Time to Open Up! Why You Need to Be Honest with Your Staffing Partner

By Jezabel Southard

Posted on April 30, 2013

Being open and honest with your staffing partner is one of the best things a company can do in order to recruit the talent they need – yet many companies hold information back.  Why?

Often, it’s not the result of fear or mistrust, but an honest mistake.  Hiring managers provide the information they think their staffing partner needs to find good candidates. When the details seem superfluous or like they can’t possibly make a difference, hiring managers don’t bother sending them along, even when from the recruiter’s perspective, those details have value.  Far from being “pointless,” opening up to a staffing partner puts a company in a great position to find and keep their ideal candidate.

How can you avoid making this mistake with your own staffing partner?  Consider these tips:

• Be straightforward.  It’s tempting to think of a staffing partner as a basic problem solver; you ask for candidates, the recruiter provides them. Although staffing firms do a lot of the heavy lifting involved in finding top candidates, they do their best work when they have a clear understanding of what your company wants to see.  Go beyond merely providing a job description to describe the company culture surrounding the open position and the type of personality you believe would be ideally successful in the job.
• Provide plenty of information.  Keep your staffing partner updated regularly about the positions and candidates you have in mind. For instance, if you realize during a planning meeting that top candidates should have the flexibility to weather upcoming changes in the company, let your staffing partner know. These tips help your staffing partner seek candidates more effectively and efficiently, improving the chances you’ll get exactly the person you need in a shorter period of time.
• Think partnership.  Your staffing partner is just that: a partner.  Don’t hesitate to ask questions or seek help outside of the core candidate-finding task.  When you and your staffing partner share information and collaborate, ideal hires are more likely to float to the top of your candidate stack.
• Don’t be afraid to evaluate.  Getting the most from your staffing partner means working together and opening up – but don’t be afraid to expect results from this process, either.  Your staffing partner should be able to use the information you provide to suggest a stronger pool of candidates. If you’re feeding your recruiter more information but aren’t getting more quality candidates as a result, you may want to consider building a relationship with another staffing firm.
  

For a staffing partnership that gets results, consider TERRA Staffing.  We are dedicated to building lasting relationships with clients to ensure a “Right Fit” every time. Contact us today to learn more about our staffing services!

Categories: HR and Management Advice, Staffing Tips & Recruiting Trends

Tags: being honest with your recruiter, being honest with your staffing partner, keys to working with a recruiter, leading staffing agencies Seattle WA, seattle WA staffing agencies, staffing partners seattle wa, staffing specialists seattle WA, tips for working with a staffing firm, working with a staffing firm

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