on, have been built of the back of a face to face meeting, building rapport, understanding the culture and dynamics of the business and then finally setting a course for the commencing work you will provide on their behalf. Retainers, commonly thought as risk taking, expensive ventures are usually not so. I say usually as there are always exceptions to the rule! Retainers are about working in partnership towards a common goal, in order to attract, retain and place the best possible candidate, not just from a quick CV search and a brief chat.  Formulate a real in depth knowledge of both candidate and cultural fit for your client, set realistic goals and timelines, take control of the process, deliver what you say you would from the outset and you will build a reputation for quality and delivery. In the future, clients will want to buy your time, rather than you having to ask them to do so.

Please read my next blog on the benefits of retained recruitment campaigns.