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Changing Faces, Changing Places |
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 Major appointments in the leasing market over the past quarter will make Spring 2006 an interesting time according to Andrew Mitchell of financial recruitment specialists Opus Mitchell. He explains the likely issues and challenges for recruiters and candidates alike and offers some suggestions for a better way to handle the process.
Changes of personnel at senior level stand to make the coming year a time of insecurity, anxiety and frustration for many people in the leasing world. This will result from the effect of top level appointments rippling down through each organisation to mean a change of faces and potentially a raft of recruitment.
This should be a boom for recruitment agencies but it may well leave both the recruiting organisations and candidates with headaches and heartaches as the less specialised agencies make a mismatch of everyone’s interests. I certainly hear constant horror stories from both parties.
From a candidate perspective I often hear tales like the following:
“I sent my CV to XYZ Ltd and did not even receive a phone call before they sent me a letter rejecting me.”
“Smith Ltd forced me to go to interviews for jobs which were so junior I would not have considered them even 5 years ago.”
And recruiting organisations don’t have an easy time either, even though they’re paying the bill. The complaints I’ve heard range from the mundane to the appalling but the most common one goes something like this:
“I have been trying to fill a Senior Management vacancy for 6 months. The agency has swamped me with poor CVs. The candidates I have interviewed have been poorly prepared and some did not even know what job they were being interviewed for. I could have done a better job myself.”
Sound familiar?
Over the years I have worked in both finance and recruitment I have heard many such reports from both candidates and clients. It would appear that the recruitment agent is public enemy number one and responsible for this melee. But are they?
Three sides to the story
In some cases certainly agencies that lack the specialist knowledge about the leasing market are responsible for some dubious service. But often poor communication, insufficient preparation and a lack of transparency by all parties is to blame.
Recruiters commonly use several agencies in a search, believing that the competition and many hands approach will result in the best possible shortlist. This means they have multiple agents to manage and often communication suffers as a result – potentially leaving agents lacking information and candidates in the limbo of doubt. I’ve been asked to recruit for positions without a job description or candidate specification. It makes the matching process much less effective if critical information isn’t available and can mean moving goalposts during the process.
And all too often candidates lack a candid or loyal relationship with their representing agent. Trying to enhance your image is understandable but twisting the truth will ultimately fail you. The more accurate and specific the information you provide the more accurate and specific the search for your next appointment.
Registering with multiple agents may seem like backing many horses but this may result in you being put forward for the same job several times. The client may sense some desperation on your part and the agents will quickly lose interest thanks to your lack of honesty and loyalty.
A less painful process
From both the candidate’s and client’s perspective the recruitment process can be daunting, stressful, confusing and unnecessarily complicated. However with the right relationship, with respect to and from a specialist recruiter that really knows the market the experience can be effective, efficient and enjoyable.
At the end of the day we all have the same goal – securing the best appointment.
In order to get the best out of the recruitment partnership it’s in the best of interest of the hiring company and candidate to co-operate closely with the agent of their choice. A recruiter will give qualitative detail about a client as long as they have received accurate information. A well-prepared candidate will have a detailed CV that reflects their experience in previous roles as well as a personal profile detailing what they are looking for.
From an HR perspective having a detailed specification identifying responsibilities, competencies, qualifications and expectations will ensure the recruiting agent is fully equipped to find the perfect candidate.
Be open and honest about the candidates you are about to shortlist. Be upfront with where you are in the decision making process in particular with internal candidates.
The best candidates are placed very quickly. As a hot candidate you must be prepared to act quickly and accept the role if you think it is perfect. Similarly if you are recruiting be ready to progress swiftly. Either way it is important to demonstrate a sense of urgency to reflect the value of the appointment.
As a candidate be open and honest with your recruiter in terms of why you want to leave your present role and also about what role you are really after. Be realistic. Also let the agency know about other roles you are exploring.
As in any partnership it is important to be honest and as communicative as possible. Be loyal. Rather than using multiple agents spend some time selecting the right agent to represent you. Invest your time in the recruitment relationship to make it work to your best advantage.
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