Human labor is essential in every big organization. Quality labor will increase your workflow, reduce fatigue, and improve the quality of work done. You need individuals that are skilled and can work in a team. Having a perfect team that works well together is very important in any business. The nature of your workforce directly affects the productivity of your company. The organization profits and losses are determined by this same workforce.
A good work environment is dependent on several factors. How employees relate to one another is one of these factors, since that determines how employees work together and how much they like their environment. Therefore, you should evaluate every individual and their overall impact on the team’s environment.
The process of recruiting and hiring a competent workforce is often long, expensive, and tedious. The outcome of the long process is that most organizations prefer to outsource this task to recruitment agencies. These certain agencies specialize in advertising, screening and interviewing candidates.
They also have application tracking systems to handle applicant management. The tracking systems help the agencies with sorting applicants and shortlisting a few for interviews. It makes their process so efficient. If you plan on hiring an agency for your PR recruitment, you should consider the following:
1. Their curriculum vitae (CV) selection process
Before you settle on a single agency to handle your recruitment, get familiar with their CV selection process. The selection process includes how they sift through the volumes of applications sent, what software they use, and how they identify the relevant applicants.
The firm should also detail how they shortlist applicants before giving you their final list of prospects. You should also inquire if they handle reference verification, since most agencies do not prioritize this during recruitment.
The verification process is vital because you must ensure the information provided by the applicant is correct. However, this process is both costly and time-consuming. Hold negotiations with the agency and ensure that they can verify the references for you.
2. Their experience in the field
The core service of recruitment agencies is recruiting workers for companies. The agency makes money from working with multiple companies. Therefore it is unprofitable for agencies to specialize in just one field. Most agencies offering recruitment solutions prefer to operate in several fields at the same time.
Offering recruitment solutions in multiple fields comes with its challenges. One of the challenges is sorting candidates from different fields. To reduce costs and time spent on interviews, the agency has to create a generalized system for all the companies. Therefore, it is paramount to conduct research and identify which firms have enough experience in your industry.
It will help ensure that the agency knows what values and certifications a particular job requires. Hiring an experienced agency will increase the quality of the applicants that they submit to you. It may also ensure a faster process, since they are experienced and skilled.
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3. Whether they offer candidate training
The majority of enterprises would prefer if the hiring process also included the training of the candidates. However, it is not common for the recruitment agency to take it upon themselves to train shortlisted candidates.
Conduct your research and establish how much it costs to have each prospective agency recruit your candidates. Find out what type of training they conduct and how much they charge. Afterwards, decide if the training they offer is of any value to the candidate and your company. You should also evaluate the consequences of skipping the training process for your company.
4. Their refund policy
The end of the recruitment process is a satisfied employer with a competent employee. The employer expects the employee to work for the company for an extended period. However, this is not always the case. Some employees resign just 2 or 3 months after their employment period. In other instances, during their probation period, the employer determines that the employee does not fit the role.
When deciding on what agency to pick, consider what compensations they offer. The agency should compensate you if you deem their candidate unworthy. You can also inquire if they offer rebates. Having this information may help you minimize your losses and ensure the agency does a proper job while recruiting candidates.
You can also negotiate a better rebate if the existing policy does not work for you. If you agree, make sure you document the agreement and sign it.
5. Their payment plan
Most recruitment agencies charge their clients in two common ways: a retainer fee or a salary percentage fee. With the retainer option, you pay the agency a specified amount of money before the candidate begins working and the remainder as they work.
The most common approach is the salary percentage-based one. The agency gets a specified percentage of the starting salary of the candidate when the candidate begins working. If you fail to get a qualified candidate, the agency cannot demand payment.
It is important to consider the number of PR personnel you want to hire. The size of the team may affect the payment plan you require. However, do not cheap out on good firms that are expensive. A good workforce is an investment.
6. Their flexibility
It is crucial to ensure you get the best out of your recruitment agency. For this, you need an agency that will allow you to modify their recruitment operation. Making adjustments to their process may narrow the application scope to the individuals that you are looking for.
Inquire if they carry out any assessments concerning personality and ability. If possible, suggest tests that you prefer or are proven to be better. You can even recommend values that you uphold in your organization.
You can also inquire if it is possible to have a part of your staff participate in the recruitment process. Doing this will ensure your company’s interests are represented and prioritized. A custom experience will help boost your confidence in the candidates presented to you. It will also give the recruitment agency a deeper insight into what your industry requires.
Conclusion
You should make a list of the agencies that offer PR recruitment, and research their success in the field. While doing so, make a checklist of the advantages of each and what you are willing to compromise. This will help you make an informed decision, and it may also save you money.
It is important for you also to conduct your interviews and assessments of the final candidates. Ensure that they are the right candidates who deserve the job. It will also protect the work environment of your other employees. You do not have to accept the final candidates if they do not meet your merits.
